RACE 1

(4) Project Runway made a smart debut and will be a strong contender after that decent effort. (1) Fantasy Girl was 7/2 on debut and that suggests she was showing something back at home and will make improvement. (6) Thread Of Life wasn’t beaten far on debut and will get much closer. (7) True Design has experience under the belt and will get much closer. (3) Global Scene Is another who wasn’t beaten far and interestingly enough Devin Ashby stays aboard her. Many will make improvement, listen to trainer comments and use the betting as a guid. ( Devonne Govender 4-1-6-7-3)

RACE 2

(2) Listentotheocean ran well in her last start in the Cape and if transferring that form here she will be a huge runner so respect. (3) Gotcha Buzz is holding solid form and will be a strong contender. (7) Bytheliteofthemoon has been racing extremely well in recent starts and cannot be discounted. (6) Winning Grace is another who is holding solid form and will be there. This is a tricky race and many have winning chances. (Devonne Govender 2-3-7-6)

RACE 3

(4) Run For Me is holding good recent form in a tricky looking race. He drops to 1200m compared to recent starts and that could make all difference. (7) Captain Efficient has been running well and won’t be far.His overall form is good so include in all bets. (1) Petteia is capable of much better as he has shown good form earlier and should be respected with a top rider up despite the fact that the last two runs are uninspiring. (5) War Sword has been consistent and will challenge here. (10) Aquila Gold gets a strong rider up and is likely to improve. ( Devonne Govender 4-7-1-5-10)

RACE 4

(1) Alado’s Pride could represent some good value. He had a tough draw to contend with in the last start, he is a very tough horse and will make his presence felt. (3) Launch Code ran a cracker in the last start and will make the frame if repeating that effort. (8) Head Gardener was gutsy in the last start and another decent run can be expected, do note the last win was on Poly. (5) Pedro has run extremely well on the turf so warrants huge respect, he will bounce back. (4) Meetatthewindsor has the Fourie factor and must be included into the mix. (2) Heknows was an easy maiden winner and there could be plenty more to come. ( Devonne Govender 1-3-8-5-2)

RACE 5

(7) The Lady Love ran well in her last start and looks to have a strong winning chance. (6) Kilmonivaig is very capable and rated by the yard, she will be flying late. (11) Jade’s Caberneigh has been racing well and another honest run can be expected. (1) Miss Shaivi wasn’t far in the last start and will be right there if repeating that effort. ( Devonne Govender 7-6-11-1)

RACE 6

(1) Three Rocks is classy and highly regarded by the yard, she should take an absolute power of beating here and is a banker in all bets. (3) Golden Pacific is very capable and her from is good, she could be the main danger to the top selection. (5) Passchendaele won extremely well in her last start and will be right there in the mix. (4) Ancient Epic is capable of running into the trifectas and quartets. ( Devonne Govender 1-3-5-4)

RACE 7

(9) Splicethemainbrace is very smart and looks a ready-made banker. She is highly rated by the yard and should remain unbeaten. (8) Frosty Reception ran well in the last start and should run into the money. (3) Golden Rule won her maiden extremely well and won’t be far. ( Devonne Govender 9-1-8-3)

RACE 8

(7) Captain Tik Tok is in excellent form and looks to be a massive runner here. (3) Pompei Warning ran well in his last start and the 1000m trip could see him powering home. (8) Ferrando won easily in the last start but does run in MR 74 now. (6) Great Melody has a big finish on his day and will be flying. (5) Glass Shoes Is very capable so don’t discount her chances. (Devonne Govender 7-3-8-6-5)

The 128th edition of Africa’s greatest horse racing extravaganza, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, is set for 6^th July 2024. Renowned as the premier event on South Africa’s racing calendar, coveted by every equine enthusiast, it seamlessly marries haute couture and entertainment with the thunderous excitement of the track, crafting a social spectacle of unparalleled allure.

Amidst the backdrop of two years veiled in the shadow of the pandemic, the past two iterations have witnessed a triumphant resurgence, as fans once again flock to the iconic Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse. This year’s rendition promises to shatter records, with an anticipated crowd of 50,000 revellers poised to converge at the venue.

Tickets are available through Ticketpro’s website (www.ticketpros.co.za) or select SPAR Payzone Kiosks nationwide. Priced at R230 for general admission, they unlock a realm of entertainment including live performances, fashion showcases, pulse-pounding racing action, access to public bars, gourmet food trucks, ample seating, and a plethora of partner activations and competitions unfolding throughout the day and into the night. Onsite parking is also on offer at R170 per vehicle.

For those seeking the pinnacle of indulgence, the event’s website (www.hollywoodbetsdurbanjuly.co.za) serves as a portal to a world of VIP hospitality options, complete with a detailed site map. However, entry to these exclusive enclaves will still require a general admission ticket for the event from Ticketpro.

The unveiling of the 2024 theme, “Ride The Wave,” in late March heralded the commencement of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Fashion Experience, presented by Durban Fashion Fair. Among its highlights, the HDJ Young Designer Award, presented by Durban Fashion Fair, beckons forth the best of KwaZulu-Natal’s design protégé’s all vying for the coveted 2024 title and the chance to share the stage with the HDJ Invited Designers and the DFF Rising Stars at the annual HDJ Fashion Gala Preview Evening, hosted at Gateway Theatre of Shopping in late June.

Anticipation mounts as the first entrants for this year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July are set to be unveiled on Wednesday 24 April, with last year’s runner-up, See It Again, emerging as the early ante-post favourite. Betting enthusiasts can find the full array of odds at www.hollywoodbets.net.

David Thiselton

Trainer Corne Spies’ and his son Xander have come up with a ground-breaking new way of owning horses through a monthly subscription.

Green Lightning Racing is intended to make it easier and more affordable for fans to be immediately involved in owning racehorses.

Xander, who is a qualified lawyer, can’t shake off his love for horseracing and explained in an interview on Gold Circle’s On The Box Seat, “Young people are interested in horseracing, but just don’t know how to access it and are unsure how to partake in it. So what I generally do is I invite a bunch of friends and show them what racing is about, teach them how to have a bet, teach them how to read form, take them down to the track to hear the horses running on the ground and  not far away, it’s an experience in itself and it kind of gets people hooked to the extent that they constantly ask me when can we are going racing again. So I believe if you start at grass roots level one can really rebuild and rejuvenate racing to a certain extent, but it is a multi-faceted effort and it needs to come from every part of the industry and this is one of the reasons I took on the opportunity to formulate this new concept. We began thinking how can we make racing more accessible to the general racing public, to people who are passionate about horses, who enjoy watching horses and not only enjoy the betting, but actually follow the horses as if they are sports stars and the jockeys as well to a certain extent. In SA’s past we have had horses like Wolf Power, Igugu, Horse Chestnut … people remember those horse’s names with reverence and fondness. So we thought why don’t we start an idea that is based on a sports team and that is where the logo we use comes from, it borrows from American sports teams as it stands out and becomes recognisable. So we then formed a concept called Green Lightning whereby we want to give involvement to the racing public in a way that is new and fresh and that hasn’t been tested before.”

Corne said the concept had similarities to the huge syndicates in Australia and America etc that gave an opportunity to those who could not normally afford it to be able to experience racing from an insider point of view.

However, there is one big difference.

Corne said, “With syndication you are tied into a horse. So you could be involved in a horse called Winx which could be great … but you could be involved in Meerkat, which is not that great! Green Lightning is the owner of the horses, but people can get behind the team on a subscription basis and participate and experience ownership, and the model means the horse team is being replenished all the time. Hopefully with the growth of the subscriber base, the base of the horses will grow and be replenished regularly. You will be tied in to all of these horses and there is not just one who could be a dud and then you have done your money. You can be involved for as long as you subscribe and could possibly be part of something big in SA. We have big racing teams and owners who have a lot of horses running and this concept gives the layman on the street the chance of being part of something similar.”

Xander added, “It is important to note there are several caveats to be explained. This is purely a racing team you pay to be part of. Currently we have three in the team and the amount will grow as the subscriber base grows. The subscribers will earn a point equivalent of the prize money that the horses earn. So when Zoombomber earned R20,000, that money will be allocated to a separate fund and points will be allocated to each and every subscriber to a decimal factor. On the Patreon platform there is a piece that describes how it works. The points earned can be withdrawn by the subscribers after you have reached 250 points, which is equivalent of R250. So it works the same way, in that regard, as normal ownership. However, there is never a transfer of ownership … Green Lightning is the owner and use the prize money earned to give the subscribers a service. It is almost like a club membership. That is the most simple part. The thing that might give people red flags is you can refer people. Let’s say I am a subscriber and I want to refer a friend, the service will give me a subscription referral code and I ask him or her to use that referral code when subscribing. For as long as that person is subscribed you earn 50 points per month. It is called affiliate marketing and is not multi-level marketing in any sense because that sounds like a pyramid scheme. So that could make it more attractive to people, because you are then not earning just from horses running but also from referrals.”

Subscription to Green Lightning costs just R290 per month.

It sounds like a fun way for fans to be involved and perhaps could lead to other such syndicates which could add to the health and popularity of racing. 

Soccer10 Friday,19 April 2024 Carryover R100 000, Pool Closes at 18h30, Sport 8 and Pool 1 Estimated Pool: R1.7 Million

Soccer Any 13Xtra C/Over R100 000 on Saturday, 20 April 2024. Pool Closes at 14h00. Sport 13 and Pool 1. Estimated Pool: R500 000

Rugby8 Win Margin Net C/Over: R 58 976 on Saturday,20  April 2024 – Pool Closes at 15h00, Sport 65 Pool 1.

David Thiselton

The Non-Black Type Betway Mythical Flight Sprint for three-year-olds over 1100m saw the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Dreamland converting favouritism under Gavin Lerena and putting the cherry on the top of a good weekend for the former Equus Champion Sprinter Val De Ra.

It was the annual Henneman Memorial meeting and all of the nine races were named after the victims of the airplane tragedy of April 12 1988 which claimed the lives of 13 jockeys, one trainer, five officials and two owners.

The Avontuur Stud-bred gelding Dreamland is out of Val De Ra’s placed British-bred daughter Dream De Ra, who is bred in the purple. Val De Ra, who won the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint, the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint and the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship, was by European champion sprinter Var and Dream De Ra was by another European Champion Sprinter in Oasis Dream, who has produced the winners of 27 Group 1 races.

On Friday Val De Ra’s Gavin Smith-trained three-year-old daughter by Oratorio won her first start in the Eastern Cape, over 1300m on the poly at Fairview, by 6,25 lengths under Muzi Yeni. It was only in an open maiden for fillies and mares and she only had to carry 57,5kg after a previous record of a second and five unplaced runs in the strong centre of Cape Town, but the manner of the victory suggests she has a good future ahead of her in Gqeberha.

Dreamland has always shown a lot of promise and in his fourth start over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville waltzed in by 3,75 lengths.

He ran second off a 90 merit rating after that, but then went off the boil for three runs between October and November last year. 

However, he went down to an 87 and in his last five runs has a fourth, a third, a second (to the useful Time Fo Orchids) and two wins.

He won off an 86 over 1160m on March 23 and on Saturday won off an 89 in the handicap Non-Black Type event.

Dreamland broke well from draw five of seven and shared the early lead with Gocekwithlove.

However, at the 400m mark he shot forward and nobody was ever going to catch him.

Richard The First, Just Be Lekker and Mount Pilatus closed in, but Gavin Lerena kept Dreamland going to beat them by 0,25 lengths, 0,75 lengths and 1,25 lengths respectively.

Lerena has ridden Dreamland to both of his last two wins.

It was a quick double for Houdalakis as he had also pulled off a fine training feat in the previous race when the promising Judpot filly On The Horizon returned from a three-and-a-half month layoff to record a fourth career win in a MR 90 Handicap over 1400m for fillies and mares under Raymond Danielson.  

The next race was a Mr 106 handicap over 1160m and it also saw a follow up win. The Johan Janse van Vuuuren-trained Erupt four-year-old gelding Cosmic Star had won by 2,75 lengths over 1000m on March 16, but the seven point raise he was given did not stop him running on strongly on Saturday to beat the consistent Captain Hindsight by 1,25 lengths. Gavin Lerena is his regular pilot and the win secured him a treble on the day.

Lerena had also waltzed in by 4,25 lengths in the first race of the day, a Juvenile Plate over 1160m, on the Candice Dawson-trained Truth. This Heavenly Blue colt is out of the Frankel mare Frankly, who is out of a Fastnet Rock mare and disappointingly only won one race. However, she could make amends in the breeding shed. Truth is her second foal and second runner and the first one, Courageous, has also won a race. Futhermore, Frankly’s half-sister, the Brett Crawford-trained Mont Loisir by Vercingetorix, bolsted the pedigree about an hour-and-a-half later when winning a maiden over 1400m in the strong centre of Cape Town by an easy 2,50 lengths under Richard Fourie.

Lerena was the only treble scorer on the day at Turffontein, but the double scorers were all of Muzi Yeni, Houdalakis, Janse van Vuuren and Fanie Bronkhorst.