David Thiselton

The Tawny Syndicate have two lively contenders for classic trophies in their homebreds Valentino Balducci and Trust, with the former winning the Gr 3 TAB Starling Stakes on Saturday and the latter running a somewhat unlucky second in the Gr 3 Betway Graham Beck Stakes.

Valentino Balducci was bred by Tawny Syndicate co-founder “JJ” van der Linden and is part-owned  by him together with another Tawny Syndicate co-founder Larry Nestadt and also with Tawny Syndicate member Martin Lieveaux.

Trust was bred by Larry Nestadt under the Tawny Syndicate banner and he part-owns him together with Gary Player and Ralphs Racing.

The Valentino Balducci story started when Tawny Syndicate bought the Bosworth Farm Stud-bred Byword filly for R105,000 at the National Two-year-old Sale in 2016.

Goede Hoop was owned by “JJ” and Larry together with SM Nathan and CL Clucas.

Trained by Robbie Sage, Goede Hoop, who was out of Fort Wood maiden Nautical, won four races from 1800m up to 2400m.

Goede Hoop was sent back to Bosworth Farms Stud and covered by their underrated resident stallion Skit Skizzle, who is by the legendary Jet Master.

The first foal was Gideon’s Daughter, who is owned by Fellsmere Pty Ltd (Nom: Ms N Zwane) and trained by Alan Greeff. She won four times in the East Cape before fetching R10,000 at an August Online Sale this year, purchased by Leon Lotter.

Robbie Sage trains the second foal, Valentina Balducci, who is also by Skit Skizzle.

She won her first two starts over 1160m and 1450m before finishing an 8,95 length sixth in the Gr 2 Betway Jo’Burg Fillies and Mares Spring Challenge over 1450m. However, she jumped from a wide draw that day and had too much to do in the straight after being dropped out.

On Saturday in the Gr 3 TAB Starling Stakes over 1400m on Turffontein Standside she had another tough draw of eight out of ten and started at 14/1 odds.

The difference was this time Kaidan Brewer, who has ridden her in all four of her starts, decided to take her to the front.

She enjoyed herself in front and set a fair clip and then kicked well at the top of the straight.

Ovation Star came to challenge her and there was a prolonged tussle between the pair.

Brewer managed to change whip hands in the final stages and after giving her a smack with the left hand she found extra and won by a length.

The Gr 3 Fillies Mile on Betway Summer Cup day looks the obvious target for the filly, who has now accumulated R270,156 with her three wins in four starts and she has already got valuable bold black type.

Trust is by Heavenly Blue and is out of the Frankel may Frankly.

He is a full brother to his useful Candice Dawson-trained stablemate Truth.

Trust won by a length on debut over 1200m on the Turffontein Inside track and the form worked out well as the promising pair Monkey Puzzle and One Eye On Vegas have both come out and won since.

On Saturday, Trust, who was drawn eleven out of 15 in the Gr 3 Graham Beck over 1400m, was taken out early by the favourite Tin Pan Alley, who jumped inwards.

The stipendiary steward report stated, “Shortly after the start, MIAMI MOUNTAIN (C Murray) and TRUST (S Moodley) were bumped in by TIN PAN ALLEY (G Lerena), which jumped inwards leaving the stalls. As a consequence of this, MIAMI MOUNTAIN (C Murray) became momentarily unbalanced.”

This forced Serino Moodley to drop Trust to the back, although he then found the rail and made up a few places.

Trust had to negotiate quite a lot of traffic in the straight coming from near the back, but when seeing daylight at the 250m mark he lengthened his stride impressively and began making inroads in to Tin Pan Alley’s lead.

He was catching Tin Pan Alley fast, but it was too late and he had to settle for a 0,60 length second, a fine run in just his second career start.

The Betway Dingaans over 1600m looks the obvious target for Trust.

His sire Heavenly Blue won the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m, but Trust’s full brother Truth has turned out to be a sprinter.

However, Trust does look a different type to Truth with not as much speed and he gave the impression on Saturday that he would see out the mile. He is an exciting classic prospect at present.

The Tawny Syndicate have a lot to look forward to with these two horses, while the 119-rated Truth, whose ownership partners are the same as Trust’s, won a 1000m Pinnacle Stakes event in fine fashion last time out and looks set to have a good sprint campaign.

RACE 1

(3) TANZANITE made solid improvement in her last start when running extremely well, she could be a tough nut to crack. (1) CHEEKY CRANBERRY is well bred and any market support must be taken seriously. (5) SOMBREUIL hasn’t been far in recent runs and can place on best form. (2) FRENCH ROMANCE is another well-bred individual and its best to use the market as a guide. (Devonne Govender 3-1-5-2)

RACE 2

(8) MISSOURI FLAME made decent progress in her last start and looks ready to strike here. (4) BUGLE wasn’t beaten far in his last start and will have a chance against this line up respectfully. (2) CADENZA comes from a yard who knows how to get them ready, although the stable rider is aboard Miss Mackie, any support for Cadenza must be respected. (7) MISS MACKIE represents Cape form which generally stands up strong here hence she must be included in all bets. (Devonne Govender 8-4-2-7).

RACE 3

(3) OH MANDY has had many chances but is overdue for the win and could get it right in this field respectfully. (5) ROYAL MISSY ran a cracker in the last start and will be a strong contender here. (1) ROYAL MERMAID has the scope to improve in the province and must be included in larger perms. (6) LACRYMA CHRISTI will have a quartet chance on best form. (Devonne Govender 3-5-1-6).

RACE 4

Open race. (4) WILD FIG ran in strong company in his last start and will be a strong contender for top honours here. (7) KING RAHUL is holding top form and will be a huge challenger to the top selection. (6) SUPREME JUDGE is capable of winning this contest on best form, his overall form is good and he needs serious consideration. (9) ARIVIDICIO is a very honest type and shouldn’t be far. (Devonne Govender 4-7-6-9).

RACE 5

(3) BAIE MOOI needed the last start, she was very impressive in both her wins and will take a power of beating. (4) SILVONIAN has been racing well and will be the main danger to the top selection, could be the exacta horse here. (1) SPEED RACER ran a cracker in the last start and a repeat performance will see him in the firing line. (6) FIERY COUNTESS wasn’t far in the last start and can get into the quartets. (Devonne Govender 3-4-1-6).

RACE 6

(1) TINTAMARRE is in excellent form and will be the banker in all bets. He goes well on the poly and he should be hard to beat. (7) HALCYON wasn’t far in the last start and can certainly get much closer. (8) SWISS WALT is never far back, he is a very honest type and another good run is expected. (9) TRAVEL MASTER is another who is capable of running a big race so include in larger perms. (Devonne Govender 1-7-8-9).

RACE 7

(1) GOLDEN LINK has been running against some hard knockers and will run well in this field from the top draw. (3) FINAL TRY is holding solid form, he was impressive in both his recent wins and will challenge the top selection. (7) EYJAFJALLAJOKULL is never far back and is capable of a big finish on his day and must be respected. (2) WECANGOALLNIGHT wasn’t far in his last start and should be in the mix. (Devonne Govender 1-3-7-2).

RACE 8

(2) FEW DOLLARS MORE has performed well on the poly, he has shown plenty of guts and determination in KZN and is capable of doing work in a race and still finding hence he will be the value choice. (4) GEORGE HANDEL is holding good form and another huge run is expected. (9) ALADO’S PRIDE will be on the firing line based on collateral form, include in everything. (11) RICHARDTHEFEARLESS is another who has been racing well and won’t be far. (Devonne Govender 2-4-9-11)

South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Musselburgh and Kempton (UK) – 5 November 2025

We are thrilled to announce a ground-breaking new chapter in your betting experience! We’ve partnered with Colossus Bets, a leading UK-based company, to bring you an exciting new product never before seen in the South African tote betting market.

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Imagine betting into massive, guaranteed prize pools, often reaching life-changing sums, with the added power of controlling your bet as the action unfolds. That’s the essence of Colossus Bets! It’s a revolutionary way to play, combining the thrill of traditional tote betting with unparalleled flexibility.

Understanding the Bet Types & Functionality:

Colossus Bets specialises in pool betting, where you bet against other players. The total money wagered is placed into a “pool”, and the prize money is shared among all winning tickets. The more people who play, the larger the potential jackpot! 

Some of the Bet Types on offer

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• Correct Score: This is a more challenging but potentially more lucrative pool, where you must predict the exact final result of each match

 

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Innovative Functionality

• Cash Out: This feature allows you to lock in a profit before all matches (legs) in your ticket are completed. After each leg, Colossus bets will make you an offer to buy your ticket based on its current value. You can choose to accept the guaranteed payout or stay in the game for a chance at the full jackpot.

 

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To access the Colossus soccer products, simply follow these steps:

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Why is this a game changer for South Africa?

Colossus Bets is renowned for pioneering the Cash Out feature in multi-leg pool betting, Syndicate Betting, and for offering some of the largest sports jackpots globally. This partnership brings that innovation and scale directly to you, providing a fresh and exciting way to engage with your favourite sports.

We are confident that Colossus Bets will transform your betting experience, offering bigger thrills and more control than ever before.

Ready to get in on the action? The Colossus button on www.tote.co.za is your portal to this revolutionary product. Don’t miss out!

Be sure to look out for the Colossus horse racing products – Coming Soon!

Introducing Colossus Bets

We are thrilled to announce a ground-breaking new chapter in your betting experience! We’ve partnered with Colossus Bets, a leading UK-based company, to bring you an exciting new product never before seen in the South African tote betting market.

What is Colossus Bets?

Imagine betting into massive, guaranteed prize pools, often reaching life-changing sums, with the added power of controlling your bet as the action unfolds. That’s the essence of Colossus Bets! It’s a revolutionary way to play, combining the thrill of traditional tote betting with unparalleled flexibility.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Guaranteed Huge Sports Pools: Colossus Bets offers enormous, guaranteed prize pools. This means bigger potential pay-outs for a winning ticket!

• Multi-Leg Challenges: Test your sporting knowledge by predicting the outcome of multiple events (legs) within a single pool. The more legs you correctly predict, the closer you get to that colossal jackpot!

• The Power of Cash Out: This is where Colossus Bets truly revolutionises your play! For the first time in South African tote betting, you will be offered the option to Cash Out your bet before all legs of your ticket are complete. If some of your early selections (Legs) are winning, you could secure a profit even if the later legs are still in doubt. You can choose to cash out a portion of your ticket or wait for the completion of all the legs for a possible larger prize, giving you unprecedented control over your potential winnings.

• Syndicate Betting: Colossus Bets offers a unique way to play through Syndicate Tickets, allowing Players to team up and increase their chances of winning. Creating a Syndicate – If you have a betting strategy or consider yourself a “Pro”, you can create a Syndicate Ticket and invite other Players to contribute towards the payment of the ticket. Joining a Syndicate – Alternatively, you can join a Syndicate Ticket that another Player has already created. When you contribute to a Syndicate Ticket, you will own a share of that ticket. This share is directly proportional to the amount of money you contributed. If the Syndicate Ticket wins, you will receive a proportionate share of any returns (such as dividends or cash-out proceeds) based on your contribution. In essence, Syndicate Tickets allows Players to pool their resources, share the risk, and share the rewards!

Why is this a game changer for South Africa?

Colossus Bets is renowned for pioneering the Cash Out feature in multi-leg pool betting, Syndicate Betting, and for offering some of the largest sports jackpots globally. This partnership brings that innovation and scale directly to you, providing a fresh and exciting way to engage with your favourite sports.

We are confident that Colossus Bets will transform your betting experience, offering bigger thrills and more control than ever before.

Ready to get in on the action? The Colossus button on www.tabgold.co.za is your portal to this revolutionary product.

Don’t miss out!