Turf Talk Newsletter – 16 July, 2026

Lyle Hewitson hold the Gold Cup after winning the race on the Sean Tarry-trained Nebraas in 2021 (Picture: Candiese Lenferna) 

Lyle Hewitson, who won the Gold Cup aboard Nebraas in 2021, will be aboard the trophy holder and favourite this year, the Gareth van Zyl-trained King Pelles.

Gavin van Zyl, Gareth’s father and assistant trainer, said, “Lyle Hewitson’s agent phoned Gareth and made Lyle available. It is wonderful to have a three-times SA Champion jockey and a good rider like Lyle aboard and we’re hoping for a bit of luck in running and a good run.”

The Drakenstein Stud-bred five-year-old Duke Of Marmalade gelding comes off a fine run in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, where he was the first older horse home, finishing a 1,55 length third despite not enjoying the best of luck.

Approaching the straight he was in the perfect position behind the favourite Wish List. However, Gladatorian then switched off the rail and pushed him outward, but with Hazy Dazy holding her ground on his outside he was squeezed out.

Gavin said, “It cost him two lengths at a crucial stage and he then had to make up those extra two lengths which made a difference. He would have had first run on the winner and would probably have been able to attack Wish List sooner. The ifs and buts about the race were definitely about that movement and I think it was definitely significant.”

Chad Scofield was aboard for the July, but has commitments in Australia, whereas it suits Lyle Hewitson because the race meetings falls during the Hong Kong off season.

In past years when Lyle has been here for the Hong Kong off season he has been able to be at Summerveld a day or two before Gold Cup day.

Gavin said, “I don’t know what Lyle’s travel plans are, but I am sure he will have an opportunity to sit on King Pelles before the day. But he’s not a horse where you are going to feel anything on the track, he’s just very workmanlike, does his thing and doesn’t overdo it.”

Gavin said about the draw of six out of 13 and about King Pelles’ well-being, “It’s a lovely draw. He’s come out of the July very well. He was lightly raced into the July to protect his weight. He went into the race with one prep run over 1400m two months before the July, it’s not ideal but with the conditions being the way they are we are forced to try and do that. And so he was lightly raced into the July and and has come out of it fresh and well.”

Gavin is not a believer in the theory that horses who avoid the July are at an advantage on Gold Cup day because they come in fresher.

He said, “Gladatorian disproved it last year by winning the Champions Cup and many other horses have disproved it too. It is just a myth. I had The Apache and Bulsara running fourth and fifth in the July one year, and they then came and finished first and second in the Champions Cup, and last year King Pelles won the Gold Vase on July day and he still came and won the Gold Cup.”

King Pelles has an exceptional turn of foot for a horse who stays two miles and he can repeat his feat of carrying topweight to victory, although he must do it off a 122 merit rating this year as opposed to a 118 last year.

He has been made the 2/1 favourite with Hollywoodbets and Gold Vase winner Ahead Of The Facts is next in the betting at 33/10.

The Gold Cup field is shown below:

Gladatorian storms home in last year’s Gr 1 HKJC Champions Cup (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Sean Veale is back aboard the Stuart Ferrie-trained Gladatorian, the six-year-old Vercingetorix gelding who will be out to defend his Gr 1 wfa HKJC Champions Cup crown on World Pool Gold Cup day.

Last year Gladatorian jumped from draw two out of seven in the Champions Cup and at long last in a big Gr 1 race his well known late burst did not come too late and he got up to beat The Real Prince by 0,40 lengths.

Gladatorian is drawn two again, although there are eight runners this year.

The Real Prince was drawn in pole position last year and is drawn in pole again this year.

Gladatorian was ridden by Muzi Yeni in his last start in the July, but the man who knows him best, Sean Veale, is now back aboard.

Veale is contracted to Hollywood Racing and so had to ride Isivivane in the July, finishing a decent 3,20 length fifth.

Gladatorian, interestingly, ran five lengths back in last year’s July carrying joint topweight and this year he finished exactly five lengths back again carrying half-a-kilogram less than topweight.

Stuart Ferrie said, “He was in a good position but the big weight told.”

Gladatorian disproved the theory that horses who run in the July are at a disadvantage in the Champions Cup, because they are supposedly jaded and up against the fresh horses who avoided the July. He will be out to disprove that theory again.

The race is stronger this year though as it also includes last season’s Equus Horse Of The Year Eight On Eighteen, who is drawn four with Richard Fourie up.

See It Again was in third place last year from draw five and is drawn in three this year and interestingly Keagan de Melo takes over the ride.

Dave The King, who was the Equus Horse Of The Year the season before last, won this race two years ago and was fifth last year. He is involved again and jumps from draw seven.

Legal Counsel, runner up in both the Gr 1 wfa WSB Met and Gr 1 wfa Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge, is drawn six and his presence also strengthens the field. He comes off an unplaced run in the July in which he set the pace with a welter topweight burden of 62kg.

Main Defender was top class in his day, but needs to bounce back.

Malmesbury Missile will need to improve and as the third of the Justin Snaith runners he might be there ensure a good pace.

There might only be eight runners, but it is going to be one of the races of the season.

The final field is shown below:

SA-bred Soft Falling Rain wins the 2013 renewal of the Gr 3 Nayef Joel Stakes at Newmarket (Picture: Charlie Crowhurst)

The direct equine flights to the UK are now a reality, as announced by SA Equine Health & Protocols NPC (SAEHP) on Wednesday this week, and this has potentially opened up the opportunity for South African thoroughbreds to race in other countries.

After a residency period in the Free Zone in Cape Town a horse will be required to spend just 14 days of lockdown in the Cape Town quarantine station before departing for the UK.

Upon arrival in the UK there are no further quarantine requirements, so a horse can go straight from the airport to a training centre.

Whilst 14 days in lockdown quarantine would not be ideal for a horse in training who has a pending race, there is no biosecurity reason why a treadmill can’t be installed in the quarantine station in Cape Town.

Charters are a numbers game (i.e. there must be enough horses to make the chartered flight cost effective) and the reality of direct flights to the UK is likely to boost trading logistics.

The announcement on Wednesday followed closely on South Africa’s opening of equine imports from Dubai, New Zealand, and Australia earlier this year.

Genuine two-way trade is now a reality for the South African equine industry.

Direct exports to Dubai, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia are still not permitted, but direct flights to Britain and the EU makes raiding the UK, France, and Ireland a possibility.

Following the conclusion of successful negotiations with the UK, let’s hope that Dubai and Hong Kong will be the next countries to accept our horses directly from Cape Town.

Millstream Farm will be offering an exceptionally classy draft at this year’s August Two Year Old Sale.

Their consignment includes arguably one of the best fillies on the entire sale, and there is sure to be plenty of interest in Millstream’s August string.

By champion sire Vercingetorix, this filly (Lot 130) is a full-sister to both 2026 G1 HKJC World Pool SA Classic winner Grand Empire and 2026 G2 Amusnet Golden Slipper queen Palace Of Arvernia. She is out of the well performed Potala Palace mare Palace Of Dreams, winner of the G3 Pretty Polly Stakes. From one of the best families in the South African stud book, this filly already has plenty of paddock value!

The mighty Vercingetorix is also represented in this draft by a filly (Lot 71) whose dam, a winning daughter of Encosta De Lago, hails from the family of such globetrotting stars as Elvstroem, Haradasun and Highland Reel.

Multiple champion sire Gimmethegreenlight also has a well bred colt in Millstream’s August Sale draft. The colt (Lot 152) in question, bred on similar lines to the Gimmethegreenlight sired champion Gimme A Nother, is a half-brother to five winners including G3 1Voucher Victress Stakes winner Sukhumvit and G1 ARF Commemorative Cape Derby second Sachdev.

Other exciting prospects to be found here include the Rafeef colt (Lot 60) out of G2 Track And Ball Oaks winner Keep On Dancing, the Rafeef filly (Lot 76) out of smart racemare Lala, and Face Of The Nation (Lot 329), a filly by The United States from the family of G1 July Cup winner No Half Measures.

This draft can be found in Block B at the TBA Complex in Germiston

This year sees the end of significant era in the South African thoroughbred industry.

Klawervlei Stud is set to host a dispersal sale on August 10th, where the six times South Africa champion breeders begin a new chapter.

Among the numerous stars bred by Klawervlei are champions One World and Vercingetorix, both among South Africa’s top stallions, G1 winner and outstanding producer Real Princess, and the likes of William Longsword, Carry On Alice, and Kommetdieding.

Buyers have the chance to acquire some typically well bred Klawervlei stock at the upcoming August Two Year Old Sale.

The Klawervlei bred champion sire Vercingetorix has two lots on offer. The regally bred Vauxhall Cross (Lot 192) is out of a stakes winning daughter of champions Dynasty and All Is Secret, and Vercingetorix is also sire of a filly (Lot 227) whose winning dam, by outstanding sire Uncle Mo, hails from the family of numerous G1 winners including top local sire The United States.

Champion, and dual G1 winner, Return Flight has a Gimmethegreenlight colt (Lot 157) on sale, while another well performed mare, G2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas victress Heaps Of Fun, has a What A Winter colt (Lot 42) on offer.

Other appealing sorts on sale include the Rafeef colt (Lot 14) from the family of Epsom classic winners Ezeliya and Taghrooda, and the Querari colt (Lot 164) out of a winning Medaglia D’Oro half-sister to G1 Gold Reef Resorts Medallion winner and sire Seventh Rock.

This draft can be found in Block H at the TBA Complex in Germiston.

The 2026-2027 South African racing season will see a number of young stallions represented by their first runners in South Africa.

One of the most exciting of these is Mauritzfontein’s blue blooded Invincible Spirit stallion Digital Age.
Winner of the G1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes, Digital Age is not only by a top-class sire, but his first three dams are daughters of Lemon Drop Kid, Sadler’s Wells and Darshaan respectively.

Mauritzfontein will be offering four members of their exciting sire’s first crop at the August Two Year Old Sale.

This quartet includes Athenry (Lot 12), a half-sister to Listed Lady’s Slipper Stakes winner Herrin from the family of recent G1 winner Questioning, Ay Caramba (Lot 98), a half-brother to G3 Langerman hero Absolutely Yes, and Bright Sea (Lot 280), a filly whose granddam is a full-sister to outstanding sire Seeking The Gold.

This draft includes a number of exceptionally well bred two-year-olds, headed by a Malmoos half-brother (Lot 97) to both G1 Computaform Sprint winner William Robertson and G2 TAB Gauteng Guineas victor Splittheeights, and Pledge Allegiance (Lot 269). A son of Rafeef, Pledge Allegiance is out of a twice winning daughter of G2 KRA Fillies Guineas Maybe Yes, and is also closely related to the Rafeef sired stakes winner Who Do You Love.

This draft can be found in Blocks F and HH at the TBA

The Robyn Klaasen-trained Master Of My Fate filly Trip Of Fate scores a second career win (JC Photos)

Rachel Venniker and Muzi Yeni rode doubles at Turffontein Inside on Thursday and whilst the latter is in fourth place in the national championship the former is prominent in the KZN Jockeys Championship, whose standings are shown later in this article.

Tony Peter saddled a double at the Thursday meeting.

Venniker is now on 81 wins for the season at a strike rate of  12.07%.

Yeni is on 142 wins at 11.78%.

Peter is on 103 wins at 17.02%.

Craig Zackey leads the National Jockeys Championship on 273 wins at 16.91, with Richard Fourie on 216 at 21.75%, Keagan de Melo on 153 at 20.82%, Muzi Yeni on 142 at 11.78% and Calvin Habib on 131 wins at 11.24%.

Zackey will also be named Highveld Champion jockey where he has 97 wins to Calvin Habib’s 73, with Gavin Lerena on 69, Callan Murray on 63 and Keagan de Melo on 62.

Keagen de Melo is in pole position to win the KZN Jockey Championships, despite his late start to the season as he has 70 wins to Serino Moodley’s 64, Sean Veale’s 63,  Zackey’s 58 and Venniker’s 55.

The Cape Championship will be won by Richard Fourie as is on 82 wins to Zackey’s 63, JP van der Merwe’s 53, Aldo Domeyer’s 50 and Andrew Fortune’s 37.

The East Cape Championship will also go to Fourie as he is on 101 wins to Zackey’s 55, Yeni’s 54, Chad Little’s 33 and Luyolo Mxothwa’s 30.

Blaine Marx-Jacobson will be named Champion Apprentice as he is on 43 wins to Mxolisi Mbuto’s 32, Damyan Pillay’s 29, Dezahn Louw’s 28 and Bavish Soodoo’s 27.