Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Chepstow and Thirsk (UK) – 2 July 2025.

David Thiselton

Crawford Racing will be out to achieve a treble in the Holywoodbets Durban July on Saturday. although James Crawford will officially become the youngest trainer at age 25 to win the big race since David Payne won it with In Full Flight at the age of 24 in 1972.

James is bullish about defending champion Oriental Charm and said, “He is doing very well, I could not be happier with him.”

He said about the Vercingetorix colt’s pole position draw, “He’s typically had to do a little bit more than the rest of the competition around him because of not having the best of draws. With his gate-speed and how he likes to dictate on his terms from the front of the field, I think the draw is absolutely perfect for him.”

He said about the defending champions’s form this season, “If you have to take him based on his last run (when a neck second in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m) that run was a prep. It was a race that he was fit enough to win, but he was always going to be a better horse after the race. I expected him to run well, but the manner in which he ran surprised everyone, including myself. His prep couldn’t have gone any better. His work at home has been awesome. I can’t fault him.”

The most significant aspect of is form this season is he has improved from a handicapper into a genuine weight for age horse.

In last season’s Hollywoodbets Durban July he only had to carry 53kg and was 5kg better off with weight for age than the topweight See It Again, who would have got closer than a 1,80 length fifth had he not been hampered late.

However, this season Oriental Charm won the Gr 2 WSB Green Point Stakes over 1600m carrying a 2kg Gr 1 penalty, he finished a half-a-length second to Eight On Eighteen in the Gr 1 weight for age WSB Met, and he finished a neck second in the Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge to Equus Horse Of The Year Dave The King. He beat See It Again in both of those weight for age starts. 

Oriental Charm faces Met winner Eight On Eighteen on 1kg terms worse than weight for age on Saturday, so will have a tough task reversing form, but on the other hand the right-handed Hollywoodbets Greyville track suits him better than the left-handed Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, because he tends to hang to the right.

He hung right in the Met and that took him all the way to the outside rail. On Saturday, he will have the advantage of the inside rail the whole way around from pole position, so should make a bold bid of becoming the first since Do It Again in 2019 to carry topweight of 60kg to victory.

He is one of three joint topweights together with See It Again and Gladatorian. 

James said about the lightly raced six-year-old gelding Pomodoro’s Jet.

He said, “He’s doing very well, I really do like him. I don’t know if he’s quite good enough to beat Oriental Charm or Eight On Eighteen and I would have preferred him to have run in the Cup Trial going into this kind of race, but in saying that his work and his well-being at home has been really, really good.” 

Pomodoro’s Jet’s white blood cell count was sligtly high before the Cup Trial, not terribly high but high enough for James to not take a chance and run him.

He said about Pomodoro’s Jet’s stamina capacity, “Personally I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. He ran fifth in the consolation race last year by 3,50 lengths and for me he is twice the horse this year than he was last year.”

Pomodoro’s Jet has drawn eight and James said, “There’s a lot of speed around this year and there’s a lot of horses carrying bottom weight, so I’m sure there’s going to be quite a bit of a tussle to get into a good position and I think draw eight coupled with his good gatepeed will keep him away from the argy-bargy.”

James runs dual Gr 1 winner Fatal Flaw and Gr 2 WSB Fillies Guineas winner Mon Petit C in th Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes.

He said Fatal Flaw had not been herself when beaten 5,55 lengths in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes.

He added, “Her work was really good and everything else, but we’ve done a little bit of research and she wasn’t quite 100%, there was something amiss with her after her WSB Cape Fillies Guineas win. I think she’s a massive runner on Saturday. She had a more challenging prep into the Gr 1  Empress Club (which she won), because I had to re-acclimatise her and take a little bit of time with her after the Cape season. She did come right that final week going into the Empress Club, but she wasn’t by my standards and what I know about her at tip-top fitnes. I think her class carried her through. This time around she has had an absolutely great prep, so I think she’s a real force to be reckoned with in the Garden Province.”

He said about her draw of ten, “Obviously, a better draw would have been nice, but she’s got a lot of gate speed and I think she’ll be leading on her terms quite comfortably.”

He said about Mon Petit Cherie, “She is also flying at home. I had her fit enough to win the WSB Filllies Guineas, but she was always going to be a better horse after the race an she’s comfortably improved five to six lengths from that last run.”

He also pointed to a recent line through Spumante Dolce which puts Mon Petit Cherie much closer to Fatal Flaw than she was in the Cape Fillies Guineas, where she was beaten 6,65 lengths.

James is bullish about Otto Luyken and Count Huhtikuu in the Gr 3 Splashout 2200.

He said Otto Luyken loved short run-ins and thinks if he could get within striking distance he will go close despite carrying topweight. He has always liked Count Huhtikuu and believes he is on the up and a big improver, so has a chance despite officially being under sufferance.

RACE 1

(3) GOLDEN GREY has been holding consistent form and will have a big chance in this line up however has had many chances. (4) FIZZLY BUBBLY is never far back and with the claimer up he will have a big say. (8) GENTEEL ran a cracker in the last start and must be respected. (1) BOMBER BAY is capable of making it into the quartets. (Devonne Govender 3-4-8-1)

RACE 2

(3) LAUGH TILL I CRY has been consistent and should go close based on that, she has a much better draw this time and is sure to run well. (1) MIDNIGHT MUSIC has scope to improve, she has run well on poly and will be a big challenger here. (4) JUST FOR U has been placing at big odds and will be in the firing line again however does have a tough draw. (6) WINTER’S DRAGON is never far back and can place, include in quartets. (Devonne Govender 3-1-4-6)

RACE 3

(5) NOTORIX ran a cracker in the last start hence he will be the firm first choice. (7) RAVILIOUS is never far back, he is capable of winning this and must be respected here. (3) WORDSWORTH is another who is racing well and is expected to go close for the in form yard of Cliffie Miller. (2) THING CALLED LOVE is capable of much better and can get a lot closer. (Devonne Govender 5-7-3-2).

RACE 4

(2) SMASHING won easily in the last start and be a massive contender here despite the tough draw. (5) SWEET JULIA was narrowly beaten in the last start and another big run is expected. (12) PITON DE NEIGE is holding solid form and must be respected here. (9) JET SET RUN has scope to go well and can be included into larger perms. (Devonne Govender 2-5-12-9).

RACE 5

(2) GREEN OKRA has never been far back and can win this on best form however has had many chances. (7) OPERA VERSE has run well on the poly and on best form is capable of winning this. (3) BROOKSIDER could represent some value here and must go into all bets, he has decent draw and shouldn’t be far if reproducing some of the earlier good runs on poly. (9) STAR TROOPER doesn’t have the best form on paper and is unreliable however he does have scope to improve and can be included into larger perms. (Devonne Govender 2-7-3-9)

RACE 6

(9) BRETTY won a gutsy race in the last start, she goes well on this track and another big run is expected. (10) COLORAMA is holding consistent form and will be a big challenger to the top selection. (5) COURAGEOUS has been holding form and will be in the firing line again. (1) ALADO’S HABIT won a good race when cracking her maiden, she has scope to go well and cannot be ignored here. (Devonne Govender 9-10-5-1)

RACE 7

(7) GUARDING THE WALL goes extremely well on the poly, his recent form is solid and a huge run is expected. (13) KING RAHUL is holding consistent form and gets the claimer up which brings him right into this contest. (1) A BIT CHILLY ran extremely well in the last start and will be in the firing line. (2) KING’S SAILOR placed at huge odds and could make the frame again if repeating that performance. (Devonne Govender 7-13-1-2)

RACE 8

(1) WALKONTHEWILDSIDE is holding solid form and will take some beating here. (8) THREE CHEERS was a gutsy winner in the last start and will be there again however takes on stronger now. (7) LADY ZULTANITE has been consistent and another decent run is expected however she will have to lift to beat the top selection. (9) DARLING HARBOUR is another who is never far back and can get involved again. (Devonne Govender 1-8-7-9)

David Thiselton

Gavin Lerena has ridden eight winners in the last two meetings on the Highveld, a treble at Turffontein Inside last Thursday and a five-timer on Saturday at the Standside track, to pull four clear of Richard Fourie and seven clear of Craig Zackey in the thrilling three way battle for the title.

Craig Zackey had responded to Lerena’s treble on Thursday by riding a four-timer at Fairview on Friday, while Richard Fourie’s double at the latter meeting had seen him reclaim the lead by one at the close of play on Friday.

Zackey went within three of the lead when winning the third race on the smart Tony Peter-trained William Longsword first-timer Titan Of The Turf on Saturday.

However, Lerena then rattled off five wins in the last six races to roar into the lead.

His run began in the first leg of the Pick 6 when the big Clinton Binda-trained Season’s Greeting built on his good third place finish in his previous start, a race which had already seen the second-placed and fourth-placed horses coming out and winning. It was clear a long way out Season’s Greeting’s pace had left the Zackey-ridden favourite Wise Counsel with too much to do and so it proved as Season’s Greeting ran out a 2,10 length winner with the 33/1 chance first-timer, the Mark Khan-trained Queensland (Querari), running second and Wise Counsel, who should win when going over further, third.

In the fifth race over 1000m Lerena had a low draw on the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Vercingetorix gelding Chieftain and although that is perceived to be the wrong side he was content to bide his time until the halfway mark at which stage he drove his mount forward. This turned out to be perfect timing as the 99-rated three-year-old ran on strongly to win the MR102 contest by a lengths from Troppo Veloce with the favourite Rodeo Drive once again disappointing and running a 2,25 length third.

In the sixth race over 1000m the Tony Peter-trained Rafa Bay looked to be the one to side with based on some good Cape Town form and a good Highveld debut and Lerena rode him with confidence to win by 2,70 lengths at 83/100 odds from the second favourite Hemisphere with Dontshootthebarman next best.

The Fabian Habib-trained Miss Hannigan with S’Manga Khumalo up spoilt the Lerena sequence by winning the seventh race over 1400m.

However, Lerena was back in the groove for the last two races, winning the eighth over 1400m on the 13/10 shot, the Fanie Bronkhorst-trained Pomodoro mare Princess Ilaria.

He then clinched the five-timer by winning the last over 1160m on the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained topweight Ensuing, who carried 63kg to a one length victory having been backed in to 9/4. That was a second win for the underrated sire William Longsword.

Earlier in the day the unfashionable Jet Master sire Skit Skizzle produced the winner of the first race, the Robbie Sage-trained Valentina Balducci, who has high profile owners Larry Nestadt, “JJ” Van der Linden and M Lieveaux. She won at odds of 25/2 under Kaidan Brewer.

The second race saw a smart performance from the Paul Matchett-trained Duke Of Marmalade colt The Last Duke, who romped in over 1160m by 4,25 lengths. He looks to be one to follow.

Meanwhile, Lerena has given high praise to his Hollywoodbets Durban July runner Madison Valley. The Frank Robinson-trained Mambo In Seattle gelding put up a good gallop at the official Hollywoodbets Durban July gallops and Lerena said afterwards he felt he was a “massive runner”.

Madison Valley will be out to give Sid Moodley a dream win in the country’s biggest race with his  first July runner.

Madison Valley shorted in from an opening final field call of 33/1 in to 20/1 after the Gallops. However, the biggest mover in the Hollywoodbets Durban July marker has been another horse who also opened at 33/1 after the final field announcement, On MY Honour, who has halved in price to 16/1. 

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