David Thiselton

 

The Vaughan Marshall-trained Vibe Check was one of the meeting bankers on Hollywoodbets Durban July day and he not only duly delivered, but likely won many new fans in the process as this strongly built, imposing colt has a rare presence about him.

 

Marshall has said the Maine Chance Farms-bred Querari colt would be even better suited to 1600m, so fans can possibly look forward to him running again on World Pool Gold Cup day, although he has unfortunately drawn very wide.

 

In the Gr 2 Omoda Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Saturday the big horse jumped well from pole position under Sean Veale and was soon using his massive stride out in front with the rest of the field looking like whippets behind him.

 

Veale revealed later that Vibe Check had been very green and he had battled to get him to corner.

 

The big bay kept going well in the straight  and fended off late challenges from Green Energy, Secretary Bird and Red Spice to win by 0,40 lengths.

 

Veale pointed out Vibe Check was still growing and had put on 7kg since his last start.

 

He said, “There is a lot of improvement to come.”

 

What makes the Vibe Check story even more compelling is that he races in a famous set of silks that have resurfaced.

 

The colours white with red stars and a green cap used to be owned by two former Chairmen  of the Durban Turf Club Douglas Saunders and his son Chris, who won two Julys together with these colours, Jollify winning it for them in 1967 in the big race’s most famous finish, the dead-heat with the immortal Sea Cottage, and then ironically winning it with Sea Cottage’s half-brother Naval Escort in 1969.

 

The colours have been taken over by Irishman Seamus Burns, whose family own Lodge Park Stud,  a highly esteemed thoroughbred breeding farm and racehorse nursery situated in Freshford, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

 

Seamus apparently has an annual holiday to Cape Town, or at least used to, that coincides with the like of the Race Coast Sales Premier Yearling Sale and he is no stranger to big race success in South Africa, winning the Gr 1 Gold Medallion with the Vaugan Marshall-trained Ambiorix (Vercingetorix) in 2021.

 

In the Gr 1 Premiers Champion Stakes on World Pool Gold Cup day Vibe Check has drawn 34 out of the 36 entries.

 

Marshall did say on Saturday after the win that Vibe Check would take his place in the latter race, but he might think twice from a draw that is going to end up very wide. On the other hand the big horse’s front-running style might make it well worth having a go as his early pace could see him finding the rail in front without expending too much energy.

 

Vibe Check cost R650,000 at the Race Coast Summer Sale last year.

 

Please Note

The below pool time changes due to Match Time Change.

SOCCER 1: SUU: 08 JULY 2026

Match 1 (M1): LAUSANNE SPORT vs FLAMENGO RJ. Match Time Change To 21:30

New Pool closing time 21:30

Soccer4 Friday 10 July 2026. Carryover R25 000. Estimated Pool: R 75 000. Pool Closes at 20h45. Sport 23 Pool 2.

Soccer10 Friday 10 July 2026. ADD-IN R150 000. Estimated Pool: R1.8 Million. Pool Closes at 20h45. Sport 18 and Pool 1.

Soccer6 Saturday 11 July 2026.  ADD-IN R50 000. Estimated Pool: R 400 000. Pool Closes at 20h00. Sport 6 Pool 1.

Soccer10 Saturday 11 July 2026. ADD-IN R150 000. Estimated Pool: R1.8 Million. Pool Closes at 20h00. Sport 20 and Pool 1.

Soccer Any 13Xtra Saturday 11 July 2026. Carryover R100 000. Estimated Pool: R200 000. Pool Closes at 15h00. Sport 13 and Pool 1.

Please note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Catterick and Kempton (UK) – 8 July 2026.

David Thiselton

Summerveld trainer Gareth van Zyl was very excited by the third place finish of King Pelles in Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Durban July and added that the Equus Champion Stayer had come out of the race well, so will be defending his crown in the Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup on the 25th.

The result showed that the older horses were out at the weights with the three-year-olds and Gareth mentioned that before adding, “To have split the three-year-olds showed that he has improved, so it is very exciting.”

King Pelles was actually a touch unlucky as he was sitting in what was in retrospect the perfect position behind Wish List approaching the straight, but lost that position when Gladatorian switched outward off the rail.

Nevertheless, after being shuffled backwards and having to come around the horses in front he showed a fine turn of foot and became a threat to the three-year-olds Note To Self and Wish List.

He clung on to third place, beaten 1,55 lengths, just ahead of another three-year-old Viva’s Liberte.

Australian-based Chad Schofield, the son of former top Durban-born jockey Glyn Schofield, said afterwards he felt he had a chance of winning and added that he could feel that had the race been over a touch further he would have had a very good chance.

It was another heady day for chief owner Ravi Padayachee, with this being the passionate Durbanite’s first July runner, and in the last few hundred metres he and his fellow owners would likely have just about lifted the roof off the grandstand from his private box. To win the Hollywoodbets Durban July is every owner’s dream and would be an especially auspicious achievement for a hometown owner.

Ravi’s Lucky Vest 12 CC owns King Pelles in partnership with Dave MacLean, Gary Player and N V Parmanand.

King Pelles put all of them in the spotlight last season by landing four Gr 3 staying events including the KZN Derby, the Gold Vase and the Gold Cup and walking away with the Equus Champion Stayer award.

He has taken them on another exhilarating journey this Champions Season and will put the cherry on the top if successfully defending his Gold Cup crown, although he is going to have stiff opposition from this year’s Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers and Gr 3 Durban Gold Vase winner, the Justin Snaith-trained Ahead Of The Facts.

David Thiselton

The Gr 3 Durban Gold Vase on Hollywoodbets Durban July day has always been a pointer to the Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup and this year’s winner of the former race, the Justin Snaith-trained Ahead Of The Facts, will have a fine chance of landing a treble of staying events in the latter race as he also won the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers.

An interesting fact about the Futura gelding is that he is the first horse to be running in the colours of Garth Musikanth, whose brother Dean is also a part-owner along with Zev Blieden, Ryan Copeland, Darren Smith and J Murcia.

Ahead Of The Facts, ridden by the peerless Richard Fourie, was backed as if he couldn’t be beaten and the flood of money saw him starting at 15/10.

Fourie dropped the 110-rated gelding out from a wide draw of nine.

He was content to sit near the back before improving position around the final bend.

Fourie went for a run down the inside and Ahead Of The Facts showed a turn of foot that was reminiscent of last year’s Equus Champion Stayer King Pelles.

He made up the ground in a matter of strides and went on to win by half-a-length from Master Redoute and Shoot The Rapids, who were the winner and runner up in the Gold Cup two years ago.

The winning margins of 0,50 lengths and 1,30 lengths flattered Master Redoute and Shoot The Rapids as Fourie was easing Ahead Of The Facts up at the line.

However, Ahead Of The Facts was receiving 1,5kg from both of them and there will be a weight reversal in the Gold Cup considering Ahead Of The Facts was raised seven points to 117, while Master Redoute was raised three points to 115 and Shoot The Rapids remains on 117.

Fifth-placed Holding Thumbs, beaten 3,40 lengths, was lowered one point to 117.

The Gold Cup weights are subjected to the Operator’s Condition 2.1.2.10 which states:

Handicap Races of 2800m and further (including Graded, Listed and other Feature races): Weights may be compressed at the discretion of the Handicapper i.e. the Handicapper may depart from allocating 0,5 kg for each merit rating point.

Ahead Of The Facts will thus have it harder on paper, but Jonathan Snaith stated after Saturday’s race that the Gold Vase was actually just a stepping stone race to the Gold Cup.

He said, “The Gold Cup was his main mission. He has had three runs in Durban and the Gold Vase was the one in between. Hopefully his best run will be his third run.”

The owners were all ecstatic and Dean Musikanth said, “He is our first stakes winner and we have won Grade 3s with him on Met day and July day. He cost just R100,000 and considering his class that was for nothing! I am over the moon, I actually don’t know where to walk, but I do know where to have a drink!”

The Capetonian group of friends were looking forward to a celebratory toast to their champion and revealed that Richard had been very confident before the race.

Garth Musikanth confirmed he had got his colours completed about two years ago especially for this horse, who made his debut as a two-year-old on August 31, 2024, although he did own a handful of horses before that.

Ahead Of The Facts in fact finished a tailed off last on debut over 1250m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, beaten 17,95 lengths and it was only when stepping up to 2000m in his fourth start that he began to show what was to come.

That is not surprising considering he is by stamina influence Futura out of a one-time-winning mare by stamina influence Silvano.

 Saturday was his fifth career win.

Jonathan Snaith found Ahead Of The Facts at the 2023 National Yearling Sale and said, “We were fans of Futura. We had a good Futura in our yard at the time called Future Swing who was shaping up to be a stayer. Ahead Of The Facts was a magnificent horse, beautiful conformation and he moved like a dream. He was a bit light and immature and I think that is why no-one liked him. But he had the frame and he had the action and he had a beautiful temperament, which we noticed at the Sale. He’s been a wonderful buy and I think he’s a massive runner in the Gold Cup as well. Considering this was not his main mission it was an impressive win and it was the way he won … he went from second last to first in a matter of strides, an impressive turn of foot. Richard, more so than Justin, was very confident. He said he had been unlucky in his previous start when he ran second and he actually said in the parade ring to the owners, ‘What are you nervous about? He is going to win whether I go to the front or stay at the back. I’ve got this!’ He was extremely confident from weeks ago and I think it was reflected by the money that poured on and everybody bankered him in the Pick 6 … he was a lot of people’s Pick 6 banker, so we are delighted that the public have benefited.”