RACE 1

Open race. (6) RUBY CLAIRE is holding consistent form and rates a winning chance. (14) SALAGADOOLA is making progress and will get much closer with scope to improve. (1) AMERICAN EAGLE ran a cracker in the last start at big odds so include. (9) DUCHESS OF SEVILLE can get into the quartets. (Devonne Govender 6-14-1-9).

RACE 2

(10) WISHES AND DREAMS ran a top race in the last start and looks tough to beat. (7) MONEY GALORE is holding consistent form and will be there, she must be respected. (2) DARLINGBUDSOFMAY can get much closer with the experience under the belt. (8) TANZANITE comes from a yard who do extremely well with unraced runners, keep a close eye on the market. (Devonne Govender 10-7-2-8)

RACE 3

(12) WILD FIG was fancied in the last start and ran a cracking race, he should take some beating here. (3) HALF MOON ISLAND has made solid progress and if continuing to build on that will be a huge contender. (1) ACTION AMERICA is making steady progress and will be in the mix, include in all bets. (10) ROCK OF FUTURA ran well enough on debut and will get much closer. (Devonne Govender 12-3-1-10)

RACE 4

(7) LANCIAFIAMME has been very impressive and will have another huge chance here from a decent enough draw. (1) MASTER FORESTER ran a cracker in the last start and another huge run is expected. (9) HOLOCENE is another who is holding solid form and will make his presence felt so respect. (6) CHEEKY LADDIE is capable of much better so ignore the last run. (Devonne Govender 7-1-9-6)

RACE 5

(3) GOLDEN PEACE is holding solid form and rates a big winning chance here. His last win was extremely impressive and he is expected to go very close. (1) BINGWA is always there, he needed his last run and should be much fitter now hence he deserves the utmost respect. (2) FIREALLEY ran well in the last start and will be right there again. (7) GIMME MORE TIME won a gutsy race in the last start and can get involved once again however does meet some hard knockers here. (Devonne Govender 3-1-2-7)

RACE 6

(1) BOURNEMOUTH packs plenty of class and will undoubtably love this trip, although shouldering 62kgs and returning from a short break he will be a serious contender here. (2) ZATARA MAGIC loves to race handy and will be in the firing line if allowed to dictate here. (3) JUAN CARLOS is a very honest type and he has had a good prep into this so must go into all bets. (9) REPETITION represents Cape form which stands up well here so could get into the placings. (Devonne Govender 1-2-3-9)

RACE 7

(3) LUNA HALO ran a cracker in the last start and packs plenty of class, she will be a huge runner here. (2) SPLICETHEMAINBRACE is clearly better than her last start and that run is best ignored, she will be there. (1) TIME FOR LOVE brings decent Cape form into this, she has a top rider aboard and must be respected. (4) LADY SILVANO is a very honest type and can run into the placings. (Devonne Govender 3-2-1-4)

RACE 8

(5) ENCHANTING CHOICE won easily in her last start and those form-lines are good enough for her to be very competitive here. (6) CONCERTO ran cracker in the last start and will be the main danger to the top selection. (3) MONTELENA is holding form and caught the eye in the last start, big runner. (2) CATCH YOUR BREATH won a gutsy race in her last start and can get involved here. (Devonne Govender 5-6-3-2)

RACE 9

(1) CHILI BOMB is holding consistent form and rates a strong winning chance. (9) CAPTAIN TIK wasn’t far in the last start and can get much closer. (3) IGUGULETHU has been racing well and another decent run is expected, he does have a wide draw but can produce a big finish on his day. (10) FOUR JACKS wasn’t far in the last start and run into the quartets. (Devonne Govender 1-9-3-10)

Andrew Harrison

Legendary jockey and trainer Garth Puller is not easily pleased when it comes to the riders that he puts on his horses but he has stayed loyal and mentored former SAJA Head Boy Siphesihle Hlengwa, known affectionally to all at Summerveld as ‘Spare’.

Unassuming and polite, Hlengwa got two home for Puller at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.

Kanaal Skater looked to be home and dry in the third to add to Dean Kannemeyer’s Hollywoodbets Durban July victory last Saturday but was treading water late as Cardinal Chief pedaled past under Hlengwa to run him out of it with early leader Xenophon staying on for third.

Celestial Diamond found plenty of support in the market for the Gallop Form Maiden Plate, next up on the card, but Hlengwa went one better after being run out of it late last time out, to keep the favourite at bay.

Paul Matchett was not on course to lead in the well fancied Opera Fan in the card opener but may well have suffered a few heart palpitations as Calvin Habib managed to keep his charge going just long enough to hod off a rather unlucky Cassandra who came from well off the pace to be denied on the line.

It was a fine ride from Habib who had a difficult time getting his charge to the post as she stuck up at the entrance to the parade ring and had to be led past the entrance before deciding to head on to the start.

In the first leg of the PA, former Mike de Kock right-hand man Wengesai Masawi sent out his first runner from his Ashburton base and Pied Piper was far from disgraced after showing pace before tiring late. The well-backed Bruh came from off the pace, having Paul Lafferty muttering under his breath in the running, but Muzi Yeni got the well-fancied runner home ahead of Sean Tarry’s runner Master Spy, both horses held in high regard.

Royal Victory was not disgraced in defeat in last Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, coming from off the pace to finish a creditable fourth behind The Real Prince, and still the best horse in the country, Eight On Eighteen.

World Of Royalty racing in the same Pieter Victor colours yesterday and stepped up to a mile by Nathan Kotzen, the One World gelding, starting tote favourite, produced the required result under July winning rider Craig Zackey to get past 40-1 chance Carnival Park and stave off a Pick 6 ‘bomb’.

Lucinda Woodruff has paid her way with her small Champions Season raiding party and Another Dream paid her ticket when running on stoutly to hold off all challengers in the sixth. A big-striding filly, Chad Little made a winning move two furlongs out and the daughter of Futura kept rolling to hold of the late challenges from Ideal Gift and Elembee.

Well-backed Lock And Key took on male rivals in the Gallop TV B Stakes and turned in a courageous performance to hold all at bay. Under pressure from a long way out, Chad Little kept Glen Kotzen’s filly hard to her task and she responded gallantly to hold off Trois Quatre and French Trip to give Kotzen’s the 2000^th winner of his training career.

Lady Of Vix, having her second run after a four-month break, took no prisoners in rounding off the meeting. Sean Veale bounced her out of the gate and Tony Rivalland’s charge was not for the catching and never seriously in danger with Rafa’s Boy, hunting a third straight victory, never got close.

David Thiselton

Hollywoodbets Durban July day was a day of bold decisions coming to fruition and this was very much the case when the Gareth van Zyl-trained King Pelles won the Gr 3 Durban Gold Vase over 3000m.

Owner Ravi Padayachee, nominee of the Lucky Vest 12 CC Syndicate, recalled, “Gareth’s Dad Gavin and I bought King Pelles at the Nationals in 2022. I liked the sire Duke of Marmalade and then obviously KP is my son’s initials, Keanu Padyachee. We were in and out in the bidding and I think if I remember correctly we were bidding in the end against Sean Tarry. When he was approaching half-a-million rand Gavin said, ‘Leave it.’ But then I put my hand up one last time and we won the bid!!”

They had secured the Drakenstein Stud-bred son of Duke Of Marmalade for R475,000 and Gary Player, Dave MacLean and NV Parmanand came in as partners.

Gavin was initially the trainer before passing him on to Gareth upon his retirement, which was before the horse had had his first start.

The R475,000 would have seemed quite a bargain by today’s standards as he is a half-brother to Gr 1 SA Derby winner, the former Gary Alexander-trained Await The Dawn gelding Hero’s Honour.

King Pelles, who is out of Galileo mare Grail Maiden, now has the distinction of being a half-brother to two SA Derby winners, because he is also a half-brother to this year’s winner of that prestigious Turffontein race, the Lancaster Bomber colt Legend Of Arthur.

What is especially significant about the latter horse is he is trained by Sean Tarry, so Tarry obviously went back to the well to secure a closely related replacement for the one that got away, although he had to go to R925,000 to get Legend Of Arthur.

Ravi was also full of praise for Kevin Sommerville, racing manager of Drakenstein Stud.

He said, “Gavin thought this horse would go over the ground and Kevin from Drakenstein did mention this to me when we were in Cape Town. He said, ‘Ravi, this horse will win the Derby, he’s needs to over further, he is hungry for that distance.’ They are horsemen, we put the money down, but they are specialists in what they do. I didn’t mention Kevin in the winner’s interview, but he did say that to me about a year ago. He has proved to be spot on.”  

King Pelles has now actually won three Gr 3 staying races in this one season and if he wins the Gold Cup on the last weekend of the season he would make it a possibly unprecedented fourth.

He won the Gr 3 Glorious Goodwood Chairman’s Cup over 2500m on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day, then fulfilled Kevin Sommerville’s prophecy by winning the Gr 3 Tote Derby over 2400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on June 14 and followed up three week’s later by winning the Gold Vase on Saturday.

Athandiwe Mgudlwa was aboard for the Chairman’s Cup and S’Manga Khumalo has ridden him in his last two starts.

On Saturday King Pelles was backed in to 9/4 favourite despite having to carry joint topweight of 60kg. 

He jumped from draw three in the eleven horse field and was slowly away, but that allowed Khumalo to secure the rail around the first turn before switching to a one out position with cover in midfield down the back straight.

King Pelles quickened superbly at the top of the straight and had hit the front by the 400m mark.

It was clear nothing would catch him as he was galloping resolutely and there was no sign of tiredness.

He won by three lengths from his Tote Derby runner up Holding Thumbs and that gave part-owners Gary Player and Dave MacLean the exacta.

Ravi revealed in the winner’s interview it was his parents 55th wedding anniversary on the day, which made the win all the more special.

Ravi said later about his association with horse racing, “It was my late wife Vanoshini who enticed me to follow my dream and I have now been 20 years in the racing game, I love it. I love the passion. For the last month and a half we’ve been very successful. These colours are my colours and were chosen by Vanoshini. Today is special. To win a graded race on July day is every owner’s dream.”

He reserved a special word for part-owner and friend Viren Parmanand.

“He is not well and I wish him well and think this would have made him feel better today,” he said.

He added, “I think Vanoshini will be smiling down from above today.” 

It was not actually Ravi’s biggest win as he was part-owner of the 2009 Gr 2 SA Nursery winner, the Mike Azzie-trained Var colt Vacherin. 

Ravi likes to include his family in his racing passion.

One of his horses is called K M V Retrofit, which is named after Keanu, his partner Mags and Vanoshini.

He explained Mags is his nickname for his partner, but she prefers to be called Des.

Ravi concluded, “Our pinnacle will be to now win the Gold Cup. I have looked at the entries and it looks like we’ve beaten everybody there. It will take a good horse to beat us.”

King Pelles was give a six point raise for his win on Saturday, which puts him on 118, three points lower than the highest rated Gold Cup entry Purple Pitcher. However, he has pulled up well and the Gold Cup favours the topweights with the bottom weight being 54kg and the weights compressed.

It is going to be a massive day out at Hollywoodbets Greyville on July 27 for Ravi and family and friends.