Turf Talk Newsletter – 29 September, 2025

Muzi Reaches 2500 Win Milestone

Muzi Yeni’s 2500th career win was fittingly in a feature race aboard the Justin Snaith-trained Landoftherisingson (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Muzi Yeni reached a milestone 2500 career wins at Hollywoodets Durbanville on Saturday when he won the Listed Settlers Trophy over 2000m on the Justin Snaith-trained Landoftherisingson, who provided Mauritzfontein-based stallion Danon Platina with a fifth stakes winner.

Yeni made it 2501 wins in the next race on the Snaith-trained She’s My World (One World) in the Gr 3 Schweppes Diana Stakes in a particularly good ride as he overcame the widest draw of all in the 12 horse field on the 40/1 shot.

Yeni might be short in stature, but he is deceptively strongly built and he not only has a heart as big as the great outdoors, but he is also a fierce competitor who doesn’t give an inch.

He has been admired by many a top trainer for many a year not only for his good seat and riding skills, but he is also a fine racing tactician and is particularly good at overcoming poor draws, with his ride on She’s My World on Saturday being a good example.

His competitive nature has got himself into trouble on occasion, but at present he seems to be in a fine space.

Yeni has been able to keep up a relentless schedule year after year.

Looking at his last ten completed seasons he has had well over 1000 rides a season in every one of them except for the COVID-19 effected season.

In the 2015/2016 season he had 1342 rides and was 5th on the table with 166 wins, with only the champion Khumalo having more rides (1350).

In 2016/2017 he had 1295 rides for 120 wins and 9th on the log with only Craig Zackey (1400) and Ryan Munger (1352) having more rides.

In the 2017/2018 season he had 1448 rides for 150 wins and 2nd place on the log with only champion Lyle Hewitson having more rides (1470).

In the 2018/2019 season he had 1821 rides for 216 wins, failing by three wins to take the title from Hewitson.

In the 2019/2020 curtailed season due to COVID-19 he had 839 rides for 79 wins, which gave him 8th place on the log and only champion Kennedy with 1165, Chase Maujean (852) and S’Manga Khumalo with 846 had more rides.

In 2020/2021 he had 1180 rides for 151 wins and was 3rd on the log with only the champion Hewitson having more rides (1699).

In 2021/2022 he had 1417 rides for 159 win and 5th place on the log with only champion Warren Kennedy having more rides (1609).

In 2022/2023 he had 1327 rides for 149 wins for 4th on the log with only champion Keagan de Melo having more rides.

In 2023/2024 he had 1494 rides for 191 wins with only record-breaking champion Richard Fourie having more rides (1649).

Last season he was out with injury for two months but still had 1164 rides for 145 wins with only Craig Zackey having more rides (1421).

In those ten completed seasons Yeni had 13,327 rides in all, an average of 1333 per season, and he had 1526 wins, an average of 153 per season.

His overall strike rate for those ten seasons was 11.45%.

This season he has had 26 wins for a strike rate of 12.87%.

Yeni has won 17 Gr 1 races, 16 in South Africa and one overseas.

His first Gr 1 win was on the Joe Soma-trained Happy Landing in the President’s Champions Challenge in 2011.

In 2012 he won the Gr 1 Champions Cup on the Greg Ennion-trained Master Plan.

He won the Gr 1 Allan Robertson in 2014 on the Mike de Kock-trained Alboran Sea.

He won the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes on the Duncan Howells-trained Lauderdale in 2015.

He won the Gr 1 SA Classic on the Joe Soma-trained Lobo’s Legend in 2018.

He won the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge on the Robbie Sage-trained Coral Fever in 2018.

He won the Gr 1 SA Fillies Classic on the Paul Matchett-trained War Of Athena in 2021 and completed the SA Triple Tiara on that champion filly.

He also won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 on War Of Athena in 2021.

He won the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge with Got The Greenlight in 2021.

In 2022 he won the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes again, this time with the Paul Peter-trained MK’s Pride.

He won the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 with the Mike de Kock-trained Safe Passage in 2022.

He won the Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint with the Corrie Lensley-trained Alesian Chief in 2022.

He won the Gr 1 Betway Summer Cup with the Nathan Kotzen-trained Royal Victory in 2023.

He won the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge with Royal Victory in 2024.

He won the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge on the Mike de Kock-trained Dave The King in 2024.

Yeni has the distinction of riding the last ever winner in the 180 year history of Singapore racing. He rode the winner of the Gr 1 Singapore Gold Cup, the David Kok-trained Smart Star, in the last ever race at Kranji racecourse.

Muzi is yet to win the Hollywoodbets Durban July, but has placed on numerous occasions. Yeni finished second with Got The Greenlight in the 2020 July, third with the same horse in 2021, third with Safe Passage in 2022 and third with Royal Victory in 2024, fourth with Royal Victory in 2025 and he has also had another fourth and a couple of fifths.

Yeni was educated at Hunt Road Secondary, before earning his matric at the South African Jockey Academy.

As an apprentice he rode 75 winners. In the 2007/08 season, his first as a fully fledged jockey out of the academy, he rode 36 winners. The following season he rode 57, and 97 in the 2009/10 season. He then broke into the top 10 in the 2010/2011 season, finishing third on the national log with 133 winners.

He has South African colours. He rode for Team SA for the first time in the International Jockeys’ Challenge in 2010. He won the Turffontein leg of that Challenge.

He represented Team SA in the Premier Gateway Challenge in Singapore in September 2018.

Muzi’s confidence has built year by year.

With his notable success for the yard of champion trainer Justin Snaith, who have used him often recently, his dream of being champion jockey could well materialise in the near future.

Questioning Successfully Defends His Matchem Crown

Questioning storms home to an easy victory in the Gr 3 Race Coast Matchem Stakes under Richard Fourie (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The two most fitting winners of the Gr 3 Race Coast Matchem Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday would have been Questioning or Captain West.

Questioning was out to become the first horse to defend his Matchem title since the Glen Puller-trained Sevillano did it 22 years ago, while Captain West is a son of former Matchem winner One World.

In the end it was Questioning who did it in impressive style to remain unbeaten at Hollywoodbets Durbanville in five starts and he gave Vaughan Marshall his sixth Matchem victory this century.

The AN Foster-bred Querari gelding started at 7/2 despite a tricky draw of seven out of ten. Last year he won from a handy position under JP van der Merwe, but he showed his versatility on Saturday, because Richard Fourie was content to ease him back to last place. He showed a fine turn of foot with about eight lengths to make up in the straight and stormed home to an easy 2,75 length victory from Cafe Culture, who ran on well from the box seat, and Outlaw King was third.

The effectiveness of the hold up tactic could see Questioning sticking to that sort of strategy and he will be an interesting runner if he takes part in the Gr 2 Green Point Stakes over 1600m.

“He hurt himself and we were forced to give him ten days off. That seems to have worked out well,” said Vaughan Marshall after Questioning’s big win.

Questioning is owned by Greg Bortz, Mukund Gujadhur, the Wernars Family and Gina Goldsmith

He is out of the twice winning Captain Al mare Wheredowego, who was also trained by Vaughan Marshall.

Questioning has won seven races in all in 20 starts and has had eight places for stakes earnings of R1 185 276.

Crawford Breaks Through On Great Day For Expat South Africans

Brett Crawford’s first winner in Hong Kong, Speedy Smartie, was fittingly ridden by his former Cape Town stable jockey, Karis Teetan (Picture HKJC)

Stalwart former Cape Town-based trainer Brett Crawford scored a double at Sha Tin in Hong Kong on Sunday to get off the mark on the island and it was a great day overall for ex-pat South Africans because Luke Ferraris and Keagen de Melo rode one-two in the feature race of the meeting.

Crawford’s double means he is going at a strike rate of 28.5%, because in five meetings on the island he has only had seven runners in all, and it will have seem him climbing into midtable on the trainers’ log.

Fittingly his winners were respectively ridden by Karis Teetan and Lyle Hewitson.

Teetan, a Mauritian South African Jockey Academy graduate, was Crawford’s stable jockey in Cape Town at one stage.

Hewitson’s first career Gr 1 win was on the Crawford-trained Undercover Agent in the Gold Challenge of 2018 at Hollywoobets Greyville.

The New Zealand-bred Speedie Smarty was Crawford’s first runner in Hong Kong, finishing second in the first race of the 2025/2026 season, and yesterday the six-year-old gelding became his first winner on the racing-mad island.

In yesterday’s all weather race over 1200m Speedy Smartie started favourite paying 2.70 on the Tote and he pinged the gate from draw three. A low drawn horse prevented Teetan from claiming the rail but in the meantime Luke Ferraris on 19/1 outsider Notthesillyone came from a wide draw to take the lead. Speedy Smartie went around the latter and joined him in the straight. He was clearly travelling with plenty in hand. He duly fought Ferraris’ mount off and was going well enough to hold off the late charge of 17/1 shot Double Bingo. Speedy Smartie was formerly trained by Benno Yung and had his first career win in his last start of last season under Ferraris. He has now had 30 starts for two wins, four seconds and four thirds. He ran off a lowly 34 rating in yesterday’s Class 5 event and carried 129 pounds, six pounds less than topweight.

In the third race of the day, a Class 5 event over 1600m on the turf, the New Zealand-bred six-year-old gelding Ninja Derby had had 31 starts in Hong Kong for one win, two seconds and a third, having arrived from Ausralia as a two-time winner. He was formerly trained by Tony Cruz and the only thing in his favour yesterday was that he had been dropped three points from last season to a lowly 28. The other point in his favour was being in the yard of Crawford, who is not only a proven fine conditioner but he does not have a big string and is able to give every horse a lot of attention. Ninja Derby jumped from the widest draw of all in the 14 horse field and shot into the lead. In the straight he never looked like being caught and won by an easy 2,75 lengths to give Crawford a double from just two runners and Hewitson his third win of the season.

The importance of starting well is common knowledge in Hong Kong, where owners place a lot of importance in how lucky a trainer or jockey appears to be. Crawford has passed that test it seems, with three top three places in his first three outings and now two wins after just seven runs in all.

Luke Ferraris had a breakthrough term last season when becoming associated with a top horse or two. The best of those horses was the Mark Newnham-trained Australian-bred Flying Artie gelding My Wish, who won the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile, before finishing second in both the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup and in the HK$26 million Hong Kong Derby. He followed that with an excellent fourth in the Gr 1 HK$24 million FWD Champions Mile.

Yesterday, Ferraris and My Wish converted favouritism in the HK$4.2 MillionCelebration Cup, a handicap over 1400m. My Wish carried 130 pounds off a merit rating of 105 and was well drawn in barrier four. My Wish broke superbly and ended up in the box seat. It is not always a favourable position to be in at Sha Tin because without false rails the gaps need to open in the straight. Ferraris had to sit patiently with a ton in hand in the straight and as soon as he spotted a gap opening between the front pair he drove My Wish through to score by 1,25 lengths from the rank outsider Copartner Prance, who was showing 103 on the Tote and was ridden by Keagan de Melo.

Click here to read a report about the whole meeting

She's My World Is A Fitting Diana Stakes Winner

Muzi Yeni was at his best on the Justin Snaith-trained One World filly She’s My World in the Gr 3 Schweppes Diana Stakes on Saturday (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Cape Breeders

Drakenstein Stud’s sensational young stallion One World came up with another feature race winner on Saturday and fittingly it was the supporting feature on Matchem Stakes day as One World himself won the Matchem.

His three-year-old daughter She’s My World caused a 40-1 surprise to land the G3 Schweppes Diana Stakes (1400m) at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.

Under a great ride from Muzi Yeni, She’s My World overcame a wide draw of 12 and came with a strong late burst to win the R225 000 contest by half a length.

It was a smart performance from the Justin Snaith trained She’s My World, who downed some highly rated fillies in the process.

Bred by Marianne Thomson, She’s My World was a R425 000 buy from the 2024 Cape Premier Yearling Sale.

The 2025 Schweppes Diana Stakes winner races for Messrs J I Bloch, R J Bloomberg, Cameron Braun, E A Braun, A C P Cotterell, Mark & Beti Jones & Dr J A Warner.

The filly, who is out of the Querari mare Lana Belle, has won three of nine starts, with She’s My World having earned R428 838 in prize money.

She’s My World joins G3 Winter Nursery winner Dreamworld as the second graded stakes winner to emerge from Equus Champion One World’s second crop.

One World’s stellar first crop is headed by dual G1 winner One Stripe, currently plying his trade in North America, as well as such high-class performers as World Of Alice, Chocolate Soldier, Lion Rampart, and All Out For Six.

South Africa’s Leading Second Season Sire of 2024-2025, One World has 13 lots on offer at the Two Year Old Sale.

Paardeberg Stud Offer Three Smashing Sorts At Two-year-old Sale

Stud manager Sally Bruss has decades of experience at the highest level in the thoroughbred breeding industry and is a valuable asset to Paardeberg Stud

Paardeberg Stud is a superb modern equine facility, encompassing 200 hectares of agricultural land in the ‘Voor Paardeberg region, situated close to Paarl in the Western Cape. It’s a prime location, offering an idyllic environment dedicated to the breeding of high calibre thoroughbred racehorses.

The farm, which is home to, among others, Gr 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Expert Eye, will be offering three well-bred thoroughbreds at the 2025 Two-Year-Old Sale.

Paardeberg Stud’s Two-Year-Old Sale trio consist of two colts, sired by Querari and What A Winter respectively, as well as a filly by the sensational One World. The farm’s part-owner Sally Bruss is delighted with her three two-year-olds and had the following comments to make:

Lot 34: Bullet Catch – What A Winter – Magic Trick (colt):

By the sire of champions Isivunguvungu and Russet Air, as well as smart US campaigner Distant Winter, Bullet Catch is a half-brother to two winners. His Trippi sired dam is a full sister to equine millionaire Miss Katalin, and his granddam is the Jet Master sired Gr 1 Empress Club Stakes winner Little Miss Magic. Bullet Catch is bred on the same What A Winter/Trippi cross as the graded stakes winners Distant Winter and One Fine Winter. This is an attractive, strong, well-made colt.

Lot 53: Cue Stick – Querari – Ponal (colt):

By one of South Africa’s leading sires, Cue Stick is a half-brother to two smart winners led by Derby Trial Listed winner, and Gr 1 World Sports Betting SA Derby runner up, Pamushana’s Pride. His dam is a full sister to Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby winner Cape Speed, and Cue Stick hails from the same family as champions Horse Chestnut and Monyela among others. Cue Stick is a is a brilliant young colt. He has lovely quality, athleticism and depth.

Lot 118: World Princess – One World – Arissa (filly):

Bred on the same cross as dual Gr 1 winner, and Equus Champion, One Stripe, World Princess is out of the high-class racemare Arissa, who was placed in four graded races and finished runner up in the Gr 3 Magnolia Handicap. The well-bred Arissa, a three-parts sister to Oaks Trial Listed winner Inaninstant, is a full-sister to Storm Bird Stakes Listed winner American Grafffiti and the stakes placed Arabian Air. World Princess is a robust, filly of substance

For more information on this draft, interested parties are asked to contact Sally Bruss on (066) 220 1587.

All horses purchased off the RCS Two-Year-Old Sale qualify for the RCS Slipper. The Slipper is run over 1200m for qualifying 2yo graduates of Race Coast Sales. This lucrative race will be run in mid-April for a purse of R3 Million in 2026 at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Pressonregardless Should Go Close In Hattrick Bid

Pressonregardless is progressive and can defy the handicapper again (JC Photos)

The Vaal stages an eight race meeting down the straight and the highest rated race is the seventh, a MR 100 handicap over 1400m.

The outside rail is in by seven metres, which makes it difficult to predict if there will be any draw bias and the inside draws might not be favourable, which they do tend to be when the outside rail is in by 14m as it was last week.

In the main race Pressonregardless won full of running last time and this progressive Lancaster Bomber gelding can overcome a five point raise and make it a hattrick over a suitable trip under the same jockey who rode him to win his last two starts, Craig Zackey. Richard The First comes off a win over 1450m and looks comfortable over this trip now and is also one point lower in the merit ratings than the highest mark he has won off so should go close. Teagan’s Champ is unbeaten in three starts but comes back from a layoff of a year and eight months. His big 63kg weight is alleviated to some extent by in-form 4kg claimer Girish Samo-Burthia being aboard. Potberrie ran a nice second last time but before that was beaten 5,25 lengths by Pressonregardless and is only 3kg better off. Master Christmas won over this course and distance in his penultiate start and might appreciate coming back down to this trip after finishing fifth over 1600m off a four point higher mark.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Vamanos went close last time over 1450m and before that was third behind two decent sorts over 1160m, so she should enjoy this 1200m trip. Quiet Winter has shown ability and should have come on from her last run which followed a layoff. Tipperary disappointed last time but on her best form can earn here. Lost For Words was a well beaten second last time, but beat Quiet Winter by 2,20 lengths and she is capable of improvement. Made To Measure is by Fire Away out of a Dynasty mare and is a half-sister to SA Oaks winner None Other.

In the second leg of the P6 over 1200m Monkey Puzzle is knocking on the door and should get it right here in his third run on the Highveld, especially considering the form of both of his second place finished have been franked. African Prie was not disgraced in the Gr 1 Gold Medallion second time out and should be right there a he is obviously well regarded. Jabari Thimba has run two good races and the form has been franked so he should be in the shake-up. Arizona Magic made a decent debut and the form has been frnked and he could improve. Elusive Red is by Elusive Fort out of a three time-winning What A Winter mare and Muzi Yeni is an interesting booking.

In the fifth race over 1500m Winds Of Grace is knocking on the door and has a fine opportunity to go one better this time with a 4kg claimer up. Frangipani went close last time over 1700m but is also effective over this trip. Red Secret made a good debut and should relish the step up in trip being by Erik The Red and a half-sister to the useful William Longsword filly Willy Meet Again. Hazy Dazy made a fair debut but returns from a layoff of close to five months. Festival Of Light is by Gold Standard out of a twice-winning Dynasty mare.

In the sixth over 1000m Paradise Way ran well second time out and has a good chance receiving 3,5kg from Alpine Jet and she has a 4kg claimer aboard too. Tuscan Romance won easily second time out on the Highveld and the 79 merit rating looks reasonable but she does return from a layoff of more than three months. Alpine Jet won easily second time out on the Highveld and should be a strong contender here too. Miss Munroe had some good maiden form before winning last time and, off a reasonable merit rating, she also has a chance. On The Run could do better stepping back to the trip of her easy maiden win.

In the eighth over 1400m Mamlambo won easily second time out and off a reasonable merit rating should make a bold bid to follow up, although she returns from four month layoff. Royal Horizon goes for a hattrick but does have a five point raise to overcome. Littlemisssplendid has some good consistent form and should be a contender.

In the first race over 1500m Bellerophon has Sam Mosia up and looks impossible to oppose in this workrider’s maiden. The first-timer Equilateral could be the main danger and this Master Of My Fate colt’s market upport should be watched, although it a first race ride for workrider Taegen Demont.

In the second race over 1200m Duchess Of Palaoma is a contender here on some good Cape Town form and is probably the one to beat. Iconic Winter has been knocking on the door and could get it right here over a suitable trip. Magic Carpet Ride made a good debut and comes back from a layoff over a suitable trip.

Lucky Sweynesse Fails In Sprinters Stakes As Win Carnelian Upsets

Win Carnelian lands the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama. (Picture: HKJC)

By Declan Schuster (HKJC) in Tokyo

Lucky Sweynesse finishes 11th at Nakayama.

Lucky Sweynesse could only manage 11th in Sunday’s G1 Sprinters Stakes (1200m) at Nakayama in Tokyo, Japan, for trainer Manfred Man and jockey Derek Leung as evergreen eight-year-old Win Carnelian grabbed his first elite level success in a slick 1m 06.9s – the second fastest winning time of the race after the great Lord Kanaloa set a new track record in 2012 (1m 06.7s).

Breaking from barrier 10 of 16, Lucky Sweynesse – in his bid to become Hong Kong, China’s third winner of the Sprinters Stakes after Silent Witness (2005) and Ultra Fantasy (2010) – broke evenly as Win Carnelian crossed early from the widest draw to settle second behind the leading June Blair. Crowded in heavy traffic down the back straight, Lucky Sweynesse lost ground as Leung asked the question turning for home.

Left with too much work to do as he entered Nakayama’s 310m uphill home straight, Lucky Sweynesse knuckled down late as Win Carnelian and June Blair traded blows, with the former edging to a head victory at odds of 92/1 (in Hong Kong) as the packed crowd of 33,918 people in the grandstand erupted.

Man said: “I think in this race the draw was a little bit wide. I think the pacing was very fast, the winning time, for him it was a little bit difficult. We will let him go back now and see how he is going (before making plans for next start) because he still needs to go into quarantine.”

Leung said: “Our horse didn’t jump bad. When I sat in fourth position, the outside horse kept squeezing him, so he had to come back a bit. The outside horse always gave me pressure, so for a big horse (1,155lb) he never went smoothly in the race.

“At the 500 (metre mark), when they sped up, my horse was struggling because the tempo was quite different compared to Hong Kong – it was quick, that’s why he came home late. I think they just kept rolling and at the 500 they kept turning and sped up again. It was his first time here, so he couldn’t really get used to it. He was squeezed and it was tight, so he never enjoyed it, but he came back and he sounds good, everything is okay.”

Win Carnelian is the second eight-year-old winner of the Sprinters Stakes since 1994, following in the footsteps of only Ultra Fantasy. The triumph is a first at Group 1 level for jockey Kosei Miura, who is now in his 18th year as a JRA (Japan Racing Association) jockey.

“There were times when I thought a G1 title was not meant for me, but I never gave up – never gave up because there were many owners, connections, fans rooting for me – and this is truly a great feeling,” Miura said.

June Blair bravely kept on for second with Yutaka Take up, while third place went to Namura Clair, who has now placed in seven Group 1 races across her 23-start racing career.

Race favourite Satono Reve closed late for fourth. Second in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) earlier this year, Win Carnelian – trained by Yuichi Shikato – is now a nine-time winner and has previously raced overseas in the United States of America and twice in Dubai.

Today's Question

What have been the biggest and smallest fields to line up in the history of the Hollywoodbets Durban July?

The picture is of 1931 winner Agrippa, a year in which he had to beat 21 other runners

FIELDS, Tuesday, 30 September

Vaal

Today’s Question Answer

The biggest July field ever was in 1917, when 33 horses went to the start. On the other hand, the smallest July fields were in 1897 and 1908, when only seven horses ran.