Turf Talk Newsletter – 14 April, 2026

Note To Self will be among Justin Snaith’s Hollywoodbets Durban July entries and this big, progressive three-year-old will be the fancy of more than a few (Picture: Wayne Marks) 

The first entries for the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July will be on Monday 20 April and the Justin Snaith yard have hinted they will have a big team targeting the country’s most famous and expensive race and could have as many as ten entries.

The following horses will likely be among the entries.

Eight On Eighteen – he was favourite and runner up last year, but he was comfortably the best performed horses in the race as he carried 57kg as a three-year-old and was 2,5kg worse off than weight for age with the winner The Real Prince, but only lost to him by 0,25 lengths. He was not himself during the Cape Summer, so his first race of the Champions Season will be eagerly watched to see if he has bounced back to his best. He is rated 129 and as things stand will carry 61,5kg.

See It Again – coincidentally he was also beaten by 0,25 lengths as a three-year-old when carrying 56,5kg and was the best performed horse in the race. Since joining the Snaith yard he has been a 0,25 length third in the Gr 1 wfa L’Ormarins King’s Plate over 1600m, he won the Gr 1 wfa WSB Met over 2000m, he was a 3,75 length second in the Gr 1 wfa Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m and he won the Gr 1 World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m. He is a four times Gr 1 winner, all over 2000m, and at the age of six is the highest rated middle distance horse in the country on 130, so will likely have to carry topweight of 62kg, which will not be an easy task at all.

Wish List – This dual Gr 1 winner of the Cartier Paddock Stakes and Lucky Fish Cape Derby should enjoy the trip and has a good turn of foot. As things stand she will carry 53,5kg, so she will be a big runner.

Okavango – is a progressive sort and was raised two points to 125 after his 0,60 length second to See It Again in the World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge. He will carry 59,5kg as things stand and will be a big runner as he is weighted to beat See It Again on that last meeting.

Note To Self – has caught the eye in no uncertain terms in his last two starts, displaying a massive stride and a good turn of foot. As things stand he will be carrying 54kg off his 118 rating, but he is still improving and that can be seen both visually and through his pedigree as his sire Futura’s progeny tend to get better with age. The path this exciting prospect takes into the big race will be crucial, because winning races like the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 will see his merit rating being raised.

Legal Counsel stayed on remarkably well in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate considering he was one of the horses who went too fast and he then proved that sectional times do not lie by running second in the WSB Met. He will carry 61kg off his 128 rating as things stand and both See It Again and Okavango have franked the WSB Met form, so he is one of the dark horses.

Happy Verse has always been an eyecatcher, but he had no excuses in the Lucky Fish Cape Derby in which he was a 3,60 length fifth. He is rated 113, so will carry bottom weight of 52kg and will be half-a-kilogram under sufferance as things stand. However, he will be 1kg better off with Wish List for that 3,60 length beating and 2kg better off with Note To Self for a 2,85 length beating as things stand, so he is not out of it.

Native Ruler ran a fine 3,95 length sixth in last year’s Hollywoodbets Durban July and coming from the widest draw of all made it a particularly noteworthy performance. He finished just a shorthead behind Okavango in the WSB Met, so is one to watch this Champions Season, because if the latter has a chance then he must too considering that as things stand he will carry 58,5kg and will receive 1kg from Okavango.

Regulation was an entry last year, but having won well when stepped up to 1900m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, albeit off a mere 88 rating, he disappointed with bottom weight in the Gr 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over 1800m. However, in his last three starts in Cape Town he has shown what the fuss was all about as he won a B Stakes race over 1800m by 4,50 lengths off a 93 rating, he then won the Gr 3 Ownpay Peninsula Handicap over 1800m by a neck off a 99 rating and in his last start he finished a 2,75 length third to Okavango in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Wyne Premier Trophy over 1800m at level weights. He is rated only 105 at present so as things stand will be way under sufferance but receiving 7,5kg from Okavango for a 2,75 length beating makes him a fascinating horse to follow for the Champions Season.

Great Plains has won twice at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 1400m and proved his class in last year’s Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over that same course and distance when finishing a 0,30 length third to the winner Gladatorian and he was sandwiched in between See It Again and The Real Prince, facing all three of them on weight for age terms. The yard have hinted he will be tried over further this Champions Season and it will be interesting to see how he fares, although being by Danon Platina out of a Var mare and having never been tried over further than 1600m makes his current July pre-nomination odds of 67/1 too skinny if anything.

The first entries will be revealed next Wednesday and it will be interesting to see whether these ten are indeed there and whether there are any others from the Champion Trainer’s yard.

Justin will be out to join the legendary Terrance Millard on six wins of the country’s most iconic race and if he does it he will be just one behind the record seven of Hall Of Fame trainer Syd Laird.

Littlemissmillion proves her class in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks (JC Photos)

The winner of the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, the Tyrone Zackey-trained Littlemissmillion, will be put away for the rest of the season, but the horse whose Triple Tiara party she ruined, the Corne Spies-trained Hazy Dazy, will be nominated for the Hollywoodbets Durban July on Monday and the yard will then work out her best route into the big race.

Craig Zackey has had two rides on Littlemismillion for two wins and Tyrone explained the jockey booking for the Oaks, “Craig won on her second time out and I didn’t want to take him off, but Philasande Mxoli has been coming to ride work for me regularly and we have built up a nice working relationship. So I told Craig he was busy chasing the championship and did not have time to worry about this little filly and he said. ‘No, but I will make a plan, Uncle Ty’. I then explained to him the situation and when he heard who was going to take the ride Craig is such a good-hearted person he was fully in support of the decision and he said I must just call him when I need him.”

Mxoli finished a 3,75 length fifth on her in the Gr 3 Ducat Africa Fillies Mile before winning on her in a handicap over 1600m off a 96 rating and he then ran a 4,60 length fifth on her in the Gr 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.

Tyrone said, “When I watched the Fllies Mile I thought the filly might have been green, as she came too late, but the same thing then happened in the Guineas. So I then thought I would give the ride to Ryan Munger as I give him quite a few rides and he is a lucky jockey for me. But with him too she somehow came with her run too late (and it was a third successive fifth place in Group races won by Hazy Dazy).”

He continued, “When Craig then approached me I spoke to Mxoli and he was very understanding and said ‘If it’s Graig then put him on rather.'”

Craig did not make any changes to the hold up tactics and Tyrone said, “He rode her exactly the way he did when he won on her here at Turffontein. He says you have to leave her alone, especially when you jump. You just leave her and then she will tell you when to go. He said when she was coming around the turn he started to feel her. With that she started gradually increasing her speed. He said, ‘By that time she was traveling so well I just let her carry on. Then when the other one (Hazy Dazy) started challenging I gave her one or two smacks and she took off again. But then she started twitching her ears (as if she was still lookin for company), so there is still improvement to come, Uncle Ty.”

However, Tyrone concluded, “She had a hard campaign with these three runs and she is not a colossal filly, she is small but she’s got a lot of rein and she’s very good.  But the problem is when you take them out of training and try and bring them back for races like the Woolavington you find they are not doing well because they have had a hard campaign, so I would rather give her a nice winter break, let her grow, and then bring her back in the summer.”

What A Warrior (Erupt), who like Littlemissmillion is owned by Tyrone’s daughter and son-in-law Nadine and Kevin Backos is another Champions Season possibility, but Tyrone said he would likely favour resting and gelding him instead of a KZN campaign.

Meanwhile, Corne Spies was understandably disappointed that Hazy Dazy did not complete the Wilgerbosdrift Tripe Tiara, but he has been racing for a long time and took it on the chin.

“We are not poorer, but we’re definitely not richer,” he chortled.

He added, “We were beaten on the day. She was making up ground in the last 100m to 150m, but it then got a bit tight for her on the rail, so you’ve got to just swallow twice. She still ran a cracker of a race. The third and the fourth horse were beaten out of sight. The winner got first run on us, so well done to them. If I had been told at the Sales she would finish second in the Oaks and nothing else I would have grabbled it with both hands. She has still been a dream horse and we can carry on.”

He added, “We will probably nominate her for the July on Monday. We will then have to plan her route. There are a bunch of options with the Daily News and the Woolavington definitely being among the numbers on the dice we need to roll.”

He said he would like to give her a look at Hollywoodbets Greyville before the Hollywoodbets Durban July and he added that it was a pity the KZN Breeders Mile was two weeks before the July and not three weeks.

He continued, “She took her run in the Oaks very well, but she’s having a bit of an easy and we will probably start her up again towards the beginning of May and will hopefully have her spot on for the big one.”

Corne was disappointed in William Robertson’s unplaced run in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint, but it was clearly not his run and he is being lined up for Champions Season races like the Gr 2 Golden Horse Sprint, the Gr 2 Post Merchants and the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint.

Miss Elegantrix will be targeted at the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, having been runner up in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship last year.

Johannesburg, South Africa — 4Racing is pleased to announce a significant increase of R9 million to its national stakes programme, reinforcing its commitment to the sustainability and growth of horse racing.

The enhancement sees R6 million allocated to the Highveld racing circuit, with a further R3 million allocated to the Eastern Cape programme.

As a result, the total stakes pot across 4Racing’s jurisdictions has increased from approximately R178 million to R187 million.

The distribution of this increase is currently underway, with a clear strategic focus on strengthening the foundation of the racing programme. Additional funding will be directed towards Maiden Juvenile and Juvenile races, Maiden Plates, as well as non-feature races.

This targeted approach aims to bolster day-to-day racing, ensuring improved competitiveness and greater sustainability across all levels of the sport.

The 4Racing stakes increase is another positive step for the industry and complements the current owner, trainer, and raider incentive structures already in place, further enhancing the overall value proposition for participants.

This announcement serves to underscore 4Racing’s ongoing commitment and investment in the future of South African horse racing and its support of the broader breeding and racing ecosystem.

4Racing remains dedicated to building a stronger, more competitive racing environment and looks forward to the positive impact this increase will have across the industry.

ENDS.

Above: Johannes Manoko receives his SA Nursery trophy and incentive cheque from 4Racing’s Matthew Daniel (image: Alet Pretorius)

There was a moment, early in Saturday week’s Grade 2 TAB SA Nursery at Turffontein, when more than a few racegoers quietly settled on the same thought: with only four runners lining up, this might at least be a worthwhile trip for the small visiting stable of ‘Bo’ Ngcobo. His maiden outsider, Better Never Ends, is guaranteed fourth place and will earn a cheque to help with the journey back to Summerveld. Shame, man, that’s cool!

If you were among those who entertained that sympathetic notion, you’ll no doubt be smiling now. Because racing, as it so often does, had other ideas.

Better Never Ends (DeclarationOfPeace) was not there to make up the numbers. Always travelling well, he surged forward under Muzi Yeni to capture the 1160m contest in style. The victory yielded R296,875 in prize money, a further R100,000 BSA Juvenile winner incentive for owner Johannes Manoko’s Dladla Family Trust, and an additional R50,000 visitor’s incentive from 4Racing for Ngcobo, a result that transformed a hopeful outing into an unexpected, richly rewarding triumph.

Manoko, who suggested the fitting of blinkers to Better Never Ends and encouraged Ngcobo to take his chance on Champions Day, said: “This victory came as a relief, racing is an expensive sport. It was simply wonderful to be on course and experience the moment. We will treasure it forever.”

Better Never Ends, a graduate of Clifton Stud, was purchased at the 2025 Bloodstock SA August Two-Year-Old Sale, and Manoko recalled: “We really liked the colt and had set a limit of R200,000. But there were several others who had spotted him, and the bidding quickly went beyond the 200k mark. The adrenaline was flowing, though, and I asked Bo to stay in the hunt. He was hesitant – worried we might overspend – but we pushed on and secured him for R360,000.”

Click here to read Charl Pretorius’ full story 

North Point has been tipped to win the 6th (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Wednesday Formguides And Selections 

Race 1 

More than half the field are first timers in the opener, keep a close eye on the market and the parade ring. Of those with experience, 6 MAGMA FLOW brings the strongest form into the race, he has run some fair races behind decent types, if the first timers don’t attract strong support, he should take plenty of beating.

4 NAVASNINE has been rested and gelded, he will improve tons going into his second run on Wednesday.

(Brandon Bailey: 6 – 4 – 7 – 5) 

 

Race 2 

3 PEACH COBBLER improved nicely to run a good race behind her stable companion on the 25th of March, she will love the step up in trip to 1200m on Wednesday, if she makes the necessary improvement, she will be tough to beat in this field. The majority of the raced runners don’t bring strong form into the race, watch the first timers closely, they should be competitive.

(Brandon Bailey: 3 – 7 – 8 – 1) 

 

Race 3 

4 HERO’S JOURNEY must have a big winning chance in this field, he really got going late last time behind FROM THE ISLAND on the 21st of March, he is better off at the weights, and he has a good draw on Wednesday, he will take lots of beating.

6 FROM THE ISLAND won a gutsy race beating HERO’S JOURNEY at Hollywoodbets Durbanville last month, his form is good, even though he carries top weight in this race, he will be competitive, include him into all bets. Top trainer Vaughan Marshall has a strong hand in this race, watch the first timers closely, both colts are well-bred.

(Brandon Bailey: 4 – 6 – 1 – 2)

 

Race 4 

6 THELEIA looks the right horse in this race, she was just touched off late by LITTLE NIMBUS at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on the 25th of March, she is super consistent, on her current form, she is easily one of the better bets on the card.

1 RARE EARTH never runs a bad race, she finished just over five lengths behind THELEIA last time, there should be no excuses for this filly on Wednesday from a good draw, she will run a big race.

5 PACIFIC WATERS ran a fair race behind LADY ORBIT on the 21st of March, her chances will be helped with the 4kgs coming off her back from the apprentice claim, she has a good place chance in this field.

2 LIEFLING needed her last run over 1200m, she can certainly improve now that she steps up in trip to 1400m, watch her closely.

(Brandon Bailey: 6 – 1 – 5 – 2) 

 

Race 5

2 THE BIG BANG flew home late behind VOLEGOV on the 30th of March, he has improved tremendously in his last two runs, he will be just off the speed early, and he will be running on strongly late, include him into all bets.

1 PROTECTOR OF PEACE could be the value play in this race, ignore his last run over 1600m, the blinkers have been fitted on Wednesday, and he drops in trip to 1200m, on his best form, he can win a race like this.

7 HILTON HEADS has been rested for 63 days, he has run two great races in succession, the tongue tie stays on, top jockey Richard Fourie has been booked to ride this gelding, he will go close to winning.

3 PRITTI UNITED has been rested for 147 days, he found betting support in the market when last seen on the 19th of November 2025, he is a lovely horse with a great action, if he doesn’t need the run back from a small break, he will be competitive.

(Brandon Bailey: 2 – 1 – 7 – 3) 

 

Race 6 

5 NORTH POINT is much better than his last start behind DANCE VARIETY in the Easter Sprint on the 1st of April, in hope that he doesn’t go to the front in this race, he should bounce back to his best form, he has lots of ability.

8 ELUSIVE WINTER ran a great race behind SARDINIA BAY at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on the 4th of March, he is very fast, he loves this track and trip, he will run a big race on Wednesday.

6 CANDY TOWN finished second in the same race as ELUSIVE WINTER last time, she will try and lead them from start to finish, if she gets away from the field at the right time, she will be hard to beat.

4 FLYING FINLEY won a good race on the 30th of March, he was given three points for that gutsy win, he should be there amongst the places again.

(Brandon Bailey: 5 – 8 – 6 – 4) 

 

Race 7

2 SOUTH OF FRANCE will take lots of beating here, she ran on strongly late for second behind Star World on the 4th of March, the step up in trip to 1400m will help this filly on Wednesday, she will be tough to beat from a neat draw.

4 MISS ATTITUDE quickened up smartly to win a good race on the 21st of March, she will be just off the speed early, and she will be low flying late, watch her closely straight out of the maiden ranks.

3 MONEY EXTRACTOR stayed on well for third behind GIVEN TO FLY on the 25th of March, her chances must be respected on her current form.

8 RAFFISH TREND finished just over one length behind TRUE HORIZON last time, she will love the step up in trip, if she gets some luck in running from a tricky draw, she will make things interesting late.

(Brandon Bailey: 2 – 4 – 3 – 8) 

 

Race 8 

6 SHOW OFF finished like a train late behind PRAIRIE DAWN on the 25th of March, he should be cherry ripe for this Class 4 event on Wednesday, he has a big winning chance on his current form.

1 FUTURE FREE just needed his last run when finishing second behind BOOGIEFIED on the 18th of March, he should get the perfect run from a good draw, the yard thinks highly of this gelding, there is no doubt that he has a winning chance in this field.

4 SIGNOR DANTE stayed on well for third in the same race as SHOW OFF at Hollywoodbets Durbanville last month, he will be right there in the finish from a good draw, include him into all bets.

2 MARCUS AURELIUS should enjoy the step up in trip to 1600m, the blinkers have been fitted to this gelding, he will be doing some good work late.

(Brandon Bailey: 6 – 1 – 4 – 2) 

 

Race 9 

10 MASTERONTHEMOON looks to be the best bet on the card, he ran a great race for third behind TRIP TO CAMELOT on the 21st of March, he will love the step up in trip to 2000m on Wednesday, top jockey Richard Fourie has been booked to ride this gelding, he will be hard to beat.

9 FROM THE GET GO has run some fair races of late, the blinkers stay on, and he steps up in trip, if he gets some luck in running from a tricky draw, he could make his stable companion work for victory.

8 PHANTOM MAN disappointed terribly behind TUNGUSKA on the 28th of February, he is much better than that performance, this looks to be the right race for him to bounce back to his best form, watch him closely at a fair price.

5 O’FELLOW might be able to sneak into the Quartet with no weight on his back.

(Brandon Bailey: 10 – 9 – 8 – 5)