Can The RA Stakes Produce Another July Winner?
Glen Kotzen has done the RA Stakes/Durban July double before – can he do it again this year?
There was a brief three year period when one of the best pointer races in the world was a three-year old 1600m event in the East Cape, which is known as a lesser centre in South African racing, although the passion for racing of all the players and supporting players in Gqeberha make it a much admired centre.
The respective 2008 and 2009 RA (Racing Association) Stakes produced the respective 2009 and 2010 Durban July winners, Big City Life and Bold Silvano, and furthermore Big City Life’s RA Stakes runner up Lizard’s Desire went on to be a short-head second in the 2010 Dubai World Cup before finishing a short-head second in the Gr 1 QEII Cup at Sha Tin and then winning the Gr 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup, whilst the 2007 RA Stakes winner Paris Perfect finished third in the 2009 Dubai World Cup.
This years’s RA Stakes winner was the Glen Kotzen-trained On My Honour and a notable point is that Kotzen was also the trainer of Big City Life.
Furthermore, On My Honour beat My Best Shot by six lengths at level weights.
My Best Shot has gone on to win his next six races on the trot, including doing the East Cape Triple Crown, culminating in a 5,25 length romp in the Listed East Cape Derby.
He has consequently become the likely first Hollywoodbets Durban July runner fom the East Cape since the Gavin Smith-trained Shoes Of Silver finished a 6,75 length tenth in 2004.
Admittedly the RA Stakes was run on the poly this year, but it must still take a top horse to beat My Best Shot by six lengths over 1600m.
Kotzen does also rate On My Honour right up with Big City Life and is very excited about the July, because he felt that at last the horse would be primed to prove his class.
He explained, “He was just a little unlucky that after that RA Stakes it was the start of a virus we had during the Summer season. His next start was the Gr 2 Cape Punters Cup and we backed him to beat One Stripe.”
However, he ran disappointingly there and in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas as a result of his shins being a bit sore after the run on the poly in the East Cape and his bloods were also shown to not be quite right.
The latter race was around the time the yard were having high SAA readings (equine inflammatory markers) and they consequently had a spate of scratchings.
They consquently backed off On My Honour.
He was supposed to make his comeback after a four month layoff when the jockeys went on strike.
He therefore needed his run in the Gr 2 WSB Guineas badly and yet he finished just 3,65 lengths behind Sail The Seas and 3,05 lengths behind Eight On Eighteen.
The connections decided to avoid the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 in order to avoid a big merit rating increase running against Eight On Eighteen.
They thus went for the Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m, where he was set to carry 59kg off his 116 merit rating.
Glen had noticed the horses were coming from off he pace on the day, so asked Chad Little to have him off the pace.
Chad wanted to be handy so they compromised and aimed to ideally lie in about fifth place.
However, as it happened he came together with Regulation as they jumped and he ended up quite far back.
It was then unfortunate that the pacemaker Litigation slowed it right up.
Nevertheless, he ran on in eyecatching fashion and was beaten just 0,35 lengths into third.
On My Honour was comfortably the best performed horse in the race at the weights as a three-year-old carrying 59kg.
His profile is in fact quite similar to Oriental Charm’s in that the latter carried 60kg in last year’s Cup Trial off a 118 merit rating and won it before going on to win the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
An interesting formline is that Immediate Edge beat Wild Intent by a head over 2000m in the Listed WSB Hawwaam Stakes when receiving 3kg and On My Honour beat Wild Intent by seven lengths at level weights over 1800m on Saturday.
That formline puts On My Honour way clear of Immediate Edge and yet the latter is a 7/1 shot for the Hollywoodbets Durban July with the sponsor, while On My Honour is a 40/1 chance.
Immediate Edge impressed in the 4Racig Jubilee Stakes on Sunday at Turffontein Standside over 1800m but was carrying only 52kg against older horses off a 102 merit rating, while On My Honour was carrying 59kg off his 116 rating.
In fact Immediate Edge was receiving 8kg from Atticus Finch and beat him by 2,80 lengths, whilst On My Honour received half-a-kg from Madison Valley and lost to him by 0,35 lengths.
The reason that is significant is Madison Valley was at level weights to Atticus Finch in the Betway Summer Cup and was beaten only 2,35 lengths.
So those formlines also put On My Honour ahead of Immediate Edge, although it could be said that Atticus Finch wss just having a peparation race on Sunday.
Nevertheless, it does point to On My Honour being very good Hollywoodbets Durban July value.
He was in number 15 spot on the second Hollywoodbets Durban July log and with only the Tote Derby left as a July qualifier he should make the final field.
The second-placed horse in the Cup Trial, Underworld, was supplemented after the final July log was done, but although he did finish in front of On My Honour in the Cup Trial the latter met him on 3,5kg terms worse than weight for age and lost to him by just a short-head, so put in a significantly better performance.
Underworld is a 25/1 shot with the sponsor.
The Varsfontein Stud-bred Gimmethegreenlight gelding On My Honour also has one other plus point in that he has a sigificant jockey booking, as the next newsletter article reveals.
S'Manga Khumalo To Ride On My Honour In Hollywoodbets Durban July
S’Manga Khumalo rode the winner of the first Durban July sponsored by Hollywoodbets, the Mike de Kock-trained Sparkling Water who won by three lengths in 2022, and he will be going for a third July win this year. (Candiese Lenferna Photography).
S’Manga Khumalo will be hoping for a third win in South Africa’s most iconic horse race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, and he and his astute jockey agent Monty Mariemuthoo did not take long to pounce on a horse who is largely being ignored, but at closer inspection has a chance and that is the Glen Kotzen-trained On My Honour.
Read article one in today’s newletter about On My Honour’s credentials.
Khumalo and the Hollywoodbets Durban July go hand-in-hand as it was the race that finally put this rare talent on the map.
He had always had the talent and just needed a breakthrough.
No matter how good you are, you can not be a top jockey without support, because you need good rides.
The 2012/2013 season was to be a life-changer for S’Manga.
He won Johannesburg’s biggest race, the Gr 1 R2 million Sansui Summer Cup, aboard the Joe Soma-trained 16/1 shot Wagner in December 2012.
He then followed it by winning the R2 million President’s Champions Challenge, on the Sean Tarry-trained 40/1 outsider Heavy Metal in April 2013.
Ten weeks later he partnered Heavy Metal to a historic Durban July victory.
S’Manga dedicated the July win to his icon, Nelson Mandela, and also to his “pillar of strength”, his mother.
He has never looked back.
Two weeks after the July, Khumalo rode the first five legs of the Pick 6 at Turffontein, including the Jackpot.
That was probably the day the public changed their perception of Khumalo. He not only had the big match temperament to ride a July winner, but also the ability and the hunger, like an Anton Marcus, to boot home winner after winner when given the opportunities. Those are the ones the public adore.
He finished the season on 73 winners.
He was now receiving more support from Tarry and other top trainers.
A four-timer at Turffontein on August 8 of the new season was followed by a five-timer at Flamingo Park on August 12.
He kept up a punishing schedule, riding in Johannesburg, KZN, Port Elizabeth and Kimberley and ended the 2013/2014 season National Champion Jockey with 185 winners, 42 clear of his nearest rival.
There were some hiccups between then and his second championship win in the 2015/2016 season.
However, he has been a sought after jockey since that first July win.
He had to wait nine years for a second victory in the big race and it will always be significant that the first ever Durban July sponsored by Hollywodbets, which came together with a whopping R5 million in stakes, was won by Khumalo.
His first July win was aboard a Silvano gelding and his second was aboard a Silvano filly, the Mike de Kock-trained Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein-bred Sparkling Water.
The filly was given one of the all time great July rides.
Khumalo, in a move that took everybody by surprise, pinged the gates from draw 12 and made a beeline for the inside rail, which he reached before the first turn at the Drill Hall.
He then sat and took a tow from pacemakers Asterix and Puerto Manzano, before getting a perfect split between that pair at the top of the straight and charging to a three length victory from the top class Jet Dark, who ended his career with five Gr 1 wins and is now a sort after sire.
The win gave the deserving Mary Slack a first July victory as an owner. Sparkling Water ran in the familiar black with a scarlet cap colours that are registered thee days to her stud farm Wilgerosdrift Stud.
On My Honour, like Heavy Metal and Sparkling Water, is also by a multiple champion sire.
The Gimmethegreenlight gelding is out of and Irish-bred dam who is by Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral and she herself had only four starts and placed three times from a mile to a-mile-and-a-half, so On My Honour should stay the trip.
Warren Kennedy To Ride Confederate In Hollywoodbets Durban July
Confederate wins the Gr 1 SA Classic under Craig Zackey, who will be riding The Real Prince in the Hollywoodbets Durban July. (JC Photos).
Warren Kennedy has revealed he will be riding The Fabian Habib-trained Gr 1 TAB SA Classic winner Confederate in the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Warren revealed that a lot of top jockeys take the winter months of June and July off in New Zealand due to the ultra heavy going and consequent lower class of racing.
He is coming out here for a holiday witth his family and will be arriving in the country this weekend and will only be arriving in Durban a week later.
He said he might ride in one meeting before the Hollywoodbets Durban July meeting.
He should get plenty of other rides on Hollywoodets Durban July day.
Confederate, a Moutonshoek-bred Fire Away gelding, is quoted at 33/1 by the sponsor of the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
He has not raced beyond 1800m as he was scratched from his intended start in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 for an elevated TCO2 reading.
However, his maiden Danehill Dancer dam is out of a Sadlers Wells mare and she was placed twice in the UK over the July distance. However, she herself has produced mainly speesters. so that creates a bit of doubt about his stamina capacity, especially as Confederate has been taken to the front in his recent starts, including in the SA Classic, which he won from start to finish.
S’Manga Khumalo will be riding the Glen Kotzen-trained On My Honour, as the previous newsletter article reveals.
Other jockey declarations for the big race so far are all of partnerships that were expected i.e. Muzi Yeni on the Nathan Kotzen-trained Royal Victory, Craig Zackey on The Dean Kannemeyer-trained The Real Prince and Calvin Habib on the Alec Laird-trained Atticus Finch.
Hollywood Treble As Uzwano Stays Unbeaten On Rejuvenated Poly
Uzwano is the second leg of a treble for Hollywood Racing (Candiese Lenferna Photography)
The Dean Kanemeyer-trained Uzwano is enjoying the new rejuvenated Hollywoodbets Greyville polytrack and made it two wins in two starts over 1600m since the poly was given treatment.
The Ideal World gelding won a class 4 event under Gavin Lerena on Wednesday by 0,25 lengths, despite having been given a six point raise for his win over the same course and distance under Sean Veale on May 14.
He was the second leg of a treble for leading owners Hollywood Racing.
The previous race was a D Stakes event over the same course and distance and saw Frikkie Greyling keeping up his good recent form as Serino Moodley and the Master Of My Fate gelding Numzaan, running for the burgeoning partnership of Itssa IT and Business Solutions and World Sports Betting, romped home to a 3,20 length win.
Master Of My Fate made it a double in the 8th race over 1200m when the Alyson Wright-trained Fate Of Fortune got up by a short-head under Athandiwe Mgudlwa in a Class 5 event to give Rikesh Sewgoolam another win.
Hollywood Racing scored their 109th win of the season when the Clinton Binda-trained 40/1 shot Kwagga Blitz (Captain Of All) bounced back to form in his first ever start on the poly in the last race. He ran on well under Chase Maujean, who produced a Richard Fourie-like drive on the horse to get up by 0,40 lengths from the favourite Super Fast.
The first five races are described below by Andrew Harrison (Race Coast).
Even at 58 years of age there are few of the current rides that can match his ability and plain ‘racing nous’ when it comes to race-riding. For a jockey to come back after a break of many years and lose in the region of 20kg, it says a lot for the mindset of Andrew Fortune.
He was still puffing some 15 minutes after steering the Yogas Govender-trained Moscow Miss to a narrow victory over Chad Little and Flying South in the first at Hollywoodbets Greyville yesterday with the runner up denied by a nostril.
It is not often that one sees Fortune as animated in the saddle as he was on Moscow Miss but when the chips are down he is seldom on the wrong end of a tight finish having ‘won’ the race a long way out.
Prince Florian made short work of his rivals in the second as Dean Kannemeyer’s charge finished with a flourish and The Golden Goal a long way back in second. Prince Florian had shown his better form over a couple of furlongs further but he out-classed this field. Seemingly under pressure crossing the subway he gradually built up momentum to win going away.
There was drama at the start as Time Will Tell jumped sideways out of the gate into Sun In My Pocket and giving Deryl Daniels a taste of the poly.
Those stalwart punters that stayed faithful to Cherry Oh Baby were finally rewarded in the third. Sporting quarter-cup blinkers for the first time, she was given a confident ride by Callan Murray and came through to edge out rank outsider Canyoudothehula. Lemon Thyme was awkward out of the gate but had every chance.
The name Kitchakal is not one that you will find in any dictionary as it is a combination of names, Anneke Kitching and her mother Anita Akal who have been gracing the finishing line of all the KZN racecourses for decades. Anita is a legend in her own right and Anneke was totting cameras from when she was allowed on course.
Their pride and joy in the Hollywood Racing silks lumbered 61kg to victory in the fourth as Duncan Howells kept faith with his charge and Murray scoring back-to-back wins in the absence of a suspended Sean Veale.
It was an afternoon of mixed fortune for visiting Fanie Bronkhorst after Time Will Tell unseated Daniels but Azaleas For All paid for the trip from Gauteng with a hard-fought win, Gavin Lerena pulling out all the stops to get her home ahead of a late charging Ideal Gift.
Field Marshall Can Put Spanner In July Works
Field Marshall winning the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup comfortably. (Candiese Lenferna Phtography).
Summerveld trainer Frank Robinson said his Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial winner Madison Valley had come out of the victory well and he also had news about his Gr 3 Tote Derby runner Field Marshal and others.
He said, “Madison Valley took it very well, that night he never left an oat. The next morning he looked very good and I think he will have come on from the run.”
Madison Valley looks to be a certainty to make the Hollywoodbets Durban July final field as he was 15th on the Hollywoodbets Durban July log released on Tuesday.
Robinson runs the three-year-old Lancaster Bomber gelding Field Marshal in the Gr 3 Tote Derby on Saturday and whilst he is not a Hollywoodbets Durban July entry he could have an affect on the big race because two borderline July entries are involved, Future Swing and Holding Thumbs.
The latter pair will be out to win the race to ensure a berth in the July, but the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup winner Field Marshall could throw a spanner in those works.
Frank said, “Field Marshal is spot on, he is an improving horse. I think I will run him in the July consolation race (The Splashout 2200) after this.”
Frank said Shoot The Rapids, who will run in the Gr 3 Gold Vase on Hollywoodbets Durban July day was in a “very good space.”
The Erupt gelding lost narrowly to Madison Valley in last year’s Gold Vase and he was an unlucky second in the Gold Cup too, so he should be a big runner in this year’s Gold Vase.
Cats Pajamas runs in the Gr 2 Post Merchants on July day and Frank expected a big run, despite his well below par performance in the Gr 2 Golden Horse Sprint.
Frank said on the day of the Golden Horse Sprint at Hollywoodbets Scottsville low drawn horses were having severe traffic problems as all the horses were drifting over, so they had decided to run Cats Pajamas against his normal hold up tactics and sent him forward. However, it was proven that he needs to be left alone and he simply did not enjoy those tactics. Frank also believes he is a better horse at Hollywoodbets Greyville, the scene of his Gr 2 Umkhomazi Stakes win over the Post Merchants 1200m course and distance.
Building a Legacy, The Case for a National Racing Hall of Fame
Mike de Kock has probably done more than any other trainer in SA history to put SA racing on the map and deserves to have the title “Hall Of Famer”.
Compared to some other racing nations, South Africa is still catching up when it comes to properly recording and celebrating its rich history. The SA horseracing industry boasts a proud and colourful history stretching back to the 1880s. But, as with many long-standing traditions, pieces of that past have slowly slipped through the cracks. Without proper preservation, we risk losing much of what’s left of it, to the natural passage of time. As a new generation of racing fans emerges, memories fade, stories are forgotten, and valuable records are left to gather dust.
The suggestion has been made recently for a South African Racing Hall Of Fame and Charl Pretorius wrote about this topic in his latest Off The Record column.
Hewitson Intends To Be Back For Gold Cup Day
Lyle Hewitson got up on 14/1 shot Glory Be at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
Lyle Hewitson will not be able to make it back for the Hollywoodbets Durban July due to contractual obligations in Hong Kong, but intends to be back for the Gold Cup meeting.
Meanwhile, he continued his good late season form to score another win at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.
That took his season’s tally to 26 wins.
Read the report on Wednesday’s race meeting below:
Chris So harbours high hopes for Hong Lok Golf
By Leo Schlink
Chris So hopes rising star Hong Lok Golf (127lb) can eventually ascend to elite company after the gelding’s impressive victory in the HK$3.12 million Class 2 Cheung Sha Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (11 June).
Making his Happy Valley debut after stringing together five wins from six Sha Tin starts, the Grunt four-year-old dug deep under Harry Bentley to overhaul Steps Ahead (123lb) by a short head in 1m 38.44s.
Having started the season on a mark of 52 in Class 4, Hong Lok Golf showed trademark application – and versatility – in adapting to Happy Valley’s unique contours to triumph at Class 2 level for the second time in two starts.
“I was worried about coming to Happy Valley for the first time, but I thought the horse could be flexible – he can lead, sit off the pace or come from behind – so it was worth the try,” So said.
“Every time he gives you a surprise – he’s such a tough horse and never gives up, he always hits the line strongly. I hope he can be a Group 1 horse in time.”
So is yet to formulate immediate plans for one more start in a wonderful campaign for Hong Lok Golf.
“I don’t think we’ll go for the Group 3 (Premier Plate Handicap, 1800m on 22 June), there is a mile race on July 13 at Sha Tin that we can maybe look at, but we’ll see how he pulls up and what the owner thinks,” So said.
Bentley, took his 2024/25 tally to 28 wins with a double after also scoring on Smiling Emperor, said: “This horse (Hong Lok Golf) is just so tough and he really goes to the well. He’s a jockey’s dream, really.
“The pace was a bit sedate, perhaps, for him early on. We got a lovely run through following Steps Ahead but the straight here is a bit on the short side for him and it blunts his staying power, where Sha Tin really suits him with the long straight.
“Chris and his team have done a really good job in keeping him in tip-top shape until now.”
Bidding to reclaim his throne as ‘King of the Valley’, Caspar Fownes fired in a double at Happy Valley to edge three wins clear of Mark Newnham as this season’s leading trainer at the city circuit.
The most successful Hong Kong trainer in history at Happy Valley with 626 wins, Fownes leads the 2024/25 standings with 25 wins to lead Newnham (22) with only three meetings remaining this season at the venue after striking with Autumn Delight and Capital Legend.
The four-time Hong Kong champion trainer struck with Autumn Delight in the second section of the Class 4 Tai Hang Tung Handicap (1200m) under Andrea Atzeni before apprentice Ellis Wong fired in his eighth victory since the start of May when Capital Legend finished powerfully to claim the first section of the Class 4 Tai Kok Tsui Handicap (1650m).
Referring to his stable’s surging Happy Valley form, Fownes said: “That was the plan all along, so long may it continue.
“It’s nice when you can get a result with horses that have a lot of problems. The owners have been very patient and now they’re starting to get the rewards. I think this horse (Autumn Delight) hopefully will improve and win another race before the season finishes.”
Fownes singled out Wong for his ride on Capital Legend.
“The pace was on so it was good. We knew he was going to finish strong. The kid’s (Wong) riding very well, he was patient and the horse picked up well,” Fownes said. “He’s got a good record backing up and he’s a horse that’s got a few issues, but it’s nice to have a good result for the owner.”
Ricky Yiu’s Smart City broke through at his 16th Hong Kong start with runaway success under Karis Teetan in the second section of the Class 4 Tai Kok Tsui Handicap (1650m) before the Mauritian sealed a double with Definitive’s win for David Eustace in the Class 3 Sheung Shui Handicap (1650m).
Douglas Whyte’s Glory B charged to victory for Lyle Hewitson in the first section of the Class 4 Tai Hang Tung Handicap (1200m) before Antoine Hamelin celebrated his 34th birthday in style when Hong Kong International Sale graduate Nordic Dragon posted his sixth course and distance win with success in the Class 3 Cheung Sheung Handicap (1200m).
James Orman slotted his eighth victory of the season when Me Tsui’s Candlelight Dinner sped to the front and easily claimed the Class 4 Sheung Wan Handicap (1000m).
“He put the writing on the wall last time and he was too good today,” Orman said. “It’s hard to get winners, but it’s good to get them when I can. Slowly, I’m just start to break in a little bit, but I’m enjoying it.”
Jimmy Ting struck with Smiling Emperor (134lb) in the Class 5 Tai Wo Ping Handicap (1650m) under Bentley in a thrilling finish. With four horses in winning contention inside the last 20 metres, Capitalist three-year-old Smiling Emperor prevailed by a short head with a nose separating runner-up Windicator Family (134lb) from Beau Gosse (115lb).
Hong Kong racing continues at Sha Tin on Saturday (14 June).
Today's Question
Which horse whose career coincided with World War 1 won six races from 8 starts, including winning the Prix Darbonnay (1700 meters), Prix Darney, and Prix des Trois Ans (2400 meters) within 8 days of each other.
The picture is of the subject
FIELDS, Thursday, 12 June
Hollywoodbets Kenilworth
Today’s Question Answer
Teddy was by a French-bred sire and out of an English-bred dam. Born in France, circumstances forced him to race in Spain, but he returned to stand at stud in his native land and later in America. As a stallion, Teddy’s influence spread all over Europe, through his good sons like Ortello, Aethelstan, and Astérus; and important daughters like Anna Bolena and Rose of England. Three of his offspring – Sir Gallahad III, Bull Dog, and La Troienne – changed the face of American breeding altogether.
