David Thiselton

The Candice Dawson-trained Just Be Lekker booked herself a place in the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting with an emphatic victory in a MR 103 fillies and mares handicap over 1160m at Turffontein Standside on Saturday.

Her merit rating of 103 was raised to 109, which would have seen her carrying a nice galloping weight of 53,5kg under handicap conditions in the Gr 2 R1 million Golden Horsse Sprint if that had been the choice of race, but the connections look to have opted for a seemingly harder task in the Gr 1 R1 million SA Fillies Sprint, where she is under  sufferance with seven of the other entries and 6,5kg under sufferance with the two highest rated entries Double Grand Slam and Rascova.

On the other hand she is on the up and could prove to be better than her 109 merit rating.

On Saturday Just Be Lekker was drawn five under Serino Moodley in a ten horse field and was carrying topweight of 60kg. 

The visiting KZN jockey has been seen to ride some fine faces over that course and distance and he delivered again. The big four-year-old daughter of William Longsword was jostled slightly early and found herself in last position. However, Moodley did not panic and bided his time and sat behind a train of horses who were going down the middle inside of the course. She began to pick them off one by one while still in the hands. He had to switch her slightly inward off the heels of the leader Komati River who was hanging outward, which closed a possible gap. However, a nice gap then opened and Just Be Lekker galloped through full of running and outsprinted the well regarded Irish-bred Fastnet Rock mare Fastnet Filly, who started favourite and to whom Just Be Lekker was giving 4,5kg. Fastnet filly finished a well beaten 2,40 length second and was followed home by her Brett and James Crawford-trained 20/1 shot stablemate Artiste. Ceuta and Komati River were next best respectively.

Candice said the filly showed a lot at home, so was pleased to see her back to her best in her fifth run following a six month layoff for a setback.

Just Be A Lekker is a Ralphs family homebred. 

The win saw the completion of a double for the Dawson/Moodley combination, who had won with the promising Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein homebred Buffalo Bill Cody gelding Pumpkin Pie over 1600m earlier. Pumpkin Pie has now won two of his first two starts and Moodley extracted an impressive late surge from him after he had weaved his way through the field having been dropped out to last from a wide draw of eleven.

 Moodley completed a treble when winning the last race over 1160m on the Tony Peter-trained Erupt filly Blizzard Snow and his timing was once again impeccable as he came from a handy position and did just enough to hold off a late charge from Roaming Spirit.

Eight On Eighteen has earned top spot on the Hollywoodbets Durban July Log as published by the Racing Operator earlier today. There were eleven scratchings at the time of first declarations on Monday 12 May, including Grade 1 winner Fire Attack and Gold Bracelet (Gr 2) winner Red Palace – both due to setbacks in training – while Musical Score and WSB East Cape Derby winner, My Best Shot, were supplemented on Tuesday, 13 May by their respective trainers Lucky Houdalakis and Alan Greeff.

The panel comprising Justin Vermaak, Raf Sheik, Graeme Hawkins and senior handicapper, Lennon Maharaj, have positioned My Best Shot on the fringes of the top twenty, which reflects exactly what the final field would look like if the Hollywoodbets Durban July was run today.

The Log will be updated on 10 June, following the second declaration stage on Monday, 9 June. By then, the Daily News 2000 (Gr 1); Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge (Gr 1); the Woolavington 2000 (Gr 2) and Cup Trial (Gr 3) will have been run, the outcomes of which could impact the status of HDJ contenders.

The Hollywoodbets Durban July will be run on Saturday 5 July.

Durban – Following the acquisition of Gold Circle (Pty) Ltd by Hollywood Racing Enterprises (Pty) Ltd (Hollywood), a shareholders meeting was held on 2 May 2025 at which the following Directors were appointed to the Board of Gold Circle:

Suren Rampersadh

Zandile Maseko

Morgan Shandu

Greg Bortz

Sadha Naidoo

Subsequently, at a meeting of Directors held on 7 May 2025, Mr Sadha Naidoo was appointed Chairman of Gold Circle, an office that he will hold until the conclusion of the Champions Season on 31 July 2025.

The Board requested Mr Naidoo to accept this position in recognition of the part that he has played throughout the transition.

At the same meeting, Mr Greg Bortz was appointed as the Chairman Designate, to take office on 1 August 2025. 

Durban, South Africa – The countdown has begun! The 129th edition of Africa’s premier horse racing and social spectacular, the Hollywoodbets Durban July (HDJ), is set to take place on Saturday, 5th July 2025, at the iconic Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse. As the most anticipated fixture on South Africa’s racing calendar, the event seamlessly blends world-class horse racing with high fashion, entertainment, and a memorable social experience.

Staying true to the theme of “Marvels of Mzansi,” this year’s racing extravaganza promises an iconic line-up of South African talent, featuring a diverse array of artists set to captivate all attendees throughout the day. The national anthem will be beautifully performed by one of the country’s leading songstresses – look out for the reveal in May. With these performances, the thousands of attendees expected at Hollywoodbets Greyville will have a memorable experience. Stay tuned for the full artist line-up. All ticket holders can look forward to a day filled with live entertainment that will be talked about for years to come, as this year’s HDJ celebrates Mzansi’s vibrant spirit. 

Tickets for this outstanding event are now officially on sale via Ticketpro (www.ticketpro.co.za). Priced at R230 for general admission, your ticket grants access to a day of thrilling racing action, live entertainment, fashion showcases, gourmet food experiences, and an array of engaging activations from event partners. For added convenience, onsite parking is available for R170 per vehicle.

For those seeking an elevated experience, the VIP hospitality packages provide exclusive access to luxurious enclosures, premium viewing areas, and top-tier catering. These options can be explored on the official event website (www.hollywoodbetsdurbanjuly.co.za). Please note that VIP hospitality packages do not include general admission tickets, which must be purchased separately via Ticketpro.

This year’s theme, “Marvels Of Mzansi”, was unveiled in late February, marking the official commencement of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Fashion Experience, presented by Durban Fashion Fair. The fashion programme includes the much-anticipated HDJ Young Designer Award, showcasing the best up-and-coming talents from KwaZulu-Natal. The winners will share the spotlight with the HDJ Invited Designers and DFF Rising Stars at the HDJ Fashion Preview Gala, set to take place at Gateway Theatre of Shopping in late June.

Racing enthusiasts can also look forward to the announcement of the first official entrants on Wednesday, 23 April 2025. With last year’s champion, Oriental Charm, emerging as the early ante-post favourite, excitement is already building. 

Secure your tickets today and experience Africa’s greatest horse racing and social event, the Hollywoodbets Durban July!