RACE 1

(6) MME HUNTRESS was fancied in the betting on debut and ran well, she will be a strong contender with natural improvement to come. (4) AMAZONIAN is making good progress and will be right there in the finish. (2) MASTER’S LADY is another who is making progress and shouldn’t be far so warrants respect. (1) CHILLI MARMALADE is capable of getting into the quartets. Watch betting on unraced runner. (Devonne Govender 6-4-2-1).

 

RACE 2

(5) HAMMER BLOW ran extremely well on debut and will be the firm first choice here. He would have benefited from that experience and should be hard to beat. (1) TRAJANUS is knocking on the door and will be the main danger to the top selection, he needs to be respected here. (2) SEED SEEKER is making steady progress and will be in the frame. (6) LEGAL FLAME goes back to the 1000m this time and won’t be far. Watch betting on unraced runners. (Devonne Govender 5-1-2-6).

 

RACE 3

(8) ONETWOBUCKLEMYSHOE was fancied on debut and ran accordingly. She was narrowly beaten on debut when making solid progress and this 1600m trip with be ideal, she will take a power of beating and is one to follow for the future. (6) GAVIUS MAXIMUS is making progress and will get much closer however he will need to lift to beat the top selection. (3) WAR SUMMIT ran well enough to place and should be in the frame again. (2) ARIZONA MAGIC will make progress over this extended trip and can run into the placings. (Devonne Govender 8-6-3-2).

 

RACE 4

(2) BLUSHING BLOOM ran a cracker in the last start and looks to be a solid contender here. (5) SARAGOSSA CAT looks progressive and should have more to come, she must be respected in this field. (7) MAVERICK QUEEN ran well at big odds in the last start and could get into the quartets. (8) TOGETHER AGAIN hasn’t been far in the last start and can place here. (Devonne Govender 2-5-7-8).

 

RACE 5

(9) COUNT HUHTIKUU was very impressive in his last win and will have a huge chance here. Although he meets some strong opposition but he has a light mass and looks to be a smart horse in the making. (1) SOLAR SAIL is holding consistent form and another decent run is expected, he ran well behind the top selection so won’t be far. (7) KING’S EXPRESS is another who is holding good form and can certainly win this, he needs to be respected especially with the fact that the claiming apprentice is taking off valuable weight which makes him a contender here. (6) NAVAJO NATION has been racing well and another honest effort is expected. The race doesn’t end here as majority of the field have chances hence its suggested to play wide. (Devonne Govender 9-1-7-6-3).

 

RACE 6

(1) OBSIDIAN is holding solid form and will have a strong winning chance in this line up. Although shouldering a big weight he may just be too good for this field. (2) ALADDIN’S LAMP is in great form and looks the main danger to the top selection, he must go into all bets. (10) IMPACT INVESTOR has been racing consistently and should be in the firing line once again. (5) LAST CAR TO PASS ran well enough in the last start and will be in the mix again. Beyond the top two selections many have good enough form to feature, however once looking past the top two it becomes very open. (Devonne Govender 1-2-10-5).

 

RACE 7

Open race. (2) CALIDA has been racing well and looks to have a solid winning chance with in form rider Callan Murray aboard. (3) MICHAEL FARADAY won well in his last start and is very capable of following up based on the manner he got the job done. (4) SUNSHINE DAY is a honest type and won’t be far, on best form she can win. (6) MATTIAZO is capable of much better and must be respected here. (Devonne Govender 2-3-4-6).

Warren Lenferna

Fox On The Run, from the barn of James Crawford, opened up proceedings at Hollywoodbets Durbanville yesterday for team Hollywood Racing. This son of Canford Cliffs was excellently ridden by their retained rider, Sean Veale. There was good improvement shown by the second-place horse, Fast Train, who also raced in the same race as the winner, which was won by Gold Giboski.

In the second race, Freedom Fighter found all the love in the market as race time loomed and was never in doubt. In fact, he impressed as he stretched away from the opposition. Chad Little was the man behind the reins, and clearly the twenty-four-week rest was no concern at all, but he is sure to tighten up further off this winning comeback.

According to the market, Race 4, the Class 4 over 1500m, was expected to be a fight between two attractive, talented fillies: Viva La Vida and Wander Dune. Viva La Vida came into the race looking for the hat trick, and achieved it. She seemed to “spit the dummy” just before they turned for home, but the ever-astute Sean Veale never left her alone for a moment. From his consistent urgings at keeping her interested in the task at hand, she dug down deep and found more to keep Supreme Fate at bay. It was a decent comeback effort for the runner-up, having not run since the 26th of July. Viva La Vida seems to be a very progressive filly in the making and can be followed with confidence. She is trained by Vaughan Marshall and owned and bred by the Fosters.

David Thiselton

 

The Turffontein Inside course hosts a seven race meeting today and a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1600m and a Middle Stakes race over 1600m are the highest rated races.

 

In the Pinnacle event Potberrie is only 1kg under sufferance with the best weighted runner, Lady Fallon. and should make a bold bid from a plum draw of two. He is capable of setting the pace and running on. Solar Sail is drawn in pole, but is 2kg under sufferance with the best weighted. He should be staying on from a handy position. Navajo Nation ran a decent third in a Pinnacle event over course and distance last time out and from a fair draw of four he could make his presence felt again. King’s Express could be the one to lead as he is drawn five and led from start to finish over 1800m last time out. He was raised two point to 102, but even then he is 2kg under sufferance with the best weighted and the step down in trip won’t aid his cause either so he looks to have a tough task. Marauding Horde will find it on the sharp side, but could earn a cheque here running fresh after a five month layoff. The best weighted Lady Fallon has a tricky draw in her first start for more than six months. She should come on from the run. Pressonregardless is only 1kg better off with Potberrie for a 4,80 length beating so is up against it, although he is likely better than that last run. Greeting My Master and Taegan’s Champ were both well beaten last time after long layoffs but should have come on from those runs. However, this will likely be another come on run for them.

 

In the Middle Stakes event Soho Heartthrob is officially 3kg under sufferance if the half-a-kilogram of overweight of Craig Zackey is included. However, he caught the eye last time out when just failing in a 1400m handicap and he should have come on from the run and will relish the step up in trip. This long strider has plenty of scope and can rise above his current 94 merit rating. He is well drawn and should be running on strongly. Birthright has found consistency and comes off a second place finish over this trip at the Vaal. He has a tricky draw of six out of ten so will need some luck in running. He is 1kg under sufferance with the best weighted runner, Last Car To Pass. The latter is the only female in the field and has a plum draw over a suitable trip and runs in first time blinkers. She should make a bold bid considering her last win was against the boys in a Novice Handicap. Player has overall been a bit of a disappointment, but he represents a very much in-form yard and from a fair draw should be in the shake up. Impact Investor is knocking on the door but returns from a short layoff and is 2kgn under sufferance with the best weighted. He is drawn in pole so it would be no surprise to see him in the shake up. Obsidian comes off a hat-trick but it won’t be easy as it is his first run for two months and he is 7,5kg worse off with Birthright for a 4,3 length victory in June, although he should have theoretically made 1kg of  improvement over this trip since then.

 

Race 2 over 1000m forms the first leg of the Pick 6 and it should be fought out by Trajanus and Hammer Blow. The latter was drawn on the wrong side last time and ran on well. He should have come on from the run and is now drawn in pole so looks the one to beat. Trajanus will make another bold bid to get out of the second box. The first-timer Aquarius is by Rafeef, whose progeny are having a fine season to date, so she has to be respected.

 

The third race over 1600m could be won by Onetwobucklemyshoe if she is able to overcome a wide draw as she went close on debut over this course and distance when backed into 5/4 favourite. She is the only filly in the contest so it won’t be easy. War Summit and Gavius Maximus could be the main dangers.

 

In the fourth race over 1200m Blushing Bloom has some fine form and can go close if able to overcome a wide draw. Saragossa Cat has a plum draw and can build on her maiden win over course and distance having been given a reasonable merit rating of 82. Maverick Queen was close to a promising sort last time and can be involved with a repeat.

 

In the seventh over 1450m Michael Faraday won with authority last time and as a former Cape horse can follow up off a six point higher mark. Matroosberg’s last run can be forgiven as he was widely drawn and it did not pan out well. Clarkson is well drawn and capable of being in the shake up.

 

In the first race over 1000m MME Huntress could improve and have the edge over Master’s Lady.

David Thiselton

Sectional timing is available for everybody to study and the best place to view it is on the Gallop website (https://www.gallop.co.za/fixtures/fixtureIframeLink).

Those who can master it might well be in the pound seats, but it is not easy to make head or tail of the statistics and probably requires a lot of experience. Colour coding does make identifying the fastest three horses in each section very easy.

However, there is the odd stand out and a race that looks to fall into that category is the maiden win of the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained What A Winter colt Buddy Boy.

This three-year-old drew away to win his maiden by six lengths at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on September 14 when stepped up to 1600m second time out.

It was visually impressive but the first signal that he might have been flattered was when Mathew de Kock said in an interview before his next start at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 1600m on Sunday that he had been “whacked” by the handicapper, who awarded him a 90 merit rating.

The De Kock yard would not normally say that about a horse whom they were earmarking for a race like the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, so this prompted a look at the sectional timing data.

There seemed to be some immediately obvious conclusions that could be drawn about that race from the sectional timing statistic available.

The first noticeable statistic was that Buddy Boy’s 400 to finish time was 24.364 seconds and the runner up Green Glow’s 400 to finish time was 24.741 seconds.

Only two of the other horses managed a 400 to finish time of below 26 seconds and one of them just scraped below on 25.936.

The signs were there that the pace had been too fast for this standard of race and Buddy Boy and Green Glow had been the only two horses able to stay on.

While, Green Glow had appeared to run on extremely well from an almost tailed off position, from where he clearly looked to be outpaced, the statistics showed him to just be passing slowing down horses and the winner actually finished faster than him.

Buddy Boy came from seventh place at the 400m and whilst looking to pull way impressively, the statistics showed him to be drawing away from slowing horses. Green Glow did make some inroads in the last 100m, but Buddy Boy was possibly being eased up at that stage.

A look at the following race over 1600m confirms the first suspicions.

SunnyBills Ferrari was the pacemaker in Buddy Boy’s race and ran from the start to the 1000m mark in 34.113, whilst the winner of the B Stakes race in the next race, Officer In Command, ran it in 35.363, while Buddy Boy ran it in 35.119.

Officer In Command’s finishing time was 35.685 compared to Buddy Boy’s 36.717 and SunnyBills Ferrari’s 38.688.

The going was soft on the day, so Buddy Boy proved himself no slouch by running the same overall time as the 85 rated older horse Officer In Command carrying the same weight.

However, a look at races in similar conditions shows Officer In Command’s time and performance to actually be below par. It was also a small five horse field, which tends to lead to slower times, and was in fact the first time he had been finished in the frame for nearly a year.

So, Buddy Boy’s time could not have been viewed as exceptional.

Coupled with the fact that the sectional timing statistics showed him to be beating horses who had not performed efficiently at all, the alarm bells should have been ringing.

It is always easy to talk in retrospect and this article should have been written before Sunday’s races, but sectional timing is still a new discipline in SA racing and this article is intended to inspire punters to make use of it.

Ultimately there looked to be two potentially false favourites on Sunday, Green Glow and Buddy Boy, as both were flattered by the bare result of that previous race.

On Sunday they duly finished a 1,10 length second at odds of 2/1 and a a two length fifth at odds of 15/10 respectively, both races over the same 1600m trip.

The Hollywoodbets Greyville times are subject to inspection, because the races are not over an exact distance and are carded as over “about 1600m” etc. This is due to a limitation in moving the starting stalls back or forward to cater for the false rail positioning. This must be taken into account when the sectional times are looked at and the wise can possibly get an edge by looking at the statistic “distance covered per sections” as it could tell the story of why some times are faster or slower than others in different meetings and a slower time could actually be a better performance.

Horse racing fans are in for a truly spectacular day on Saturday, 18 October 2025, with major events scheduled across the globe. From the prestigious TAB Everest in Australia to compelling local action in Hollywoodbets Durbanville and the classic Golden Trophy in Mauritius, it is a day not to be missed for any lover of the sport.

Randwick, Australia: The TAB Everest

Race 1 off at 03:30am

Experience the excitement of the world’s richest turf race from the comfort of your home. This is the pinnacle of the Sydney Spring Carnival, bringing together the fastest sprinters from around the globe to compete for a staggering $20 million prize purse. The atmosphere is electric as the top thoroughbreds and jockeys compete for supremacy.

Hollywoodbets Durbanville, Cape Town: Local Racing Action

Race 1 off at 12:35pm

Enjoy a superb day of local racing at the picturesque Hollywoodbets Durbanville Racecourse in Cape Town. Experience the thrill of live racing with a full card of quality thoroughbreds competing for victory on home soil. This meeting offers a great opportunity to get a close look at some of South Africa’s best horses and rising stars.

Port Louis, Mauritius: The Golden Trophy

Race 1 off at 10:30am

The racing action continues in the Indian Ocean with the prestigious Golden Trophy at the Champ de Mars racecourse in Port Louis. As one of the season’s major events, this is an exciting highlight for the Mauritian racing calendar and will be a compelling contest.

Ascot is a World Pool event on races 2 to 7.

Race 1 off at 13:55am

World Pool betting on Win, Place, Swinger, Quinella, Exacta and Trifecta.

Quartet pools will be hosted by Saftote.

Get ready for a day of outstanding equine competition all happening this Saturday!

Sunday, 19^th October Hong Kong

Sha Tin Trophy

Race 1 @ 10:00am