Turf Talk Newsletter – 22 April, 2026

July 2026 First Entries Confirm Big Race's Prestige

The finish of the 2024 Hollywoodbets Durban July (Picture: Candiese Lenferna)

There are 63 entries for the 2026 R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July to be run on July 4 over 2200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville.Champion trainer Justin Snaith, who is going for a sixth July win, led the way with ten entries headed by the WSB Met and World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge winner See It Again. He also has last year’s July runner up Eight On Eighteen in his team as well as dual Gr 1 winner Wish List, the Met runner up Legal Counsel, the exciting Lucky Fish Cape Derby runner up Note To Self as well as Okavango, Happy Verse, Native Ruler, Regulation and Great Plains. Note To Self could be the one to side with, because this big son of Futura has a fine turn of foot and as things stand will have a nice galloping weight of 54kg, presuming the 130 rated See It Again will stand his ground and be alloted top weight of 62kg.

The race has new conditions with the difference between this year’s and last year’s being there is a 10kg spread as opposed to a 8kg spread; there are no maximum or minimum weights for three-year-old males or for three-year-old females or for older females, and there are no minimum weights for older males.

Rather it is just a straight handicap with the normal weight for age allowances, which in the case of a 2200m race taking place in the month of July is a 2kg weight for age allowance for the three-year-olds.

Mike de Kock has also won five Julys and will now be attempting to win one as a partner of his son Mathew. They have four entries headed by Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Jan Van Goyen, Gr 2 SA Derby winner Curious Girl, Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas winner Splittheeights and the former Zimbabwean Triple Crown winner Buster Barnes. Of those Splittheeights looks to have some fine formlines and is potentially well weighted, although as things stand he is officially 2,5kg under suffrance off a 109 merit rating.

Dean Kannemeyer will be going for a fifth win in the big race, but last year’s winner The Real Prince is his sole entry.

Sean Tarry has won the July twice before and he has entered three horses, including Gr 1 SA Classic winner Grand Empire. The latter is officially 1,5kg under sufferance as things stand, an unusual occurrence for a Gr 1 winner, so he has to be considered potentially well weighted.

James Crawford now heads the yard who won the race twice in succession in 2023 and 2024 as his father Brett has relocated to Hong Kong.

James played a big part in both victories and has three entries, including the progressive pair Star Major and Reet Petite. They both have the perfect merit rating for a three-year-old as things stand, 114, because that means they come into the race with bottom weight of 52kg and they sneak into the handicap.

The other three trainers with entries who have won the race before are Alec Laird, Glen Kotzen and Candice Bass.

Laird has a big entry of six, headed by the Gr 1 winners Fire Attack and Atticus Finch. Fire Attack has had a disappointing season, but at his best he posseses a strong finish, so can’t be written off. Atticus Finch suffered epistaxis in last year’s race, but if things go well for him this former Betway Summer Cup winner has the class to be a threat, although he will have to carry a big weight of 60,5kg off his 127 rating as things stand.

Kotzen has entered the brave stayer Holding Thumbs, who will try his heart out.

Bass has three entries including the dependable Rainbow Lorikeet and the exciting three-year-old prospect Viva’s Liberte, the best of whom is unlikely to have been seen yet.

Another interesting entry is the Jackpot City Dingaans winner Trust, who was a narrow runner up in the SA Classic and he looks potentially well weighted off a mere 110 rating, which officially puts him 2kg under sufferance as things stand. He will be out to give July nearly man Larry Nestadt a first win in the big race and the other owners, Gary PLayer and the Lindsay Ralphs family, will also be trying to win the July for the first time.

THe filly who only just missed landing the Triple Tiara, the Corne Spies-trained Hazy Dazy, is an entry.

KZN have plenty of entries headed by the Frank Robinson-trained Betway Summer Cup winner Mocha Blend, the Stuart Ferrie-trained Gr 1 Champions Cup winner Gladatorian, the Gareth van Zyl-trained champion stayer King Pelles and his SA Derby runner up stablemate Salani Kahle, the Nathan Kotzen-trained stayer Shoot The Rapids and his improving stablemate Field Marshall, Peter Muscutt has three entries including I Salute You, Michael Roberts has entered the classy Ladyofdistinction and there are also entries from Darryl Moore, MJ Odendaal.

Devin Heffer, Hollywoodbets Brand and Communications managare, said, “It has been a privilege for us as a leading brand to be associated with this internationally acclaimed sporting event since 2022, and every year it just gets bigger and better. With the adjustment in the race conditions and a doubling of the prize money to a record new stakes pot, the first entries list is proof that the stars are aligned and Hollywoodbets Greyville is set to live up to its label of the ‘Theatre of Champions’ on 4 July”.

Five Runners To Watch For Champions Season

Turn It Up looks capable of landing the unofficial Champions Season Two-year-old Triple Crown (Picture: Race Coast)

Turn It Up – This Sean Tarry-trained Laurence Wernars homebred Querari colt put in the most impressive display by a two-year-old this season when coming from way off the pace to win the Big Slipper with ease over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville. He looks capable of doing the Two-year-old Champions Season Triple Crown, the Gr 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville and the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over 1600m at Hollwoodbets Greyville.

Note To Self – This big son of Futura has a fine turn of foot and is improving all the time. Justin Snaith has nurtured him into a horse who is now ready to show his true worth. The Varsfontein Stud-bred bay is out of an unraced Judpot mare who coms from the family of Master Of My Fate, London News, Malmoos, Kings Gambit, Covenant, Erik The Red, Promisefromyheart and many other big names, so races like the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and the Gr 1 HKJC World Pool Champions Cup could be on the radar and he must have a big chance in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

Double Grand Slam – the Justin Snaith-trained Vercingetorix mare’s fourth career Gr 1 victory in the Empress Club Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein Standside could well have been the most impressive win of her career and she now looks to be a dominant force. She will have another crack at the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m, in which she was enormously unlucky last season, and will then defend her crown in the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes over 1600m.

Wish List – this Justin Snaith-trained Legislate filly is already a twice Gr 1 winner. She is small and has an uncomplicated action and a fine turn of foot. Races like the WSB Fillies Guineas, Woolavington 2000 and the Hollywoodbets Durban July could be on her program.

Questioning – The Vaughan Marshall-trained Querari sprint-miler has come into his own as a five-year-old and has plenty of options like the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m and the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m.

Wish List, Legal Counsel, Regulation Out To Make July History

The Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes and Gr 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby winner Wish List can make July history (Picture: Wayne Marks)

If any of the Justin Snaith-trained trio Wish List, Legal Counsel or Regulation win the Hollywoodbets Durban July this year it will be the first time a July winner by a July winner extends to three generations.

Wish List, Legal Counsel and Regulation’s sire is the 2014 July winner Legislate and Legislate’s sire was the 2003 winner Dynasty.

It will also be the first time a July winner by a July winner is trained by the same trainer as the relevant parent as Justin Snaith trained Legislate and is trainer of all of Wish List, Legal Counsel and Regulation.

Furthermore, Legislate was part-owned by the late Jack Mitchell and Wish List is part-owned by his daughter Nancy Hossack.

Legislate absolutely loved Hollywoodbets Greyville and won all of the Gr 2 KRA Guineas, Gr 1 Daily News 2000, The July and the Gr 1 Gold Challenge there.

Wish List has a fine, uncomplicated action and a terrific turn of foot, just like her father and she should also relish the course and distance of the July.

She is merit rated 117, so as things stand she will carry a nice galloping weight of 53,5kg.

Some will have been put off by her antics at the start of the Lucky Fish Cape Derby, where she was stubborn loading and had to be hooded.

However, Jonathan Snaith said today after the July’s first entries were announced, “She’s actually very well behaved most of the time. But the top fillies Justin has trained all had a bit of spark: Dancer’s Daughter, Ebony Flyer, Captain’s Ransom, Snowdance, Oh Susanna and Double Grand Slam all had that bit of attitude. They’ve got presence, and they’re not shy about reminding you who’s in charge.”

Wish List is quoted at 25/2 in Hollywoodbets Durban July ante-post market.

Legal Counsel is a different type to Wish List and is more of a “grinder”, but he proved when second in the WSB Met he can keep up a relentless gallop, so could make a bold bid, although off a merit rating of 128 he will have to carry a welter 61kg as things stand.

Regulation has a good turn of foot like his father and is one of the talking horses of the July, because although officially rated 105 he was most unlucky when beaten 2,75 lengths by Okavango in the Gr 2 Anthonij Rupert Premier Trophy over 1800m. He has no merit rating to protect, because he would not qualify for the big race as things stand, so he can have a full go at races like the WSB 1900 and the Cup Trial. He won the Gr 3 Ownpay Peninsula Handicap over 1800m before his Premier Trophy run and in fact has a remarkably similar profile coming into the Champions Season that the 2023 July winner Winchester Mansion had, with an added bonus being he has won at Hollywoodbets Greyville before.

The first winner of the July to produce a July winner was the the mare Peerless, who won in 1903 and produced the 1911 winner Nobleman, who is the only ever two-year-old to win the race.

Other July winners to have produced July winners are:

The 1940 winner Kipling who produced the 1952 winner Mowgli;

The 1941 winner Sadri II, who produced 1951 winner Gay Jane and 1954 winner C’est Si Bon;

The 1987 winner Bush Telegraph, who produced the 1996 winner London News.

Mitchley Passes 50 For The Season As Yeni Rides Treble

Genovefa (Danon Platina) clinches a hattrick for the Muzi Yeni/Kelly Mitchley combination (Picture: Pauline Herman)

Muzi Yeni and Kelly Mitchley combined for a treble on the Fairview Poly today (Wednesday) and it took Mitchley past 50 wins for the season.

There was also a treble for Dean Smith with Craig Zackey riding two of them.

An unusual happening was no wins for the Richard Fourie/Allan Greeff combination, despite contesting all eight races.

Yeni is now on 118 wins for the season and has achieved it at a strike rate of 12.27%.

Zackey is on 203 at 17.28% and is now exactly 50 wins clear of Fourie.

Smith is on 49 wins at 12.73%.

Mitchley is on 51 wins at 13.25%.

She is in second place on the East Cape log, 53 wins behind Greeff, whose 104 wins have been done at a strike rate of 15.41%.

England's Oldest Annual Horse Race, The Kiplingcotes Derby

Sophie Faulkener-Smith has won the Kiplingcotes Derby for the last two years running on the now 17-year-old Sunny (Picture: Beverly Life)

Shortly after the Cheltenham Festival, attention in the horse racing world turns to a much older and more unusual contest, the Kiplingcotes Derby which had its 507th running this year.

Runners and riders gathered on Racecourse Road near Londesborough Wold Farm, around 12 miles from Driffield, for England’s oldest annual horse race.

The first edition of the race took place when Henry VIII was on the throne, yet it continues to attract strong interest today.

Hundreds of spectators gather at the finish line every year to watch.

These enthusiastic spectators have witnessed Sophie Faulkener-Smith winning for the last two years on the now 17-year-old Sunny.

The race runs from Enthorpe to Londesborough Wold and remains steeped in tradition.

One of the race’s long-standing rules states that if the Derby does not take place in any given year, it should never be staged again. Because of this unusual rule, organisers go to great lengths to ensure it happens.

The race was previously cancelled in 2018 due to a waterlogged course and again during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. On each of those occasions, a single horse walked the course to preserve the race’s historic continuity.

To enter the Kiplingcotes Derby, all jockeys must arrive at the course before 11am on the day of the race.

Horses are led out to the start line between 12 noon and 1pm and must complete the course by 2pm. Riders must weigh 10 stone, and the first horse past the post earns £50 for its jockey.

However, one of the race’s quirks means second place receives the remainder of the entry fees — which is often more than the winner’s prize.

Another unusual feature of the Kiplingcotes Derby is that spectators cannot see both the start and finish of the race, meaning most of the crowd gathers near the winning line to watch the runners come home.

The finishing post stands on a grass verge in open countryside around 400 yards from the A614, between Middleton on the Wolds and Market Weighton in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Spectators are asked to park in the designated car park at Londesborough Wold Farm rather than on grass verges or sections of the course.

Into Dancing Can Waltz Home

Into Dancing has been tipped to win Race 5 (JC Photos)

Turffontein Inside Thursday Formguides And Selections

Race 1

2 CHABAL 4 VIXENINTHEVINEYARD 1 WE ARE THE LOGANS

Preview: 2 CHABAL is proven over the trip and is capable of producing a strong finish over this distance so should take a power of beating. 4 VIXENINTHEVINEYARD has been knocking on the door and is interesting stepped up to this marathon trip being out of a Fort Wood mare. 1 WE ARE THE LOGANS has come back to form lately and is another one who might enjoy the step up in trip. (David Thiselton 2-4-1)

Race 2

5 RUBY WHISPER 2 IRISH WILMA 8 WESTERN MIRAGE 7 STAR MAGNOLIA

Preview: 5 RUBY WHISPER has form against fair horses and should go close here. 2 IRISH WILMA has not been disgraced against good sorts and could be in the shake up in this easier task. 8 WESTERN MIRAGE is by Hawwaam out of a Western Winter mare and Zackey rides. 7 STAR MAGNOLIA has run two fair races and can still improve. (David Thiselton 5-2-8-7)

Race 3

1 CATFISH 9 LIGHTINTHEWOODS 7 WHATSDAMATTERWITHU 8 FASCINATOR

Preview: 1 CATFISH has tended to find one better but can get it right here. 9 LIGHTINTHEWOODS is a first-timer by Gimmethegreenlight out of speedy Count Dubois mare Fairyinthewoods and Zackey is up. 7 WHATSDAMATTERWITHU has finished ten lengths back to two classy sorts and can improve. 8 FASCINATOR is a first-timer by Elusive Fort out of a What A Winter mare. (David Thiselton 1-9-7-8)

Race 4

1 THE REASON 2 BEAUTIFUL ONE 4 UMAMI 3 IN BETWEEN

Preview: 1 THE REASON is knocking on the door and should go close from a plum draw over a suitable step up in trip. 2 BEAUTIFUL ONE can go close from pole position if repeating her last start. 4 UMAMI could earn on current form over a trip she should enjoy. 3 IN BETWEEN could earn if producing her best. (David Thiselton 1-2-4-3)

Race 5

7 THE NAME OF DLADLA 1 MILLENNIUM WARRIOR 2 WINDING POWER 3 ROCK MY BOAT

Preview: 7 THE NAME OF DLADLA went close last time when1 MILLENNIUM WARRIOR is knocking on the door and should go close. 2 WINDING POWER can earn if producing his best. 3 ROCK MY BOAT ran a fair race in a small field last time and could earn. (David Thiselton 7-1-2-3)

Race 6

10 INTO DANCING 9 TOO LATE MY MATE 1 CEUTA 2 WARNING SOUND

Preview: 10 INTO DANCING has plenty of ability and is still in the up. 9 TOO LATE MY MATE just failed last over this trip and should go close. 1 CEUTA has some class and should go close despite carrying topweight. 2 WARNING SOUND is starting to come into her own and should be in the shake up. (David Thiselton 10-9-1-2)

Race 7

6 SOUTHAMPTON 4 OPERA FAN 1 FAIR PROPOSAL 11 HOLLYWOOD MADAM

Preview: 6 SOUTHAMPTON has the ability to be right there in this contest but she will need to overcome a wide draw. 4 OPERA FAN should be right there again from a fair draw. 1 FAIR PROPOSAL has been in fine form and will be a threat from pole position. 11 HOLLYWOOD MADAM has the form to be a contender but has to overcome a wide draw. (David Thiselton 6-4-1-11)

Race 8

1 SIX OF ALL 7 CREPUSCOLO 2 CASUS BELLI 3 ITSNOWORNEVER

Preview: 1 SIX OF ALL is potentially better than his form suggests and from a good draw over a trip he should enjoy he has a chance. 7 CREPUSCOLO is an honest sort who has a good form chance over a suitable trip in this line up. 2 CASUS BELLI won his penultimate start over this trip and off a four point higher mark should be in the shake up. 3 ITSNOWORNEVER won well last time and should beat Six Of All on strict formlines even if six points higher in the merit ratings. (David Thiselton 1-7-2-3)

Race 9

1 MICHAEL FARADAY 8 TIME WILL TELL 10 EIGHT HATS 11 PRINCESS LOLA

Preview: 1 MICHAEL FARADAY won well last time and if things go well for him again from a fair draw he can follow up off a three point higher mark over a drop in trip he will handle. 8 TIME WILL TELL is distance suited and has been knocking on the door. 10 EIGHT HATS is usually thereabouts and should earn in this line up. 11 PRINCESS LOLA has been in fine form over 1400m and 1450m but should also enjoy this trip. (David Thiselton 1-8-10-11)

Crawford/Knowles Beat Hewitson/Bentley In HK Golf Challenge!

Brett Crawford, Grant Knowles, Harry Bentley and Lyle Hewitson enjoying a round of golf at one of Hong Kong’s spectacular courses (Picture supplied)

Turf Talk’s racing all rounder Grant Knowles and his wife Jo have just enjoyed a fabulous week in Hong Kong, where they were lucky enough to see the Blitz Bokke winning the Hong Kong Sevens for the first time in their history and they also visited family friend Brett Crawford and his training operation in the Olympic Stables block at Sha Tin racecourse as well as attending race days at Happy Valley and Sha Tin.

It would be impossible for a get together with Brett and Grant to not include a game of golf and they took on jockeys Lyle Hewitson and Harry Bentley at a local course and relieved them of 500 Hong Kong dollars, which was duly signed by the two jockeys too!

The Hong Kong Jockey Club were in fact actively involved in making the week a celebration of rugby and racing as the The Club collaborated with the Hong Kong China Rugby and the Hong Kong Football Club to launch the brand-new “Racing with Rugby” activities, which kicked off the Sevens festivities.

Horse racing and rugby both have deep roots in Hong Kong, with histories spanning over a century, and continue to attract visitors and enthusiasts from around the world.

The “Racing with Rugby” series offered a unique opportunity to enjoy two world-class sporting spectacles in one grand celebration, further strengthening Hong Kong’s position as Asia’s premier events capital.