WORLD SPORTS BETTING 1900 (Grade 3) – R500 000 –
For all Horses – 1900m

WORLD SPORTS BETTING 1900

Winner: SELUKWE

Trainer: Andre Nel

Jockey: Serino Moodley

Winner: SELUKWE

BRED BY: La Plaisance Stud

OWNED: Mrs S Plattner

July is chrome-plated for Selukwe

Andrew Harrison

Stable team efforts in racing, trainers, their assistants, stable jockeys and stable staff coupled with a loyal owner base go a long way to success on the racetrack. Difficult for the smaller yards with the top jockeys hunting the best rides from bigger stables but it all paid off at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 10 May 2025 as the five-year-old Selukwe put a smart field to bed in the  Gr3 WSB 1900.

Emotional winning rider Serino Moodley heaped praise on Plattner Racing’s head trainer Andre Nel and his KZN assistant Byron Forster for keeping faith with him as stable rider as the home-bred turned in a stunning performance. Quickening out of the pack he put the race to bed in a matter of strides. He was chased home by Narina Trogon and stable companions Underworld and Okavango who was running on stoutly for fourth.

Moodley got a 14 day suspension for his ride on Selukwe when second to I Salute You in The Sledgehammer at Hollywoodbets Scottsville which made Saturday’s win all the sweeter.

“It was tough taking the suspension but luckily I have a man like Byron (Forster) behind me and if it wasn’t for Byron I wouldn’t be here today so all credit must go to Byron and his team.

“It’s very hard to get chances in this game and if it wasn’t for Byron and his team I promise you I wouldn’t have been standing here today.

“I have to give credit to Mrs Plattner and Mr Nel. They stick by me and they don’t take you off horses. I often come back and tell Byron that I made a mistake and I’m really sorry and he understand that.

“It was hard to let Cape Eagle go but this horse is on the up and perfectly placed.

Of his mount he said, “He really showed his class today and going forward he is really exciting.

“At the thousand he was climbing all over them. I had Okavango in front of me and saw that he was under pressure and I needed to get off his heels. I went to the outside and it was so easy, I don’t think he got to his top.”

Forster said, “It’s all fallen into place these last eight months. He’s been a little unlucky along the way too but to say that he was going to win a group race nine months ago you would probably have said we were off our head but it’s just the progression he’s made.”

Of the Hollywoodbets Durban July Forster said, “I’ll  just carry on training him and I will leave it up to Andre and Mrs Plattner and they can make a decision but he was impressive today.”

The Gr3 WSB 1900 has undergone a number of name changes over the years, starting off as the Gr2 Gordon’s Gin to the Gr2 Republic Day Handicap but lost its Gr2 status a few years back.

However, in recent editions the race has attracted high class fields with winners or placed runners going on to win or feature prominently in the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and the race fully deserves an up-grade. 

Clinton Binda can be unconventional in his training methods as there are not many modern trainers that run their horses unshod. That does not faze Binda who has his own private training facilities  on the Highveld and is well supported by Hollywood Racing.

Ziyasha has not managed a feature race win in his 20 starts to date but has found the winner’s enclosure seven times in spite of a high merit rating garnered by running close-up to some smart opposition in feature races. 

The KRA Cup was a 1000m dash but he gave notice that the Gr2 Golden Horse Sprint to be run at Hollywoodbets Scottsville early next month, where he finished eighth last year four lengths behind winner Lucky Lad, could change all that. Winning at long odds at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last time out, not a venue that Binda visits often, a hoof abscess  set his charge back and it has been six months between that win and Saturday’s victory.

“We put a lot of pressure on him (Ziyasha) and ourselves,” said Binda post-race but it was an exceptional win under joint top weight against some smart short-cut specialists.

Ziyasha quickened out of the pack off a decent gallop and although five furlongs appears to be his optimum trip he must surely go into the Golden Horse with a realistic chance of a feature race victory.

Surprise package was Hithemhardsunshine who tried hard  to make up the deficit starting at long odds with Future Variety coming from a long way back to snatch third in an eye-catching showing. He could be a better proposition for the Golden Horse should Candice Bass-Robinson elect to take that route.