RACE 1

(1) SPURIOUS represents Cape form which stands up strong here hence she will be the top selection. She hasn’t been far in recent runs and should go well over this 1400m trip. (4) PRICELESS TREASURE has been holding consistent form and another place could be on the cards. (6) LANA VIEW was unlucky in the last start and is one to include in everything, she is holding form and is overdue. (9) FRENCH ROMANCE has scope to improve over this trip so include in larger perms. (2) CHAMPAGNE BLAZE was disappointing in her last start but she is capable of better so can be thrown into larger perms. (Devonne Govender 1-4-6-9).

RACE 2

(2) WORLD SOPRANO will be the narrowly first selection based on the draw. He ran well in his last start and should be in the firing line if repeating that. (3) BLAME IT ON ME has been holding consistent form recently however is a long time maiden, he also has a tough draw to deal with but on best form can make the frame. (9) MAKAJIMA has only had one run in the province and can build on that however he does have a tough draw. (11) GLOBAL ZEE is capable of getting into the quartets. (Devonne Govender 2-3-9-11).

RACE 3

(2) GENOVEFA won a gutsy race in her last start and can follow up here. (7) AMANATTO is holding consistent form and will be a big challenger, include in everything. (1) JAMBO SANA is very capable on her day and represents value here, despite the big weight she can win this and needs to respected. (6) DANCING IN WINTER won impressively in her last start, she goes well on the poly and is another with a winning chance. (Devonne Govender 2-7-1-6).

RACE 4

(3) HOERIKWAGGO is holding solid form and has always been highly thought of hence she will be the banker in bets. (2) VIRGIN RIVER ran a cracker in the last start and will be in the firing for the placings from a tough draw. (8) HOPE CHEST has been in good form in recent starts and can certainly get involved. (6) ALESIA’S LOVE hasn’t been far in recent starts and has a place chance. (Devonne Govender 3-2-8-6).

RACE 5

(2) CHOCOLATE BOMB is in excellent form and could make it four wins on the bounce from a decent draw. He shows plenty of speed and could be hard to catch. (8) WAROFDYNAMITE has been running consistently and will be in the frame once again. (11) AADEHYA ran extremely well in his last start and can feature if repeating that. (1) GALILEO STAR is capable of much better and that last run should be ignored. (Devonne Govender 2-8-11-1).

RACE 6

(9) SILENT TRIGGER ran a cracker in the last start and from a good draw he will be dangerous. (6) KING RAHUL is holding from over-all and can certainly run a big race in this contest. (5) DONNY’S BOY ran well at big odds in his last start and can make the frame here, include in quartets. (11) XPLICIT CONTENT could some good value for placings, although he has a tough draw he can feature here. (Devonne Govender 9-6-5-11).

RACE 7

(6) GREEN ISLE has been racing well and should go close in this contest, she wasn’t far in her last start and with Richard Fourie aboard he is sure to run a cracker. (8) A BIT CHILLY is another who will go very well here and should be respected from a decent draw. (7) THUNDER MASTER has been holding consistent form over shorter and can get into the mix. (5) SLAINTE MHATH is very capable on his day and should be included in larger perms. (Devonne Govender 6-8-7-5).

RACE 8

(4) BLACKBERRY BREEZE is holding solid form hence he will be the top selection. He gets a decent enough draw and will make his presence felt. (5) HOLLANDIA BAKKERIJ wasn’t far behind the top selection in his last start and will challenge strongly so include in everything. (8) GOLDEN GREY has had to deal with tough draws in recent starts and finally cracks the ace gate, this will bring him right into this contest. (10) ROTOTO is very capable of running a big race here and needs to be respected. (Devonne Govender 4-5-8-10).

David Thiselton

The Corne Spies-trained filly Hazy Dazy is on the cusp of a repeat fairy tale story with just the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks standing between her and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara glory.

She will become the second daughter of Act Of War to do the Triple Tiara following the success five years ago in 2021 of the Paul Matchett-trained War Of Athena.

The other similarity in the stories of the two fillies is that War Of Athena was purchased for just R30,000 while Hazy Dazy was bought for just R37,000.

Act Of War is by Dynasty, who was a stamina influence, and Hazy Dazy’s damsire Eightfold Path is by stamina influence Giant’s Causeway.

Xander Spies has no doubt Hazy Dazy will see out the Oaks trip, despite her first and second dams, Rabbedoe and Brataloochee, being speedsters.

Hazy Dazy has in fact won over 2000m before and on Saturday her win over the tough Turffontein Standside 1800m course and distance was in sticky going.

Xander Spies said, “There are no indications in my mind that she will not stay the Oaks trip. In fact what is interesting is that all of the horses who had been labelled as ones that would stay actually finished further back in the Classic than they had done in the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.”

Hazy Dazy’s supporters had a scary moment in the race, because after leading it appeared she had been swamped at the 400m mark.

However, she had soon fought back and established a clear lead before holding on by a length.

Xander said, “I was slightly concerned but Trent (Mayhew) gave a very good explanation. He said the same happens every race, but this was one of the few times she had been in front. So he hadn’t pulled the stick, because she was just cruising and he just waited another 50m, as he would normally do, knowing she had a lot left.”

Corne Spies deserves the success, because ostensibly he actually bred Hazy Dazy.

She is out of the Eightfold Path mare Rabbedoe, whom Corne trained.

After training her he bred with her and was responsible for putting her in foal to Act Of War.

However, COVID-19 then hit and he gave her away to David Makins prior to Hazy Dazy being born.

Makins had an association with the Spies yard because Corne’s father Tobie used to train for him.

Hazy Dazy was officially bred by Breedon Stud, owned by David Makins and his wife Martha.

Xander believes Hazy Dazy would always have ended up in the Spies yard anyway but Corne made sure of it by purchasing her at the David Makins dispersal Sale upon the latter’s passing.

Eightfold Path has a magnificent pedigree, being by “the iron horse” Giant’s Causeway out of the superstar five-times Gr 1-winning European champion racehorse Divine Proportions (Kingmambo), but Xander said, “It’s not a pairing (Act Of War-Rabbedoe) most would have thought would produce something this good, but I guess you can find them anywhere.”

Xander pointed out that although Rabbedoe’s mother Brataloochee was a “proper” racehorse, Rabbedoe’s pedigree page had “nothing” of note to the extent that on the Sales page it went all the way down to the sixth dam.

The yard received Hazy Dazy in the December of her yearling year and he remembered her being quite a runt and looking more like a weanling.

The yard often buys on spec and then puts a syndicate of owners together.

The owners of Hazy Dazy are Mr D Dasrath & Mrs C Dasrath, Messrs R P Macnab, S Poriazis, Vikash Sobaren, X Spies & D Vayapuri

Hazy Dazy has grown into a noticeably tall filly and has a fine action, which has carried her to six wins in eight starts, including a Gr 1, a Gr 2 and a Gr3.

Her first feature success was in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile at Turffontein Standside on Betway Summer Cup day.

Despite starting at odds of 17/2 she won that by an authoritative one lengths from the Alyson Wright-trained Charge It, who is a Varsfontein Stud-hombred Gimmethegreenlight filly who is a full sister to Sucharge, who won a Gr 1 in both SA and in Australia.

Hazy Dazy was supposed to run in the race Charge It won next time out, the Listed War Of Athena Handicap, but she sustained a slight injury and it was decided not to risk it.

She then started at the amazing odds of 25/1 for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, despite having beaten most of the field in the Fillies Mile.

She won the Guineas in effortless fashion in the end, despite actually looking a bit green.

The bookmakers were way more cautious on Saturday and she was sent off as even money favourite.

Her aims after the Triple Tiara races are over look to be the Woolavington 2000, but Xander emphasised she would not be going for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

He said that history had shown that making a full bid for the Triple Tiara took a bit out of a horse and the July would be a bridge too far this year, although it was definitely on the cards for next year.

It was a fine day for the Spies yard on Saturday as they also won the Gr 3 TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes over 1000m with their sprinting stalwart William Robertson (Rafeef), who is now a 17 time winner and he will be going for the Computaform Sprint next, a Gr 1 wfa event he has won before.

The Spies yard only have 14 horses of three years old or older and yet have won five black type races this season.

Rob Macnab also has a share in William Robertson and both he and Hazy Dazy run in his blue, white crossed sashes, red sleeves and cap colours.

Meanwhile, Rabbedoe was purchased on the same Sale as Hazy Dazy by a bloodstock agent who seeks second careers for horses and it is believed she was subsequently sold to a riding school somewhere in the Limpopo.

Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Cheltenham and Wolverhampton (UK) – 10 March 2026.

David Thiselton

 

The Corne Spies-trained filly Hazy Dazy is on the cusp of a repeat fairytale story with just the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks standing between her and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara glory.

 

She will become the second daughter of Act Of War to do the Triple Tiara following the success five years ago in 2021 of the Paul Matchett-trained War Of Athena.

 

The other similarity in the stories of the two fillies is that War Of Athena was purchased for just R30,000 while Hazy Dazy was bought for just R37,000.

 

Act Of War is by Dynasty, who was a stamina influence, and Hazy Dazy’s damsire Eightfold Path is by stamina influence Giant’s Causeway.

 

Xander Spies has no doubt Hazy Dazy will see out the Oaks trip, despite her first and second dams, Rabbedoe and Brataloochee, being speedsters.

 

Hazy Dazy has in fact won over 2000m before and on Saturday her win over the tough Turffontein Standside 1800m course and distance was in sticky going.

 

Xander Spies said, “There are no indications in my mind that she will not stay the Oaks trip. In fact what is interesting is that all of the horses who had been labelled as ones that would stay actually finished further back in the Classic than they had done in the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.”

 

Hazy Dazy’s supporters had a scary moment in the race, because after leading it appeared she had been swamped at the 400m mark.

 

However, she had soon fought back and established a clear lead before holding on by a length.

 

Xander said, “I was slightly concerned but Trent (Mayhew) gave a very good explanation. He said the same happens every race, but this was one of the few times she had been in front. So he hadn’t pulled the stick, because she was just cruising and he just waited another 50m, as he would normally do, knowing she had a lot left.”

 

Corne Spies deserves the success, because ostensibly he actually bred Hazy Dazy.

 

She is out of the Eightfold Path mare Rabbedoe, whom Corne trained.

 

After training her he bred with her and was responsible for putting her in foal to Act Of War.

 

However, COVID-19 then hit and he gave her away to David Makins prior to Hazy Dazy being born.

 

Makins had an association with the Spies yard because Corne’s father Tobie used to train for him.

 

Hazy Dazy was officially bred by Breedon Stud, owned by David Makins and his wife Martha.

 

Xander believes Hazy Dazy would always have ended up in the Spies yard anyway but Corne made sure of it by purchasing her at the David Makins dispersal Sale upon the latter’s passing.

 

Eightfold Path has a magnificent pedigree, being by “the iron horse” Giant’s Causeway out of the superstar five-times Gr 1-winning European champion racehorse Divine Proportions (Kingmambo), but Xander said, “It’s not a pairing (Act Of War-Rabbedoe) most would have thought would produce something this good, but I guess you can find them anywhere.”

 

Xander pointed out that although Rabbedoe’s mother Brataloochee was a “proper” racehorse, Rabbedoe’s pedigree page had “nothing” of note to the extent that on the Sales page it went all the way down to the sixth dam.

 

The yard received Hazy Dazy in the December of her yearling year and he remembered her being quite a runt and looking more like a weanling.

 

The yard often buys on spec and then puts a syndicate of owners together.

 

The owners of Hazy Dazy are Mr D Dasrath & Mrs C Dasrath, Messrs R P Macnab, S Poriazis, Vikash Sobaren, X Spies & D Vayapuri

 

Hazy Dazy has grown into a noticeably tall filly and has a fine action, which has carried her to six wins in eight starts, including a Gr 1, a Gr 2 and a Gr3.

 

Her first feature success was in the Gr 3 Fillies Mile at Turffontein Standside on Betway Summer Cup day.

 

Despite starting at odds of 17/2 she won that by an authoritative one lengths from the Alyson Wright-trained Charge It, who is a Varsfontein Stud-homebred Gimmethegreenlight filly who is a full sister to Surcharge, who won a Gr 1 in both SA and in Australia.

 

Hazy Dazy was supposed to run in the race Charge It won next time out, the Listed War Of Athena Handicap, but she sustained a slight injury and it was decided not to risk it.

 

She then started at the amazing odds of 25/1 for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, despite having beaten most of the field in the Fillies Mile.

 

She won the Guineas in effortless fashion in the end, despite actually looking a bit green.

 

The bookmakers were way more cautious on Saturday and she was sent off as even money favourite.

 

Her aims after the Triple Tiara races are over look to be the Woolavington 2000, but Xander emphasised she would not be going for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

 

He said that history had shown that making a full bid for the Triple Tiara took a bit out of a horse and the July would be a bridge too far this year, although it was definitely on the cards for next year.

 

It was a fine day for the Spies yard on Saturday as they also won the Gr 3 TAB J J The Jet Plane Stakes over 1000m with their sprinting stalwart William Robertson (Rafeef), who is now a 17 time winner and he will be going for the Computaform Sprint next, a Gr 1 wfa event he has won before.

 

The Spies yard only have 14 horses of three years old or older and yet have won five black type races this season.

 

Rob Macnab also has a share in William Robertson and both he and Hazy Dazy run in his blue, white crossed sashes, red sleeves and cap colours.

 

Meanwhile, Rabbedoe was purchased on the same Sale as Hazy Dazy by a bloodstock agent who seeks second careers for horses and it is believed she was subsequently sold to a riding school somewhere in the Limpopo.

 

David Thiselton

 

The Hollywoodbets Durban July conditions have been finalised and the final field panellists might be in for an interesting evening before the Final Field And Barrier Draw Ceremony, whilst the three-year-olds look to be on the back foot at present.

 

There will be a longer handicap this year with a 10kg spread in the weights from a topweight of 62kg down to a bottom weight of 52kg.

 

Furthermore, it will just be a straight handicap, unlike recent July conditions in which there was a maximum and minimum weight for certain age groups and genders.

 

If the final field happens to have a spread that is less than 10kg, the topweight will still be 62kg. If, for example, there is a weight spread of 7kg among the entries, then the bottom weight will be 55kg.

 

If the topweights are scratched after the setting of the weights, then the new topweight will be dragged up to 62kg. For example if the topweight after scratchings is 60,5kg, it will be dragged up to 62kg and after the rest of the field have been dragged up the bottom weight will become 53,5kg.

 

The final field will not necessarily be chosen by merit rating order.

 

Justin Vermaak, Executive Racing and Bloodstock of Race Coast, said, “There will be a final field selection panel like before and merit rating will be a leading aspect, but the panel will also take current form and distance suitability into account etc.”

 

In recent years the final field panellists have not had it too tough as the field was cut up before the final field announcement, with a lot of horses being scratched due to the recognition by the connections they do not have much chance, either due to the weights not favouring them or due to them being off form – the final declaration fee could have, in those cases, been considered a waste of money.

 

However, with the longer handicap, there are going to be more horses who still have form chances on paper.

 

Looking at last year’s July for example, third-placed Selukwe was rated 111 and had to carry 54kg due to the condition that the minimum weight for an older male was 54kg. He was thus 2kg under sufferance with the 127-rated topweights, both older horses, and he was 4kg under sufferance with the officially best weighted horse, the 129 rated (nett 125-rated) Eight On Eighteen, who was set to carry 57kg despite being the highest merit rated horse in the race due to a condition that three-year-old males could not carry more than 57kg.

 

In last year’s race Oriental Charm carried 60kg, Eight On Eighteen carried 57kg and Selukwe carried 54kg.

 

Under this year’s conditions the weights for those three horses would have been: Oriental Charm 62kg, Eight On Eighteen 61kg and Selukwe 54kg. Selukwe would have been 2kg and 4kg better off with Oriental Charm and Eight On Eighteen respectively under today’s conditions.

 

He would have been 2kg better off with the winner The Real Prince too and, on paper, would have been beaten 0,30 lengths instead of by 2,65 lengths.

 

There could theoretically have been a horse who would have been even more favoured by today’s conditions than the 111-rated Selukwe example.

 

Using last year’s race under today’s conditions, an older horse who had been rated 107 would sneak into the handicap under today’s conditions.

 

A 107-rated older horse last year would have had to carry 54kg, 6kg less than the topweight, but under today’s conditions it would have only had to carry 52kg, which would be 10kg less than the 62kg topweight.

 

Therefore, there are theoretically going be a lot more horses standing their ground at the time of the final field selection process this year, because a lot more of them will have chances of winning on paper than would have been the case under the old conditions.

 

Furthermore, with stakes of R10 million up for grabs there will be less cases of horses being scratched due to the  connections deeming them to be off form. They might still want to take their chances.

 

The difficulty for the panel will come in deciding whether a lower rated horse is deemed to have better recent form or better distance suitability than a higher rated horse.

 

For argument sakes let’s assume that we go back to last year and there are still many horses standing their ground until the bitter end. After the top 17 are selected, according to the last log and current form, let’s assume the next two horses are the 115-rated Madison Valley and the 120-rated The Real Prince.

 

The Real Prince is rated five points higher than Madison Valley, but he has never run a race beyond 1600m before.

 

Madison Valley on the other hand finished a close fourth in the Betway Summer Cup over 2000m and in his final run before the July he won the traditional July pointer, the Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m.

 

Which one are they going to put in the all important 18th slot?

 

Such a scenario is going to have much more chance of happening this year.

 

Although it has been said that weight avoidance tactics are going to be used this year, those who do take that route are probably going to run a bigger risk of not qualifying than ever before.

 

Now on to the three-year-olds.

 

Eight On Eighteen was held in high regard last year and came into the race 2kg well-in, according to official merit ratings, and yet he was not able to win the race.

 

Under today’s conditions he would have had to carry 61kg, effectively 2kg more.

 

So it was tough last year for a top, top three-year-old who was favoured by the old conditions.

 

How tough will it be for good-but-not-great three-year-olds under the new conditions, considering there is no maximum weight for them and no minimum weight for older horses?

 

Likewise it will be tough for females.

 

Furthermore, this year’s three-year-old crop are arguably overrated off their current merit ratings.

 

For example, Gauteng Guineas runner up Grand Empire could not win the Wolf Power 1600 against older horses when 2kg under sufferance off a 102 merit rating (effectively a 106 merit rating), yet he is now rated 120. There will be cries of “but the handicapper is clueless” when looking at that, but those who do say that are clueless themselves, because the handicapper rates a race on that race, not on past races, and Tin Pan Alley had earned his 117 rating by beating older horses and Grand Empire had then beaten him. Furthermore, Grand Empire was likely not at his peak for the Wolf Power with the Triple crown series looming.

 

Nevertheless, the overall impression is the current three-year-old male crop is not shining and it is questionable whether any of them have properly earned a rating of 120 or above.

 

It could well be an older horse July, but on the other hand there is an impressive unexposed horse like Note To Self among the three-year-olds and more such types might emerge.

 

The build up to this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July is going to be more intriguing than ever!