Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Ascot and Ripon (UK) – 17 June 2026.

David Thiselton

Peter Muscutt has engaged the Australian-based Zimbabwean Mark du Plessis to ride I Salute You in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and this will be a reunion of a partnership which has had success in both Zimbabwe and Singapore.

Peter has never had a runner under his own name in South Africa’s greatest race, but this year he looks a virtual certainty to have two runners as his pair of entries, Isivivane and I Salute You, were in 15^th and 16^th position on the last Hollywoodbets Durban July log.

Peter said about top jockey Mark du Plessis, who was Zimbabwe’s Apprentice Champion in the 1994/95 season and their overall champion in 1997/98, “He rode for me in Zimbabwe and in Singapore and in fact he rode my first winner in Singapore. He has been very successful in Asia and very successful in New Zealand. He actually had to forego the New Zealand championship the one season, because he landed a contract in Hong Kong. He would have won it, he was a long way clear. He did very well in Hong Kong (in two stints). He is a natural light weight and apart from his current residence (Australia) and all of those other places mentioned he has also ridden winners in Japan, very good rider.”

Mark has never ridden in the July before, but has ridden at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Peter elaborated, “He did well in Hong Kong, whose two tracks are not unlike Greyville (both are tight, right-handed tracks), and he has got a lot of experience on tight-turning tracks in both New Zealand and Australia.”

Mark has ridden 36 wins in Queenland this season, which puts him in 32^nd place on the Queensland table. However, that gives a bit of a skewed picture, because in the statistics limited to the metro racetracks he is in 12^th position with 18 wins.

Although these are Peter’s first July runners under his name he has had a lot of experience in preparing July horses as the former Summerveld assistant to both Joey Ramsden and Brett Crawford.

As far as big race preparation goes, he has also learnt from one of the best trainers in the world, having spent seven years working with Australian legend Chris Waller.

The Hollywood Racing-owned four-year-old Erupt gelding Isivivane booked his berth in the July by winning the Gr 3 WSB 1900 on May 9, beating the fancied July entry Regulation by 0,60 lengths at level weights. Sean Veale rode him in the 1900 and will stay aboard for the July.

I Salute You, a four-year-old gelding by Soqrat, booked his place by finishing a 0,70 length second to Zeitz in the Gr 3 Betgames Cup Trial over 1800m on June 6.

Peter said, “Isivivane has a 2,5kg advantage over I Salute You, but I Salute You is a very good horse and I have no hesitation in suggesting that both horses are going to see out the trip very well, they are both very fit horses.”

I Salute You will be 1kg better off with Zeitz for a 0,70 length beating and Peter said, “I can’t see him beating us again.”

He added, “I Salute You was also a touch slowly away in the Cup Trial and if he hadn’t missed the break I think he would have taken a lot of beating. He was a fair way further back than I had wanted him and had he been in front of Zeitz turning in I don’t think he would have beaten us.”

He continued, “I Salute You has not jumped well in his last two starts, but we will do some work on that.”

He concluded, “They both came out of their races very well. They seem to be horses who are on the improve and they are both in really good form. Now we wait for the draws.”

Isivivane won’t have run for nearly two months by the time of the July, but Peter does not see that as a problem and reiterated that he was a very fit horse.

Both horses will work on their own at the official Hollywoodbets Durban July Gallops.

Peter added, “According to their schedule they will probably both work from the 1400m and pick it up from the 1000m.”

I Salute You is owned by Messrs E C Abraham, Mayesh Chetty, T Herdon, K Nattar, Tony Zackey, Advocate W A J Nicholson & Miss Trinisha Pillay. It will be an exciting build up to the big day for all of them.

Peter said about the draws he would prefer, “Anything from 5 to 10 would be ideal.”

Isivivane is a half-brother to the Gr 1 SA Classic winner Red Saxon (Red Ray). He is out of Casey Tibbs mare Rodeo Sioux, whose three wins included a minor feature over 2600m, so that coupled with Erupt being by Dubawi and having won two Gr 1s over 2400m augurs well for his capacity to handle the testing July trip.

I Salute You’s sire Soqrat’s three Gr 1 wins were all over a mile, but he was a flying second with topweight in the Gr 1 Summer Cup over the tough Turffontein 2000m. I Salute You,  is out of a mare by speed influence Var, but that mare is in turn out of a mare by stamina influence Silvano.

  .

David Thiselton

Justin Snaith has six entries in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and one of them, the Vercingetorix gelding Native Ruler, put in a fine preparation run on Saturday by winning the Gr 3 Winter Stakes over 2400m in authoritative fashion.

The biggest irony with Snaith’s entries, which also includes Wish List, Note To Self, Happy Verse, Legal Counsel and Regulation, is that one of their most supported entries in the betting markets, Regulation, is not certain to make the final field.

Justin spoke yesterday (Monday) about Native Ruler and Regulation and said, “Native Ruler dominated a modest field, but did so with real authority, never giving the impression he was in any danger once turning for home.

He remains a progressive horse and, if you cast your mind back to his excellent run in last year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, there is every reason to be optimistic about his chances this time around. Keagan de Melo produced a faultless ride and will undoubtedly know the horse even better going into the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Congratulations to Greg and Gina Bortz, Mukund Gujadhur and Rikesh Sewgoolam – a fantastic partnership enjoying a tremendous run of success.

Greg and Gina’s silks, in particular, have struck a rich vein of form of late and also hold a strong hand in the Hollywoodbets Durban July with Regulation. In my view, he is the best-weighted horse of our runners in this year’s race, and it is no surprise to see him prominently positioned in the betting markets (Currently trading at 8–1 and sitting fifth in the betting). JP Van Der Merwe has been booked to ride him at 52kg.

The best-weighted horse often wins this great race, not necessarily the best horse.

Things did not go his way last time when he choked up in the Cup Trial, but he has since scoped clear. Should he secure a place in the final field, I believe he is capable of running a massive race. His brother Belgarion won the Hollywoodbets Durban July in 2020. Both Belgarion and Regulation were bred by my one of our longest standing clients, Alec and Gillian Foster (who also bred Questioning).”

Regulation has had no luck at all in his last three starts but showed his class when having nowhere to go in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy over 1800m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and running on powerfully for third when finally seeing daylight. He comfortably beat the like of Zeitz and Native Ruler in that race despite having been hampered. Before that he had won the Gr 3 Ownway Peninsula Handicap over 1800m and in that event he received only 1kg from Zeitz and beat him by 3,20 lengths. Furthermore, in the Gr 3 WSB 1900 in his penultimate start, Regulation was caught wide throughout, yet still managed to finish second.

However, Regulation was only in position 20 on the last Hollywoodbets Durban July log.

He might have to rely on a scratching or two to ensure a place in the final field of 18. If he is only made a reserve, he will have to rely on a late scratching or two. On the other hand, the log is just a guide and he might still get into the 18-strong final field without there being any scratchings.

Greg and Gina Bortz’s contracted rider is JP can der Merwe and as he is pencilled in to ride Regulation they might be viewing this Legislate gelding as their elect runner. They will be on tenterhooks in the build up to the Hollywoodbets Durban July Final Field And Draw ceremony.

The Bortz’s won the July in 2024 with the Brett Crawford-trained Vercingetorix colt Oriental Charm, who was ridden by JP van der Merwe.

David Thiselton

Frank Robinson’s runner in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, Mocha Blend, has enjoyed a fine preparation for a race she has been targeted at from a long way out.

Mocha Blend proved her class and stamina capacity when winning the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup over the tough Turffontein Standside course back on 29 November last year.

She was next seen in a Conditions Plate over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on May 9 and she caught the eye running on late for a two length fourth behind a high profile trio, Okavango, Eight On Eighteen and Note To Self.

She then ran in the Gr 2 HKJC World Pool Tibouchina Stakes for fillies and mares over the too sharp 1400m trip of Hollywoodbets Greyville and ran on nicely, after being dropped out to the back, for a 4,55 length seventh.

Frank said, “She is doing very well. I gave her those two races just to sharpen her up and she ran on very well in both. I couldn’t be happier with her and now obviously it’s the Gallops to come. I like to give them a decent gallop and then I will go easy from there. But she is in a good space at the moment.”

The Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein homebred four-year-old filly is by stamina influence Ideal World out of a mare by stamina influence Silvano and although that mare, Mocha Special, only ever won one race and it was over 1660m, Frank said, “I think Mocha Blend would even be a big runner in the Gold Cup. She will stay all day and she’s got a bit of speed with it, which helps. She can accelerate, but she is definitely a staying filly.”

He added, “She is merit rated 117, so she is nicely weighted carrying 56,5kg. That is why I have taken the route I have over those two short trips in which she could run on … I just wanted to look after her rating.”

The weights were officially announced yesterday (Monday) and were allotted strictly according to the merit ratings of the entries (the handicapper as usual chose to not exercise the condition of the race that states: “Weights shall be framed by the Handicapper in his sole discretion and without necessarily having regard for the horses’ merit ratings …”

Mocha Blend’s merit rating is exactly the same as the two Gr 1-winning three-year-old fillies in the race, the dual Gr 1 winner Wish List as well as Hazy Dazy.

However, he felt he might have an edge over them.

He said, “Wish List, for example, is very good but she’s still a baby, so it’s going to be very hard for her, because she is only developing now. My filly is mature, so I have that advantage.”

Frank said he hoped for a draw near the middle and explained, “If you on the inside and something happens and you get left or something you end up being knocked right to the back and you can’t do much about it. Draw eight I will be happy with.”

Jockey Tristan Godden showed his big match temperament in last year’s July when riding Native Ruler to a fine sixth place at long odds.

Mocha Blend will attempt to add to the record of the most successful owning and breeding family in July history, the Oppenheimer family.

Mary Slack of Wilgerbosdrift Stud is Harry and Bridget Oppenheimer’s daughter, while Jessica Jell, who owns Mauritzfobetin Stud with husband Steven, is Mary’s daughter.

The Oppenheimer family have had six homebred July winners, have bred a further two and have part-owned one other.

So Mocha Blend would become their tenth success and their seventh homebred success in the country’s greatest race.

Soccer13 GUARANTEED JACKPOT Wednesday 17 June 2026. R8.7 Million (If only One 13 of 13 Winner). Pool Closes at 21h30. Sport 12 Pool 1.