Greg Bortz leads in the Vercingetorix gelding Get Impressed (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

On Friday last week the proposed acquisition of Gold Circle by the Hollywood Sportsbook Holdings group (Hollywoodbets) took a step closer to reality with the news of the approval of the underlying transactions by the Competition Tribunal.

This allows Hollywoodbets and its appointed Chairman Designate of Gold Circle, Greg Bortz, to be involved in management and strategic decisions  until the process is completed.

Bortz spoke in layman’s terms of the hurdles that still need to be crossed, saying, “We got through a very important one, which is the Competitions Commission. So that’s now through, we’re through the Tribunal. So now we just need Gambling Board consent and then some landlord consent to take over some leases and then we’re there. So, we’re in the final furlong now.”

Greg was speaking after his Justin Snaith-trained Vercingetorix gelding Get Impressed had won the Listed World Pool With Tabgold Darley Arabian over 1600m under Keagan de Melo.

Get Impressed was completing a fine Champions Season campaign which started with an unplaced run over 1900m, but stepped down to a mile he then won a Pinnacle Stakes event at Hollywoodbets Greyville, beating the like of WSB Met winner Double Superlative as well as useful sorts Lady Heist, Queue Wing, Sovereign State and Perfection, and he followed that with a 1,90 length third in the Listed Compendium Insurance Brokers Thukela Handicap over 1600m on Hollywoodbets Durban July day.

On Sunday he jumped from draw two and was backed in to 28/10 favourite before setting the pace and kicking on nicely in the straight to win by half-a-length from Sundance Kid and Money Heist.

Greg said about this three-year-old gelding, “I think he’s turned the corner now. We actually had some pretty high hopes for him in his three year old career. We thought he would win today. But I think there’s more to come next year. He’s a late bloomer and a progressive sort.”

Greg famously splashed out on eight lots at day one of the BSA National Yearling Sale in 2022 and seven of them were by Vercingetorix.

They included both the Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Oriental Charm as well as Get Impressed.

He had acted alone without help at the sale due to what he called “a bee in his bonnet” and added that his girlfriend Gina Goldsmith had constantly reminded him of this.

However, he would now certainly have the last say in that conversation as the batch delivered him his longheld dream of winning his hometown race of the Hollywoodbets Durban July and, to put the cherry on the top, Gina also owns a share in Oriental Charm.

He said his strategy at that Sale had been a “thought out plan” and elaborated, “Vercingetorix has proven himself to be a quality, quality stallion. Whether it was a well thought out plan, I’m not sure we’ve concluded that yet. I don’t know what the return is like on a per horse basis.”

Meanwhile, the Hollywoodbets Durban July winner Oriental Charm is resting on Jodi Peters’ farm in Sun Valley, Midrand.

Greg leaves it to his trainers to decide his horses’ programs and he said the Crawfords had earmarked Oriental Charm for the 2025 WSB Met, with races like the L’Ormarins King’s Plate being taken in on the way.

What was heartwarming to see on Sunday was the easygoing Greg’s approachability for ordinary members of the racing public.

For example a long-time KZN punter thanked him for what he had done for racing and a conversation ensued with Greg then taking it a step further by asking him his name and then saying he would not forget his name and would like to continue the discussion when time allowed.

A press release about the Gold Circle Merger last week elaborates on the ins and outs of it (read below).

Subject to the fulfillment of other outstanding conditions precedent, the deal will unlock a R500 million rescue injection from Hollywoodbets, and a takeover of racing in the holiday province.

Now that Competition Tribunal approval has been received, the most significant outstanding step is the required approval of the KZN Economic Regulatory Authority (KZNERA), which process could take some time.

Hollywoodbets spokesman Basil Thomas told the Sporting Post that news of the approval by the Competition Tribunal was very pleasing, and that the process would continue its course.

He added that whilst the outstanding approval of the KZNERA is critical to the transaction and will be the final step in transferring ownership, the Competition Tribunal approval now allows Hollywoodbets and its appointed Chairman Designate of Gold Circle, Greg Bortz to be involved in management and strategic decisions during the interim period. Most importantly, Hollywoodbets will appropriately invest funds at its own risk to ensure the continuity of horse racing in KZN and the survival of Gold Circle.

“We remain determined to secure the future of the horseracing industry in KwaZulu-Natal and our original plans and intentions remain on track. Naturally, we are hopeful that the KZNERA will recognise the importance of this transaction and will give the acquisition its approval on acceptable terms and conditions. But for now, today’s news is a huge step forward,” concluded Thomas.

Cats Pajamas winning the Gr 2 @Worldpool Twitter Umkhomazi Stakes under Sean Veale (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Summerveld trainer Frank Robinson and his chief owner Sid Moodley completed a fine month of July at the World Pool Gold Cup meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday and it went close to being an iconic day at the races for the in-form partnership.

On Hollywoodbets Durban July the combination had run one-two in the Gr 3 DSTV Gold Vase with Madison Valley and Shoot The Rapids.

Then on Sunday they won the Gr 2 @Worldpool Twitter Umkhomazi Stakes over 1200m with the promising Rafeef colt Cats Pajamas, who was brought home by Sean Veale, and later went oh so close to winning the day’s big one, the Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup.

Cats Pajamas had finished third to the crack Sean Tarry-trained pair Cosmic Speed and Proceed in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on Hollywoodbets July day.

However, Frank decided to step down in trip to the Umkhomazi rather than up in trip to the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes.

He said about ten days before the race, “He ran a nice race in the Golden Horseshoe and actually looked like he was going to win,but I don’t think he quite stays. He’s better at 1200m. Being out of a Var mare, there is quite a lot of speed in his pedigree and I’m going to put the blinkers on him as well. When he ran second at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in the Gr 3 Goldolphin Barb over 1100m he wore blinkers and was beaten just 1,30 lengths by Cymric. Sean (Veale) feels quite confident with him. He worked him this morning and he worked very well. He’ll be a nice runner on the day. It’s a R500,000 race, so is not as big as the mile race, but the mile is going to be very hard to win with the Sean Tarry pair running.”

Those proved to be inspired words.

Cats Pajama did not jump too well on Sunday, but Veale took the opportunity to go to the rail and he settled him in behind the vanguard.

He ran on well down the inside in the straight and got up to win by 1.05 lengths at odds of 6/1, beating the 9/2 shot DantonfromSandton with the heavily backed 18/10 favourite Bjorn Ironside beaten 1,35 lengths in to third.

Cats Pajamas did hang out at one stage and the stipendiary steward report explains the incident:

Approaching the 100m DANTONFROMSANDTON (R Fourie) which continued to hang in and rolled in, was
carried out by CATS PAJAMAS (S Veale) which rolled out and was immediately corrected. As a result BJORN
IRONSIDE (G Lerena), which was hanging in, was directed out away from the heels of DANTONFROMSANDTON
(R Fourie). A race review was called by Trainer J J van Vuuren and Jockey G Lerena as a result of this incident.
After reviewing the video evidence, no further action was taken. 

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Cats Pajamas was a R600 000 purchase from the 2023 BSA National Yearling Sale.

Cats Pajamas became Rafeef’s 20^th black type winner.

His paternal half-brother Outlaw King won the same race back in 2023.

Cats Pajamas is out of the Var mare Sea Cat and is thus bred on the same Rafeef/Var cross as G1 Computaform Sprint winners Master Archie and Thunderstruck.

He looks to have a bright future.

Later Robinson and Moodley’s day  nearly becane iconic when the three-year-old Erupt colt Shoot The Rapids only just failed to win the day’s traditional main race, the Gr 3 World Pool Gold Cup over 3200m.

Frank delivered this colt in magnificent condition just three weeks after he had run second in the Gr 3 DSTV Gold Vase over 3000m.

He was also obviously extremely fit as he was used up quite a lot going very wide around the field on the first turn into a handy position.

Yet in the end he lost by just a neck and it might have been a different story had he not been carried in close to home by eventual fourth-placed Future Swing.

The winner of the Gold Vase, Madison Valley, also ran a good race. He was was well back in the running and ran on well for fifth.

Moodley’s tally for the season increased to 18 wins, including a Gr 2, a Gr 3 exacta and a Non-Black Type feature win.

Just Reckless has a fine turn of foot and used it to maximum effect on Sunday to score by a comfortable 1,90 lengths from Rodeo Drive, whom many had regarded as the meeting banker. (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Cape Breeders

South Africa’s reigning champion sire Gimmethegreenlight is the sire of a very classy filly in the form of the Mike Miller-trained Just Reckless.

The latter picked up her second graded stakes win when she won the G2 World Pool With Gold Circle Debutante (1200m) at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Sunday.

Winner of the G3 Tabgold Strelitzia Stakes back in April, Just Reckless had finished fourth in the G2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper prior to Sunday’s race.

The Michael Miller trained filly was given a superb ride by Tristan Godden to land the R500 000 Debutante.

Godden produced his mount with a strong late challenge, and Just Reckless swept into the lead before powering away to win by nearly two lengths.

Bred by Boland Stud, the smart filly has now won four of nine starts.

In her penultimate start in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship, she had cost herself by hanging badly outward across the track, and yet finishing just 1,55 lengths back in fifth. She then followed that with a 3.05 length fourth in the Gr 2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m.

A R500 000 buy from the 2023 KZN Yearling Sale, Just Reckless is out of the Silvano mare Sommersonne and is thus bred on the same Gimmethegreenlight/Silvano cross as the likes of Bless My Stars, Cosmic Highway, Barahin and Let’s Go Now.

Her multiple champion sire had a good day at Fairview on Friday, where Gimmethegreenlight sired runners, Distinction, Gimme’s Laddie and Gimme More Time won races four, five and eight respectively.

On Sunday she had a stakes double as VJ’s Angel beat the boys to win the Gr 1 Douglas Whyte Stakes three races after Just Reckless’ win.

Some of the connections spoke about Just Reckless’s win in the Debutante:

First-timer Kings Again gives One World his 30th individual winner, thus equalling his father’s record of 30 individual two-year-old winners in a season as well as his record of 40 two-year-old wins in a season (JC Photos)

The freshman stallion sensation One World equalled his father Captain Al’s record of 30 individual two-year-old winners in a season when his progeny won two of the first three races at The Vaal today (Tuesday).

One World had already smashed Captain Al’s 2004/2005 freshman record of 22 individual winners in a season.

His chances of breaking Captain Al’s overall two-year-old record, set in 2009, looked to have been scuppered by the heavy recent rains in Cape Town.

However, he had two chances to increase his tally of 28 at today’s meeting and his progeny duly obliged.

The number of wins record is identical to Captain Al’s too, as the latter had 30 individual winners of 40 races in his record-breaking season and One World’s progeny have also now won 40 races.

In the second race, a Juvenile Plate for fillies, the Lucky Houdalakis-trained  daughter of One World, Willowild, was the only non-winner in the six-horse field and ran on from the back to take the lead close to home before just holding on from Across The Pond.

In the next race, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, the Corne Spies-trained One World filly Kings Again used her big stride to mow them down and she then held on by a quarter of a length from the running on first-timer by What A Winter Francilien.

Willowild, bred by Mr AN Foster, started at 7/2 odds and was brought home by Chase Maujean.

Kings Again is a homebred of Braam van Huysteen’s and converted odds of 25/2 under Marco van Rensburg.

All eyes will be on the Kumaran Naidoo-trained Jet Lavish in the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) because with the Hollywoodbets Durbanville meeting scheduled for Wednesday being postponed until Thursday this Maine Chance Farms-bred filly will represent One World’s last chance to break the number of individual winners record. Hollywoodbets have her out at 20/1 so the chances of him setting a new individual winners mark do not look bright.

However, he will have one more chance of breaking the number of wins mark of 40, because the winner Ladies World, a Ridgemont-bred Harold and Michelle Crawford-trained One World filly, runs in the fourth race over 1800m. However, her chances at 10/1 are not too bright either.

Charl Pretorius writes in his Off The Record column that renowned bloodstock manager John Freeman, who manages a number of stallions, has called for racing owners to take a chance with their retired mares and breed with them.

He said the indiustry needs it, with a worringly low number of mares in circulation for the 53 registered stallions, and he added that breeding can sometimes yield windfall results from small beginnings.

The article goes on to analyse all eleven of the new, unproven sires in the land.

CLICK HERE TO READ OFF THE RECORD #37 

The great Frankel is the only horse to have ever won the Sussex Stakes more than once. As a three-year-old he beat Canford Cliffs by five lengths in the one mile event and as a four-year-old he beat Farhh by six lengths.