Turf Talk Newsletter – 14 July, 2026

Futura is pictured winning The Met by 2,75 lengths in 2015 (Picture: Hamish Niven)

Sarah Whitelaw

When Note To Self won the 2026 G1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, he put the spotlight firmly on his sire Futura.

A son of 2003 July winner Dynasty, Futura was responsible for a pair of graded stakes winners on July day, with Note To Self’s July win being preceded by fellow Futura gelding Ahead Of The Facts’ triumph in the G3 Durban Gold Vase.

However, Futura’s good season has not been limited to July day. His other notable performers in 2025-2026 include G2 TAB SA Derby winning filly Curious Girl, Listed Pocket Power Stakes winner Future Free and Zimbabwe Derby victor Robin Of Locksley. The champion came up with another notable win when Futura filly Spoil Yourself won the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup.

South Africa’s Horse Of The Year, Champion Older Male and Middle Distance Horse in 2014-2015, Futura is one of 18 G1 winners for Dynasty. (Another champion son of Dynasty, Legislate, is the sire of 2026 July runner up, and likely Equus Champion, Wish List)

Futura, a G1 winner at three, four and five, enjoyed his finest season in 2014-2015, when the bay won both the G1 J&B Met and G1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate, with his other G1 successes being back to back victories in the G1 Champions Cup.

While enjoying arguably his breakout season in 2025-2026, Futura has consistently sported good statistics. His first crop produced no fewer than seven stakes winners, led by the graded stakes winners Nourbese, Pink Tourmaline, Vihaan’s Pie and Warrior. Subsequent crops have unleashed further high-class performers including G1 Woolavington 2000 runner up Light Of The Moon, dual G3 winner The Futurist, multiple graded stakes winner Future Swing and Future Pearl. The latter was crowned Equus Champion Stayer in 2022-2023 after reeling off wins in all of the G3 World Sports Betting Gold Bowl, G3 DStv Gold Vase, and G3 World Pool Gold Cup. Future Pearl would go on to win the 2024 G3 Tabgold Derby.

At the time of writing, the Drakenstein Stud based Futura has a higher AEPR (Average Earnings Per Runner) for the current season than the likes of Querari, Master Of My Fate, The United States and Gimmethegreenlight.

Note To Self is himself a member of one of the best families in the South African studbook. A half-brother to four winners, notably this season’s Listed Ridgemont Gatecrasher Stakes winner Viking Leader (whose sire Erik The Red hails from the same family as Note To Self and Viking Leader), Note To Self is out of the unraced Judpot mare Guiding Light.

In turn, Guiding Light is a half-sister to both G3 Flamboyant Stakes winner Hashtagyolo (whose daughter Amelia’s Legacy ran a close second in this season’s Listed Flamboyant Stakes), this season’s Listed Sophomore Sprint winner Green Gateway and the G2 placed dam of G3 Protea Stakes winner Karangetang.

Note To Self’s fifth dam is the South African blue-hen Soho Secret, whose champion son London News won the July in 1996. Soho Secret, who won the Listed Breeders Guineas and ran third in the G1 RDF Fillies Cup, was named South African Champion Broodmare of 1995. Not only did the daughter of Regent Street produce 13 winners headed by London News and the latter’s multiple stakes winning full-sister Secret Pact, she is the ancestress of a host of top-class performers.

Note To Self, G1 winners descended in female line from Soho Secret include champions London News, Kings Gambit, and Promisefrommyheart as well as Covenant, Lady Brompton, and Triple Crown winner Malmoos.

Other notable descendants of this wonderful family include leading sire Master Of My Fate, the promising stallion Erik The Red, G2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winning sire Pluck and the latter’s G3 winning half-sister Three Hearts.

Interestingly enough, inbreeding to Soho Secret is starting to prove fruitful. This pattern has already produced the aforementioned Viking Leader (inbred to Soho Secret’s daughter Secret Pact), as well as Listed Champion Juvenile Cup winner King Prawn.

Minogue is one of the horses who can possibly give Vercingetorix another individual stakes winner for the season (Candiese Lenferna Photography) 

One of the intriguing questions that will be answered on World Pool Gold Cup day is whether the champion sire Vercingetorix can break his own South African record of 23 individual stakes winners in a season.

He is currently on 21 individual stakes winners and it will hinge on the big turf meeting on the last Sunday of the month as to whether he can break the record or not, because he does not have a runner in the only other stakes race still to be run this season, the Listed Champion Juvenile Cup at Fairview.

Vercingetorix will have many runners representing him on Gold Cup day such is his phenomenal influence on big races in the country.

However, the only ones that will count for this particular record will be the ones who have not previously won a stakes race this season.

A defending champion of one of the big races on the day actually falls into that category i.e. Gladatorian.

It is often said that horses coming fresh into the Gr 1 wfa HKJC Champions Cup have an advantage over those who have run in the July, but Gladatorian ran in the July last year and still managed to win the Champions Cup.

The Stuart Ferrie-trained six-year-old gelding has not had the best of luck with draws in his career, but in last year’s Champions Cup he landed draw three and for once his well known late charge did not come too late. This year he has drawn three out of the 12 horses who are still standing their ground, so willl have every chance of defending his title. The man who knows him best, Sean Veale, looks likely to take the ride again as he is contracted to Hollywood Racing and hence rode the Hollywood Racing-owned Isivivane in the July.

In the opening race of the meeting, the Listed Tote Stakes Darley Arabian over 1600m, the Alyson Wright-trained four-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Position Of Power is out of an unraced Horse Chestnut mare who was in turn out of an Elliodor mare who won four times from 1200m to 1600m, so he is interesting stepped up from sprints if taking his place here. His sprints record is six wins, three seconds and a third from 12 starts. He is drawn 18 out of the 35 entries still standing so his final barrier position all depends on how it cuts up.

In the Gr 2 World Pool Bet With Tote Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Vercingetorix two-year-old colt Rising Eagle won comfortably over 1160m on the Turffontein Standside track in his second career start on Saturday. His time did not compare favourably on the day but on the other hand he jumped from an unfavourable low draw and still won. He now has a very wide draw of 40 among the many entries and will need some luck in the running if he lines up in this race.

In the Gr 2 Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes over 1600m the Louis Goosen-trained Ferrari Flair is still a maiden but has been performing well in stakes races, including finishing a close third in the Gr 3 Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m and a 2,30 length third in the Listed Amusnet Devon Air Stakes over 1400m. She was not disgraced when a 3,25 length eighth in the Gr 2 Amusnet Golden Slipper over 1400m, but she does not have as good a draw here and she has a bit to find on those who beat her in the latter race.

In the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m Rising Eagle is also an entry here and on pedigree should enjoy this 1600m trip as he is out of a New Approach mare who won up to 1800m. However, he has a draw of 23 amontg the many entries so has a tough task.

The Gr 1 wfa Mercury Sprint sees the hard-knocking Andre Nel-trained four-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Otenikwa having an outisde chance if able to find a couple of extra lengths on his best form. He has a fair draw of seven.

In the Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup over 3200m the Dean Kannemeyer-trained five-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Continentalexpress has some fair staying form and carries a lightweight from a plum draw, so he can’t be written off.

In the Gr 2 Bet With The World Gold Bracelet over 2000m the Candice and Tammy Dawson-trained Minogue will make a last ditch bid to win bold black type before being retired to stud and she will certainly desrve it. On the form of her run in the Gr 2 Woolavington 2000 she has a definite chance. She is sure to revert to the handy to front-running tactics that suit her best from a pole position draw, having not being suited to being dropped out to last in the July. The Candice Bass-trained four-year-old Vercingetorix filly Rahhabba won the non-Black type WSB Scarlet Lady over 1750m and was just touched off in the Listed IOS Insider East Coast Cup over 2000m. So carrying just 55kg from a plum draw in the Gold Bracelet she has an outsaide chance, although she officially has a tough task at the weights.

In the last feature of the season, the Listed HKIR In December Umngeni Handicap over 1000m, the Glen Kotzen-trained four-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Circumbendibus is a hard-knocking sort who has a definite chance. His draw is unknown at the time of writing, but he enjoys this course and distance. The James Crawford-trained Dame Of Trix is an interesting runner here as she won impressively over this trip at Turffontein last time and she could be better than her 98 merit rating suggests. She could land a fair draw when it cuts up as she is drawn 14 out of the 35 entris still standing. Position Of Power, mentioned earlier in the article, has hard-knocking sprint form and is also an entry here, although he is drawn 24, so will likely have a tough barrier position on the day. The Tony Rivalland-trained five-year-old Vercingetorix gelding King Of The Gauls is course and distance suited as he is very quick and he won this race from a wide draw two years ago, but the problem here is he has to do it from another wide draw off an eight point higher merit rating. The Louis Goosen-trained three-year-old Vercingetorix gelding Blazing Fury is a hard-knocking sort who has a two length fourth in a Gr 3 Sprint to his name, but he will officially have a tough task at the weights if he gets in here and he has a wide draw.

Brett Smith on on the star mare, National Colour (Image: supplied)

Former jockey Brett Smith, a prolific Grade 1 winner in his heyday, has kept a low profile since hanging up his saddle in 2010. Life after racing brought more than its share of challenges, including a neck injury that ended his days on the golf course, a few personal setbacks and the disruption of the Covid-19 years, all of which gradually drew him away from public view.

Smith emerged from the shadows after reading last week’s Off The Record profile on the forgotten champion, Home Guard.

“It stirred up a lot of memories,” he said. “I felt it was time to get back in touch.”

Smith, who enjoyed spells as stable jockey to several of South Africa’s leading trainers, including Geoff Woodruff and Sean Tarry, partnered a host of top-class performers during his career, among them Eventuail, Badger’s Drift, Pacific Blue, Mythical Flight and National Colour. He said the story of Home Guard transported him back to his apprentice days.

“I started as an apprentice in 1979, just after the Home Guard era, but I remember him well. He was revered by the racing public at a time when people truly adored their racehorses, and I wish we could do more to foster that same love for the horse among today’s youth. Once horses get into your blood, they become a way of life forever.”

Smith said he was encouraged by the willingness of racing’s operators in recent years to think outside the box with their marketing and promotional campaigns in an effort to attract a broader audience.

“I was watching the build-up to the Hollywoodbets Durban July, the publicity around the women jockeys and, just this week, a few editorials highlighting the challenges riders face behind the scenes. They all go a long way towards educating the public.”

“It’s strange, but jockeys have never really been regarded as athletes, whereas the reality is quite the opposite. The fitness levels required are beyond what most professional athletes could or would ever attain. Competing at the highest level of this sport is mentally and physically demanding to an extraordinary degree.

Click here to read Charl Pretorius’s entire article about Brett Smith

The daughter of South African champion Via Africa is set to return next month (KBloodstock.co.au)

Jake Bourke (Racing.com)

Could we see the hotly anticipated clash between Sheza Alibi and Autumn Glow earlier than expected?

While it remains a complete hypothetical, at this stage, Peter Moody has flagged the possibility of Sheza Alibi making her spring return over a mile at Flemington in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes on September 12.

“A very tentative plan – and I am saying very tentative – would be maybe even first-up in a race like the Makybe Diva? Second-up in the King Charles in Sydney and then third-up in the Golden Eagle,” Moody said on The Verdict’s season in review show.

Autumn Glow is all but certain to make her return over 1400 metres in the Winx Stakes, three weeks earlier, on August 22.

Trainer Chris Waller sent his gun mares Via Sistina and Aeliana to the Makybe Diva Stakes second-up last spring via the Winx Stakes.

The 7 Stakes (1600m) in Sydney on September 19 is the other obvious option for Autumn Glow, but that would make it almost a month between her first and second runs of the campaign, should she return as expected on August 22.

All four of Autumn Glow’s runs last preparation were spaced no longer than three weeks apart.

Should the clash in the Makybe Diva Stakes not eventuate, the pair of gun mares could also be on a collision course over the Randwick mile in the King Charles III Stakes on October 17, with that race Autumn Glow’s logical spring target.

The Champions Mile on the final day of the Flemington carnival is the other leading hope of a spring meeting between Australia’s most exciting horses, but Moody conceded it was probably unlikely to eventuate.

“Would you love to see her back at Flemington on Champions Day? Listen, that’d be a dream, but that’s only a seven-day turnaround (from the Golden Eagle),” he said.

“The great thing about it is because she’s a mare, you’ve got a race every Saturday for her.

“If you miss one, there is one the next Saturday – 1400 to a mile – at weight-for-age, or fillies and mares, or set weights and penalties.”

Racing analyst and sectional-timing expert Simon Rowlands has a high regard for Ka Ying Rising (pictured) and not much regard for British sprinters at present. This was an extract from his blog on At The Races today (Tuesday):

Even when he is tucked up in his box halfway across the world having a mid-year break, it is impossible to get away from Ka Ying Rising, the freakishly good Hong Kong sprinter.

The start of last week’s Newmarket July Meeting coincided with an announcement that the gelding had been elevated to officially joint-best racehorse in the world on a figure of 131.

This was due to collateral form lines, including COMANCHE BRAVE, who Ka Ying Rising had thrashed at Sha Tin in April. The meeting ended with Comanche Brave having won one of Europe’s premier sprints, the July Cup.

Can we expect a further Ka Ying “rising”, perhaps to the 134 or 135 rating that many of us believe he has long deserved?

Maybe not. A close third behind Comanche Brave at Newmarket was Satono Reve, who had finished a remote second to Ka Ying Rising in that Hong Kong race before being beaten a whisker by Almeraq in the QEII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Satono Reve is about a 116-rated horse on his European form, and likely a couple of pounds below that on this occasion. Still, the July Cup served to illustrate the gulf in ability between Hong Kong’s finest and the best that is on offer over here.

It was an average at best July Cup, judged by the margins between the principals, their former achievements, the times they recorded, and so on. Anyone taking a more optimistic view than that needs to explain the proximity in sixth of the handicapper Prince of India , plus a few other things.

Nonetheless, Comanche Brave’s win was one of the best three at the meeting on my ratings, 1 lb behind BLUE BOLT’s 120-rated Falmouth success on Friday and 3 lb ahead of the admirable REBEL’S ROMANCE ’s 116-rated victory in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes on Thursday.

Blue Bolt’s race was the only well-run contest on Friday judged on finishing speeds (hers was 99.2%), and her overall time of 97.38s was the tenth-fastest in this event this century.

Bangkok Magic runs off an 87 merit rating against his elders after an easy win in a Maiden Plate second time out (Picture: Julia Marnewick)

Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)

Small fields but it is competitive racing on the poly at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Wednesday and there are no ‘gimmes’ as they say in golf.

Headlining the card is the Lucky Fish Silver Run Class where Justin Snaith’s Bangkok Magic is a two-year-old taking on older horses. However, he won well second time out and although he does face stronger he shed his maiden with authority and can follow up. None of Ricky Maingard’s visiting string have finished out of the money and Seven No Trump can keep up the form. The gelding makes his local debut on the poly but boasts some useful Cape form over the trip and is one to watch in the market. Darryl Moore has done wonders with poly specialist United Nation but does appear to be tested over this trip so preferred is Red Bomber who has started favourite at his last two but has been close-up in both. He should be right there again.

Punters face a tricky opener with a couple of Cape raiders relatively unexposed and it could pay to follow the betting. However, Stuart Ferrie’s filly Predator’s Crown, although having the widest draw, has put up two smart efforts to date and has run on the poly. Blazing Belle may just have needed her last run after a lengthy break but both her starts have been in the soft so the poly should suit. Yeah Baby was at long odds when make her debut on the poly but was not far back and should come on lengths from that run. Interstellar makes her debut for Adam Azzie and is one to watch in the market.

The first leg of the PA is wide open but Dancing In Demark has good poly form and has a light weight and should feature prominently. Peace Rose enjoyed the poly and the step up in trip when shedding her maiden and meets slightly stronger here but can follow up. Treasure Island is never far back and the drop in trip on the poly could see her home. Gold Gold Baby was close-up in her poly debut and now gets first time blinkers while Blue Poppy was narrowly beaten first up on the poly and has been consistent since. She is another in with a strong winning chance.

If there is a standout on the card it could come in the first leg of the Pick 6 with Princess Trippi. Wendy Whitehead’s filly has been knocking on the door for some time now and goes well this course and distance and is the one to beat. Of the balance, Chooks Kiss is seldom far off the winner and goes well on the poly and has a good draw to help her cause while Chihiro may just have needed her last run when making her poly debut and must have a strong chance if improving on that effort.

In the fourth, Ebisu was an easy winner first up on the poly for Lucinda Woodruff and the form has held up. The extra furlong should not trouble her but she did get a seven-pound raise in the handicap which is a concern. However, she is progressive and can deny the handicap. The year older Golden Angel was a beaten favourite last run but has been in good form on the poly. She gets 4.5kg from Ebisu so there is a lot on her favour while Sesame was well beaten by Ebisu last time out but now gets a 4kg claimer aboard and is 7kg better off for a seven-length beating.

Dennis Bosch could hold the key to the fifth where Pembury is likely to start at long odds. He has not been far back in recent starts but has dropped markedly in the ratings. The blinkers are back on and he gets a 4kg claimer aboard. Run To Rio was a beaten favourite last run but finished close-up in third while Pleasedtoseeyou is relatively lightly raced and was a beaten favourite over course and distance last time out. Navajo Dancer is up in class but goes well on the poly and has a light weight.

The sixth is another wide open handicap but Meerkat Moon has the best of the draw and has improved in blinkers. He was narrowly beaten over course and distance last time out Sail To The Moon goes well on the poly and has been knocking at the door while William Of Orange as shown up well in two post-maiden efforts on the poly. He has drawn well and the stable is in form. Music Of Life has the widest draw but ran a cracker under an inexperience apprentice last start and is seldom far back.

Yadav Singh can round off the day when he saddles Victor Rail who goes well over course and distance and was less than two lengths back to Bless Me Fred when last they met. He is now 7kg better off taking the apprentice claim into account. Cappellino has good form over course and distance and was a close-up second to Bless Me Fred last time out and is now 1.5kg better off so the tables should be turned. One can never write of veteran galloper Trafalgar Square who has been consistent under big weights and should be competitive again.

Genius Baby is usually thereabouts and is now tried in a visor to try and score his overdue second Hong Kong win (Picture: HKJC)

Brett Crawford scored a double at Sha Tin on Sunday and one of them was ridden by his good friend and former stable jockey in Cape Town Karis Teetan.

That took Crawford’s tally for he season to 28 wins and 17 have been ridden by Teetan.

They could land another one in the second race at Happy Valley on Wednesday with Genius Baby, who is always thereabouts and is tried in a first-time visor from a good draw.

Crawford teams up with Lyle Hewitson in the first, but the horse Celestial Harmony will need to improve.

Crawford and Teetan team up in the last race of the Hong Kong season in Race 9 with King Of Fighters, but this horse was raised five points for his last win over 1400m and has a wide draw here.

At The Races tipster Tim Carroll takes aim at the competitive nine-race meeting which gets away at 12H30 SA Time.

The feature of the meeting is race 8, the Class 2 Lucky Patch Handicap (3.10), over 6 furlongs, offering prize money of more than £280,000.

Click here for a comprehensive guide to the meeting