Turf Talk Newsletter – 23 March, 2026

S’Manga Khumalo is a twice champion jockey and twice winner of the country’s biggest race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but is now one of two jockeys facing serious allegations brought against them by the NHA (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Both S’Manga Khumalo and Luyolo Mxothwa have had interim suspensions placed on them, with immediate effect, pending the outcome of a formal inquiry into allegations, inter alia, of communications and financial dealings linked to race activity; exchange-betting and related conduct; and actions allegedly inconsistent with the integrity of horseracing and the obligations of a licensed jockey.

These matters potentially constitute contraventions of multiple Rules of the NHA, including provisions relating to corrupt or dishonest practices, prohibited betting activities, conduct affecting the performance of a horse and conduct bringing the sport into disrepute.

The separate NHA Press Releases about the pair were identical in content and read:

PRESS RELEASE: Mr S’Manga Khumalo/ Mr Luyolo Mxothwa

The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained One World colt World Attraction could well be priced up as the favourite for the R3 Million Race Coast Slipper, which is to be run over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on April 11 (JC Photos)  

The competition for a place in the R3 million Race Coast Slipper to be run over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on April 11 is hotting up and a number of eligible horses will be running in forthcoming races.

The Piet and Elbert Steyn-trained Red Spice is the leading contender with two wins to date, including winning the Gr 3 Ridgemont Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over 1200m.

The Justin Snaith-trained Rafeef filly Champagne Castle will definitely get into the field having followed her Commonwealth Plate win with victory in the Non-Black Type Charles Dickens Stakes, beating Red Spice by 2,75 lengths on both occasions, although she is very quick and failed over 1100m after her two easy wins over 1000m.

Jonathan Snaith said about her, “She’s a bit of a tearaway, so she’d need to settle, even if in the lead, in order to have a chance of seeing out the six furlongs.”

Champagne Castle has been at Summerveld for a while and did a nice canter up the hill on the sand today.

The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained World Attraction (One World) has won both of his starts, both over 1000m at Turffontein Standside, by 7,30 lengths and 1,70 lengths respectively and the second of them was in a Listed race.

Mike de Kock said about him after the Listed win, “He is a beautifully actioned horse who will go over ground and 1000m is the bottom end of his range. We are very happy with how he put them to bed today. He’s an exciting young horse and we have lots to look forward to.”

The Kelly Mitchley-trained Marchland (Malmoos) has also won both of her starts essily, both over 1200m, and in the second of them she pulled clear impressively in a Listed event.

The Sean Tarry-trained Secretary Bird (Rafeef) has won her last two over 1000m, including running on impressively in a Listed race last time to win by 2,25 lengths. However, she lost on debut to Volcanic Heat, despite receiving 3kg, and the latter subsequently lost to World Attraction by 5,65 lengths in a Listed race, although she was only receivng half-a-kilogram from the colt.

The Tarry-trained Turn It Up (Querari), a half-brother to the Gr 1 Gold Medallion winner Proceed (Gimmethegreenlight), has won his last two easily and impressively.

All of the above-mentioned horses are Slipper Top 15 qualifiers.

The field will be a size of 14 with up to six reserves.

The top 15 qualifiers up until March 19 are listed below in alphabetical order and those outside looking in are shown below them:

The Glen Kotzen-trained Lady Jean (Real Gone Kid) won second time out at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth over 1200m and the form was franked when the horse beaten 4,40 lengths into fifth, the Justin Snaith-trained colt From The Island (Royal Mo), won over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday.

Lady Jean will try and solidify her place in the top 15 when she runs over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville this coming Sunday, while From The Island will have put her hand up for a place in the field with that last run.

On Wednesday at Hollywoodbets Durbanville the Snaith-trained Lucy’s World (One World) has her second career start over 1000m and will try and book a place in the Slipper. Her debut was not paricularly auspicious as she was beaten 8,15 lengths, but the winner was the smart half-sister to Charles Dickens, Grapes Of Wrath (Gimmethegreenlight), so she is not without a chance.

Also trying to qualify for the Slipper in that race will be the Candice Bass-trained Preacher Man, who was beaten seven lengths by Champagne Castle on debut and then next time out lost to another Slipper top 15 incumbent, the Vaughan Marshall-trained World Series (One World), by 5,70 lengths over 1000m. World Series was an easy winner there and two horses have come out of that race to win already, so Preacher Man should make a bold bid on Wednesday.

The Greg Ennion-trained Gimmethegreenlight filly She’s Chosen is eligible for the Slipper and is a first-timer in the aforementioned Hollywoodbets Durbanville race. She will be good if she is anything like her mother Hollywoodboulevard (Street Cry), who famously downed the might Igugu in a Sales race many years ago.

On Thursday at the Vaal Classic track, the Robyn Klaasen-trained Revitalise (Captain Of All) is a colt who is eligible for the Slipper and he makes his debut over 1000m.

In the next race for fillies over 1000m, the Corne Spies-trained Hoc Est Vita improved second time out but will need a lot more improvement to book her place in the Slipper.

On Friday in the first race over 1000m on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf, The Tienie Prinsloo-trained Flower Tryst (Trippi), made a fair debut when finishing fourth over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville and she was just 3,10 and 3,30 lengths behind two Slipper top 15 incumbents, Japura and Cherryblossompink. She has a good chance in that race on Friday under Keagan de Melo, although she has a tricky draw of seven.

Louis Goosen has Ferrari Flair (Vercingetorix) in that same race but she will have to improve a lot on a debut in which she was beaten 7,40 lengths over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

However, the one to beat in this race could be The Glen Kotzen-trained Legislate filly Lady Nancy, who ran close up fifths in her first two starts and then next time out ran a a 0,90 lengths third to Red Spice in the Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery, beating World Series by 1,55 lengths. She has a wide draw and will have to win this race, because it seems non-winners do not qualify, considering both her and her maiden stablemate Roskilde (Erik The Red), who was second in the Gr 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery, are not incumbents in the top 15 and do not appear among the outside looking in horses either.

In Sunday’s race at Hollywoobets Greyville over 1200m, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Slipper eligible Free Roaming (Querari) will need to overturn a 9,65 length defeat by Lady Jean, although he is 3kg better off.

The Louis Goosen-trained Erik Dubois (Erik The Red) is a first-timer in the field who is eligible for the Slipper.

At Turffontein on Saturday April 4 in the Gr 2 SA Nursery and Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery there are a number of Sean Tarry-trained Slipper eligible horses entered, including Status Symbol, Secretary Bird and Turn It Up, who are all already top 15 incumbents, and Ocean Mistress (Querari), who is among the outside looking in horses.

The Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained unraced Vercingetorix colt King’s Mountain is eligible for the Slipper and is entered in the SA Nursery.

The Royal Mo colt From The Island (far side) was the first leg of a double for Justin Snaith and Tristan Godden on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Durbanville and Godden followed up with a double at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday (Picture: Wayne Marks)  

Andrew Harrison (Race Coast)

Tristan Godden answered a call from Justin Snaith on Saturday where he had six rides at Hollywoodbets Durbanville for the Champion Trainer, two of which were winners. Back on home turf in KZN, Mike Miller’s first call rider rode a measured race on the stable’s one-eyed gelding Winter Games to win the B Stakes at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and followed up with another well-judged front-running ride on Magma Magic for Tony Rivalland.

There was obviously confidence in the Miller yard as Winter Games came in for a ton of late support and it was money on the mark. Godden had his mount out quickly to take up the rail on the gelding’s ‘right’ side. In the straight Winter Games lugged in a little off a wide false rail to find the rail and kept up a relentless gallop chased hard by Kitchakal who was always in the hunt with Johnny The Thief finishing late to snatch third.

Continentalexpress came into his own late last season as a five-year-old and he now appears to be maturing into a decent stayer. He did not meet anything special in the Class 4 over 2000m but he did shoulder top weight and won with authority, pulling away to win by nearly three lengths from pacemaker High Queue who held on for second ahead of Hollywood Racing companions and favourite Tobacconist and Syx Hotfix.

Dean Kannemeyer’s ‘armada’ arrived at Summerveld this past week but Continentalexpress could well be one of the stable’s flagbearers going into Champions Season with staying races on the menu.

Western Cape form is proving deadly when their runners make their KZN debuts be it maidens or some average runners with milage on the clock and the list is a long one. Red Taffety added to that list with a solid performance in the opening leg of the Place Accumulator. Having her first outing for Adam Azzie, JP van der Merwe, first call rider for owners Greg and Gina Bortz, sat in off the pace as Princess Trippi set the early fractions.

He then allowed the big-striding daughter of Erik The Red to build momentum and it was soon obvious that Princess Trippi was under pressure from both sides as Lilting Song, another recent Cape maiden arrival, also put up her hand. However, Red Taffety was in full cry and won going away and given the manner of her win, ten furlongs could be a more suitable trip.

Beyond All Doubt backed up the form of Son Of Rafeef, Yogas Govender’s promising gelding, with a fluent win in the second. Chad Little had no hesitation in making an early move on MJ Odendaal’s colt and he made short work of Place Of Practice and Pressure Point to win as he liked.

Saint Brigid was the ham in the sandwich at her last start, a race she should probably have won after the rider of winner Peggy Sue Shake lost his compass and earning a suspension for his troubles.

Sean Veale and Stuart Ferrie go back a long way, to the days of Dennis Drier when Ferrie was assistant and Veale the stable rider. Veale has stayed loyal when he is not riding for Hollywood Racing and he won a smart tactical race aboard Hodge Podge for Ferrie in the fifth. Visiting rider Mickaelle Michel had the field stacked up for most of the race as she set a pedestrian gallop aboard Psyche but when it came to the business end, Psyche did not have much to give as Veale swept past on Hodge Podge chased by Fine Wine with Psyche staying on for third.

Godden rode another confident front-running race aboard Magma Magic to win the eighth, the gelding also finding some solid market support. Not an easy ride, the gelding fly-jumped the start with his head in the air but once settled in front he was not for the catching. Gardener’s Pride tried to keep pace but faded quickly in the straight with Next Of Kin staying on for second but never a threat.

For those that follow the published horse weights, most would be more confident if their fancy had shed a few kilos come race-day. If the published weights were correct for the ninth on the card, winner Meercat Moon was plus 17kg and stable companion The Gliding Fish plus 14 kg.

Mark Dixon admitted that the win came as a surprise, as it did for most punters as it paid R23 a win, especially as The Gliding Fish was the more fancied of the two stable runners. But three wide for most of the race, Meercat Moon galloped on relentlessly to narrowly hold off Kimball O’Hara. Dixon intimated post-race that keeping Meercat Moon sound was not the easiest but whatever the treatment it worked a treat yesterday and rounded off a fine afternoon treble for Veale.

Picture: Expert Eye (Credit: Melanie Sauer) 

Cape Breeders

Paardeberg Stud’s well performed stallion Expert Eye enjoyed Listed success in Ireland on Sunday.

His five-year-old daughter Beset showed her well being when she romped home to a facile success in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Devoy Stakes at Naas.

The Joseph O’Brien-trained mare had scored at the same level on her final start of last season at the Curragh and went to post an 11/4 shot in Sunday’s ten furlong contest.

Declan McDonogh was soon in front on the Expert Eye mare, who was pressed from before halfway by Iowa City

She was asked for an effort passing the two pole and asserted inside the final furlong as stablemate Lemsairbat ran on to take the runner-up spot, three lengths behind.

O’Brien said:- “She’s a tough filly. She finished off the year great last year and she’s picked up where she left off.

“She’ll probably go for a group race somewhere now. There is a race in Newbury over a mile-and-a-half. She’d have options in France. In Ireland the Munster Oaks in Cork is probably the obvious race for her if the ground was soft.”

Beset, who is out of the Galileo mare Beshayer, has won four of 14 starts with her wins including the 2025 Listed Guinness 0.0 Finale Stakes.

Her G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winning sire Expert Eye was a superb racehorse and group/graded stakes winner at both two and three.

A son of the breed shaping sire Acclamation, Expert Eye is out of a winning Dansili half-sister to dual Classic winner Special Duty.