Turf Talk Newsletter – 9 July, 2026

King Pelles is the defending Gold Cup champion and the favourite (Candiese Lenferna Photography) 

The Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup is shaping up to be one of the most exciting renewals in recent times and if the best of the entries stand their ground it will be a season defining stayers’ championship.

Three former winners have been entered, last year’s winner King Pelles, the 2024 winner Master Redoute and the 2023 winner Future Pearl.

Two former runner ups are there too, last year’s runner up Holding Thumbs and the 2024 runner up Shoot The Rapids.

Add the Justin Snaith-trained trio Ahead Of The Facts, Native Ruler and Magic Verse to the mix and it has the makings of a thrilling contest.

King Pelles showed his class in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, splitting the dominant three-year-old males and finishing a 1,55 length third. He was used as the line horse so remains on 122. Native Ruler on 121 is carrying 60kg in the Gold Cup while King Pelles’ weight is still pending, but with the compressed weight structure he might carry 60kg too or 60,5kg at the most. King Pelles has an unusually good turn of foot for a horse who gets two miles and managed to carry the topweight of 60kg to victory last year.

Ahead Of The Facts showed a magnificent turn of foot when winning the Gr 3 Durban Gold Vase and went from about second last to third in a matter of strides. He proved he will get the Gold Cup trip too as he was being eased at the line. The Gold Cup has always been his target, so might come on from that run a bit too, so will be dangerous carrying 58,5kg off a 116 merit rating.

Master Redoute and Shoot The Rapids come into the reckoning based on the Gold Vase form as they will be 1,5kg and 1kg better off with Ahead Of The Facts respectively for a half-a-length and a 1,30 length beating.

Shoot The Rapids is capable of some fine performances as he proved when runner up two years ago despite going too fast near the front. This season he won the RA Stakes at Turffontein Standside by 9,50 lengths and has been right there in his last few starts, inlcuding a 1,30 length third in the Gr 3 Lucky Fish Winter Stakes and a 1,30 length third in the Gold Vase. He is set to carry 59kg which puts him in with a chance although he has landed a wide draw.

Master Redoute had had a fine preparation and should make a bold bid carrying 58.5kg.

Holding Thumbs will be 1kg better off with Ahead Of The Facts for a 3,40 length beating. He is a gallant sort who is capable of a strong finish, but he has unfortunately drawn very wide.

Future Pearl has a lot of class and although he has not run a place since winning the Gr 3 Tabgold Derby over 2400m two years ago he loves Holywoodbets Greyville and showed signs he could still have what it takes when finishing 4,50 lengths back in the equivalent of that race this year, the Gr 3 Lucky Fish Winter Stakes. He will be 2,5kg better off with Native Ruler for that 4,50 length beating and he should have come on from the run.

Native Ruler won the Winter Stakes in impressive style and ran a good sixth in the July. That was the same position he finished in the July last year, but he ran off a two point higher merit rating this year and, furthermore, had the conditions of the race been the same as last year he would have finished fourth.

Magic Verse is an interesting entry as he was a comfortable winner of the July consolation race, the Gr 3 Magical Zulu Kingdom 2200. He finished a 0,75 length second to Holding Thumbs in the Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Chairman’s Cup over 2500m on LKP day and he wasn’t disgraced in the Gr 3 New Turf Carriers Western Cape Stayers over 2800m when beaten 5,55 lengths by Ahead Of The Facts, He will face Holding Thumbs on half-a-kilogram better terms from the Chairmans and will face Ahead Of The Facts on 1,5kg better terms.

Johnny The Thief finished second in the July consolation, beaten 1,40 lengths, and faces Magic Verse on 1,5kg worse terms due to the compressed weight conditions.

Jazz Cafe is an interesting lightweight as the winner of the Gr 3 Lucky Fish Winter Fillies Stakes as that was her first attempt at a staying trip and she beat the SA Derby winner Curious Girl.

Enflame has won five out of his last seven starts and they have been exclusively over staying trips from 2400m to 3200m, so he has a chance if finding his Highveld form, although the concern is his well below par effort at Hollywodbets Greyville in the Winter Stakes.

Continentalexpress has some good staying form, although he was beaten 5,50 lengths in the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m when stepping up to stakes race company.

He was almost three lengths ahead of Vihaan’s Bomb in the latter race and the latter takes his place in the Gold Cup after finishing fourth in the Gold Vase.

Chill In The Air was well beaten in the Gold Vase, but did beat Vihaan’s Bomb in the Lonsdale Stirrup.

It will be interesting to see whether there will be any supplementary entries considering the small size of the field.

The Highveld four-year-old Erupt gelding Corrupt won well over 2600m at Turffontein Inside on Thursday off an 84 rating and this progressive sort would be up with the other bottom weights in the Gold Cup if given a chance.

Picture: Vercingetorix (Maine Chance Farms) 

A service to Maine Chance Farms’ champion sire Vercingetorix proved the top attraction at the 2026 Cape Breeders Club Stallion Services Auction. The Vercingetorix service made an impressive R420 000 at the online auction. Champion Sire in South Africa last season, Vercingetorix is on track to be crowned Champion Sire again in 2025-2026. His more than 20 black type winners this season include such G1 winners as Double Grand Slam, Grand Empire and Quickstepgal.

Second top priced service was a 2026 cover to Rafeef, with that service making R150 000.

The auction was conducted on the BSA July Online Auction and finished on July 8th.

The Cape Breeders Club would like to thank all the farms and stallion managers who donated services so generously as well as all the breeders who participated in the auction.

A full list of Live Bid Services can be viewed below:

STALLIONS ON THE LIVE BSA ONLINE AUCTION
STALLIONS STANDING AT AMOUNT
BUFFALO BILL CODY WILGERBOSDRIFT STUD R31.000,00
CHARLES DICKENS DRAKENSTEIN STUD R40.000,00
DANON SCORPION WILGERBOSDRIFT STUD R32.500,00
DIGITAL AGE MAURITZFONTEIN STUD R10.000,00
ERIK THE RED VARSFONTEIN STUD R11.000,00
FIRE AWAY WILGERBOSDRIFT STUD R12.000,00
GREEN WITH ENVY VARSFONTEIN STUD R12.000,00
HAWWAAM WILGERBOSDRIFT STUD R22.500,00
JET DARK DRAKENSTEIN STUD R22.500,00
LEGISLATE CHEVELEY STUD R70.000,00
LUCKY LAD HOPES AND DREAMS STUD R10.000,00
MASTER OF MY FATE VARSFONTEIN STUD R75.000,00
ONE WORLD DRAKENSTEIN STUD R100.000,00 n
POINT LONSDALE MAINE CHANCE FARMS R25.000,00
QUERARI MAINE CHANCE FARMS R30.000,00
RAFEEF RIDGEMONT R150.000,00
SANDRINGHAM SUMMIT VARSFONTEIN STUD R13.000,00
SNOW PILOT DRAKENSTEIN STUD R20.000,00
THE UNITED STATES MOUTONSHOEK STUD R30.000,00
VERCINGETORIX MAINE CHANCE FARMS R420.000,00
WHAT A WINTER DRAKENSTEIN STUD R35.000,00
R1.171.500,00

The infield at the Hollywoodbets Durban July has become a place to be seen and is always a hive of activity on the day and into the night (Picture: Great Events)  

Maddy Playle of The Racing Post was a visiting overseas journalist at the Hollywoodbets Durban July and wrote the following piece on the great race:

The 130th Durban July provided the ultimate celebration of South African talent as Richard Fourie and Justin Snaith combined for a rousing victory with Note To Self.

The jockey and trainer are at the peak of their professions and became the most successful combination in the race’s storied history as the sun began to set on a glorious Durban crowd.

Some 50,000 spectators belted out Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika as the 18 runners circled by the start, and they erupted once again when the well-fancied winner began a staggering move from the rear of the field on Greyville’s sweeping turn.

The course’s narrow home straight is famed for hard-luck stories, but Note To Self maintained his thundering near-side run to collar stablemate Wish List in the final strides and anoint himself as the finest horse anywhere on the continent.

“I blacked out in the home straight so I can’t tell you anything,” said Fourie, who received among the loudest cheers as the jockeys were introduced walk-on style in the parade ring beforehand. “I can’t explain the sound when everybody is shouting at you. It’s like you’re in a canyon – it’s insanely impressive.”

Both Fourie and Snaith need just one more victory in the race to become the joint-most successful individuals, and there was evidence of their dominance when Ahead Of The Facts landed the Gold Vase earlier on the card.

Note To Self was Snaith’s fourth winner of the day and galloped to the perfect coming-of-age victory having shown ample promise when defeated in the Cape Derby and Daily News 2000 this season.

“All of a sudden this week he just took off – he was a different horse – and then I knew everyone was in trouble,” Snaith said.

“When he walks around here he’s just a leopard; an unassuming, stunning individual, and I knew if he came right he was the horse to beat in this field.”

Snaith’s second win came when teaming up with the Australian-based rider Zac Lloyd in the third race with Magic Verse. The jockey was having just his second ride at the track but, just as he did in his recent short British stint, he made an immediate impression.

The 22-year-old outlined his plan to become one of the best jockeys in the world earlier this week and made inroads on that masterplan with victory in the Grade 3 Magical Zulu Kingdom, tilting his head and flashing a smile for the slow-motion cameras crossing the line.

“It was very good to get the eye in early. I was trying to find my dad, but I can’t find him so he must be stuck in the crowd,” said the South African-born Lloyd as the attendance swelled to capacity under the winning podium.

Lloyd’s father Jeff was a six-time champion jockey in South Africa but famously winless in the afternoon’s great race. His son could not improve the family’s dismal record when beating two horses home on Regulation, but was nevertheless a fitting winner on the card.

Homegrown talent was there for all to see as designers and models paraded round the course in theatrical creations encapsulating this year’s ‘Country Allure’ theme. While racing fans engulfed the grandstand, the scorched infield played host to a festival of the senses.

“Fashion is expression, we show who we are through the clothes we wear and confidence is just the cherry on top,” said one racegoer in a towering leopard-print hat. “I love it here, my adrenaline is always up because there’s a lot of attractions,” offered another.

There may have been a VIP area called Ascots but that is where the similarities between British and South African racing end, with the stuffiness and composure of the royal meeting notably absent on a raceday dripping with flair.

The Durban July stands loudly and proudly alone.

Palace Prince wins under Philasande Mxoli to give St. John a double on the day (JC Photos)

St. John Gray broke a long drought with a double at Turffontein Inside today, his first winners since February 24.

There were also doubles fore jockeys Keagan de Melo, Muzi Yeni and Calvin Habib.

Gray is now on 23 wins for the season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 8.04%.

De Melo is on 148 wins and has achieved it at a strike rate of 20.56%.

Yeni is on 140 wins at 11.83%.

Habib is on 127 wins at 11.12%.

The national champion jockey elect Craig Zackey is on 269 wins at 16.96%.

Richard Fourie is in second place on the log on 211 wins at 21.55%.

Caspar Fownes scored a treble at his happy place, Happy Valley, on Wednesday night to put himself in a commanding position in the Trainers Championship

HKJC

The final week of the Hong Kong racing season is upon us, and Caspar Fownes has all but secured a fifth trainers’ championship after holding his rivals at bay during a pulsating finish to the 2025/26 campaign.

While the title race was neck and neck for months, Fownes has taken control in recent weeks, and he maintains some breathing room heading into the term’s final two fixtures – this Sunday’s (12 July) 11-race card at Sha Tin and Wednesday’s (15 July) nine-race finale at Happy Valley.

Fownes, who sits on 69 victories and holds a six -win lead over nearest rival Danny Shum, has a string of opportunities to further increase his buffer this weekend.

Papaya Brose is a steady performer for Caspar Fownes.
Papaya Brose is a steady performer for Caspar Fownes.
Last-start winners Papaya Brose and Silver Spurs will chase consecutive victories, with Papaya Brose rising in grade for the Class 3 Joy And Fun Handicap (1200m) and Silver Spurs out to overcome another wide draw in the second section of the Class 4 Victory Marvel Handicap (1200m) after a string of double-figure alleys.

Daily Trophy, Sky Vino and Monarch County will also carry reasonable form into their respective assignments, while Fownes will hope Sagacious Life can take a significant step forward in the Class 1 Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy (1600m).

Third at the course and distance in his first start for Fownes on 6 June, the Brazilian Group 1 winner looks well placed to give the late-season feature a shake after twice winning over the Sha Tin mile earlier this season.

Helene Feeling is one of the major contenders in the Class 1 Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy.
Helene Feeling is one of the major contenders in the Class 1 Hong Kong Racehorse Owners Association Trophy.
Shum will also have a presence in the season’s final Class 1 thanks to Helene Feeling, but his weekend winning chances look to lie elsewhere.

Packing Fighter is edging towards his first Hong Kong success after doing everything but win when finishing second at his last start, and he looks well placed in the Class 4 Solar Hei Hei Handicap (1600m), while Massive Reward was a big improver last start and further progress will ensure he is a big player in the Class 4 Medic Kingdom Handicap (1400m).

Mark Newnham (60 winners) is the other trainer who holds an outside chance of sailing past Fownes late but the Australian will need to convert a handful of his seven runners this Sunday into victories.

Last-start winner Lucky Sam Gor could oblige in the Class 3 Sight Winner Handicap (1600m), while Oldtown is racing in top form ahead of his run in the Victory Marvel Handicap.

Trainers’ Ranking (Top 6) – As of 9 July, 2026

Trainer Win 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Total runs
1st C Fownes 69 43 46 42 45 562
2nd D Shum 63 41 40 42 34 519
3rd M Newnham 60 52 50 54 42 553
4th F Lui 56 48 66 40 43 533
5th D Hayes 54 49 44 52 47 659
6th J Size 53 68 61 45 55 591

Anotherdanceforme has to give weight to some useful rivals in the East Cape Paddock Stakes so won’t gave it all her own way (Pauline Herman Photography) 

Trevor Reid’s formguides and selections for Fairview Poly Friday

RACE 1

A very open first race. Hopefully we are back on the turf again. TURBULENT has been consistent of late and should like it back on the grass. ALESIAN BEAU is clearly better than a moderate last performance. STORM BURST, DOUBLE DISTILLED and MRS SHACKLETON all make their local debuts and could be threats. LOVELY DANCER and JORDI have also done enough of late to suggest they can make the frame.

RACE 2

It is good to see the Western Cape trainers at this meeting and they could strike with NOBODY’S PERFECT. She was slowly away on local debut and should like it back on the grass. REMIND ME OF YOU proved in need of her Polytrack debut and should improve and contest the finish. DANCING AMBER was not disgraced in both her starts and is a threat. BLAZING FLAME showed improvement last time out and could have more to offer. HOWZIT BEAUT and SILVER ARROW make their debuts and could be ready to strike.

RACE 3

GIMMETHATWORLDCUP was not disgraced on Polytrack debut and is likely to improve. MAESTRO AZUL is probably looking for a lot further but might play a minor role. SILVA STREAKER was well beaten on debut when on the grass but has made significant improvement on the Polytrack since then and must be respected. QUEEN’S AWAY is improving and might earn some more money.

RACE 4

Trainer Alan Greeff must be well pleased with what KLEINZEE has done for him since joining his yard. The filly is unbeaten in three starts on the Polytrack for him. She would not be a surprise winner. TENJIKU makes a local debut and could improve. PORFIRIO is unreliable but quite capable of scoring. LAGUNA VERDE, ABOVE THE HORIZON and GLOBAL STATE are all in good form and can earn some more money.

RACE 5

PERFECT IMPACT is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Dean Smith. They were impressive victories but were on the Polytrack and he will need to show he is as good on turf. WORLD CHOICE is in good form but does have a tricky draw. DYNALLEY and ACTION AMERICA both arrive for this after good wins and may have more to offer. TRAIL RUNNER makes his local debut and has won a couple of times this season so must be respected for that. CORAL CREEK is better on the grass so the last run is safely ignored. RIP WHEELER won nicely last time out on the Polytrack and could be better than rated.

RACE 6

A good race with some in form runners. GENTLEMAN JOE steps up in distance but has consistent Western Cape form and his trainer has a good record when raiding the Eastern Cape. BOURNEMOUTH does well for jockey Richard Fourie and has no problems with this course and distance so will be a threat. BAD MEDICINE has won all five of his starts for trainer Kelly Mitchley and has every chance of scoring again. HOME REEF won this race last year and was not beaten far by BAD MEDICINE over 2800m not so long ago so can contest the finish. ANATOLIAN SILVER is consistent and can earn some more money.

RACE 7

A very good edition of the East Cape Paddock Stakes (Listed). Local star ANOTHERDANCEFORME has won 9 of her 10 starts, with two of those wins coming over this course and distance. She is not well drawn and has to give weight to all her rivals but may well win again. The Western Cape trainers are here to take her on and all of ROCCAPINA and ICY RAIN are capable of contesting the finish. SPLITTHEMAINBRACE, ENCHANTING CHOICE, FAMILY POWER and SILVA CITY are all in good form and will be hoping to earn some money.

RACE 8

A competitive end to what looks a decent card. SLASH ‘N BURN has run well in both local starts and with stable jockey Richard Fourie aboard could be the right one for this. Stable companion COASTAL PATH is consistent over this course and distance and is not out of it. CIAN THE CONQUEROR got close to scoring when last seen on the grass at this track and deserves respect for that. RHYTHM is consistent and has a chance. ALWAYS SHINING and DIABLO both seem better than their last runs and could play minor roles. EUGENIUS could be the surprise package of the race.

Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Purchase Title Role Wins Grade 1 Belmont Derby

The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up purchase TITLE ROLE continued the outstanding run of results for graduates of the sale when taking out the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Saratoga for trainers Simon & Ed Crisford.

Owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor, the son of TOO DARN HOT won for the fifth time from eight starts, having also recorded victories in the German 2000 Guineas and the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas in Dubai earlier this season.

TITLE ROLE was bred by Hascombe and Valiant Stud and offered initially at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale where he was purchased for 90,000 guineas by Blandford Bloodstock’s Stuart Boman.

Re-offered at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale by Anna Calder’s Leamore Horses, the son of the LEMON DROP KID mare VALIANT GIRL was purchased by Jamie McCalmont Bloodstock for 500,000 guineas on behalf of his current owners.

Recent graduates of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale include the impressive Group 3 Albany Stakes winner LIBERTANGO, the UAE 2000 Guineas winner SIX SPEED and the Royal Ascot placed two-year-olds SENORITA BONITA and ON JUST TERMS.

The next sale at Tattersalls is the July Sale which runs from Tuesday, 7th July – Thursday 9th July. Catalogues are online now and available from Tattersalls and Tattersalls representatives.