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The South African
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The South African
Hollywoodbets Durban July: Jockeys confirmed
The list of jockeys for the 130th renewal of the Hollywoodbets Durban July to be run on Saturday, 5 July has been confirmed. Image: Cape Racing The all-important list of jockeys for the 130th renewal of the Hollywoodbets Durban July to be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, 5 July has been confirmed. ADVERTISEMENT The Grade 1 race over 2 200m will go off at 16:00. JP van der Merwe will return to ride defending champion Oriental Charm for James Crawford. Meanwhile, champion South African jockey Richard Fourie will be aboard Eight On Eighteen for trainer Justin Snaith and owners Nick Jonsson and Johann Rupert. Fourie is gunning for a fourth Hollywoodbets Durban July title having previously won aboard Belgarion (2020), Do It Again (2019) and Legislate (2014). ADVERTISEMENT Other previous winners of the race who will ride in this year's race include Gavin Lerena (Madison Valley), S'manga Khumalo (On My Honour) and Kabelo Matsunyane (Purple Pitcher). RELATED | Every previous Hollywoodbets Durban July winner since 1897 Horse Jockey Eight on Eighteen (11) Richard Fourie Oriental Charm (1) JP van der Merwe Immediate Edge (10) Callan Murray See It Again (15) Raymond Danielson The Real Prince (5) Craig Zackey Gladatorian (16) Sean Veale Selukwe (6) Serino Moodley Royal Victory (17) Muzi Yeni Okavango (13) Andrew Fortune Atticus Finch (4) Calvin Habib Confederate (14) Warren Kennedy Native Ruler (18) Tristan Godden Madison Valley (2) Gavin Lerena My Best Shot (9) Chase Maujean On My Honour (3) S'manga Khumalo Purple Pitcher (12) Kableo Matsunyane Pomodoro's Jet (8) Athandiwe Mgudlwa Rainbow Lorikeet (7) Diego de Gouveia Reserve runners Litigation (19) Reserve 1 Son Of Raj (20) Reserve 2 NOTE: Barrier draw in brackets Final field revealed There was a collective sigh of relief within the gathered crowd in the Hollywoodbets Greyville parade ring when the name of Eight On Eighteen was read out by Graeme Hawkins as being among the 18 runners for the R5 million Hollywoodbets Durban July on Saturday, 5 July. Trainer Justin Snaith was always cagey about whether his star colt would take his place in the line-up, given that he would carry top weight for a three-year-old of 57kg – the highest since Abashiri lumped 59kg into 13th place behind The Conglomerate in 2016. But Snaith and owners Nick Jonsson and Johann Rupert have taken the plunge and Eight On Eighteen will make history should he win and become the first three-year-old in history to win the Grade 1 WSB Cape Town Met and the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July in the same year Eight On Eighteen is also likely to start one of the shortest priced favourites in the 129-year history of the race and his chances were further enhanced when he was drawn 11 in the 18-horse field. 'Would be an emotional win' James Crawford has two runners in the race, last year's winner Oriental Charm who drew pole position, and Pomodoro's Jet who drew eight. It would be an emotional win for James Crawford, who recently took over his father's string with Brett now plying his trade in Hong Kong. See It Again races in the same Nick Jonsson silks as Eight On Eighteen and has his third attempt after finishing second to Winchester Mansion two years back and an unlucky fifth last year behind Oriental Charm. He pulled a wide draw of 15. Stuart Ferrie sends out his first July runner in the hard-knocking Gladatorian. A fast-finishing third behind Dave The King and Oriental Charm in the Gold Challenge, he also drew a wide gate of 16. Dean Kannemeyer knows what it takes to train a July winner, successful with Dynasty, Eyeofthetiger and Power King, and The Real Prince drew gate five. Royal Victory will have his supporters but Nathan Kotzen's charge drew deep at 17. However, he is a winner of the Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup and the Grade 1 Champion Challenge at Turffontein and finished third in the July last year behind Oriental Charm. Fabian Habib has his first July runner in Confederate. Relatively lightly raced, the gelding has won four of his nine starts but has never finishing further back than second. He won the Grade 1 SA Classic, beating subsequent Grade 1 Champions Challenge winner Fire Attack, and will be ridden by two-time South African and current New Zealand champion jockey Warren Kennedy who has made the trip to ride in the race. He drew gate 14. 'Stellar record' Mike de Kock has a stellar record in this race and has joined forces with his son Mathew. They have their first July runner together in the three-year-old and recent Grade 3 Jubilee Stakes winner Immediate Edge. He carries bottom weight for a three-year-old male of 53kg and has won four of his six starts to date. He drew alongside Eight On Eighteen in gate 10. Snaith has two other runners in the race, namely Okavango and the one-time winner Native Ruler. Okavango will be ridden by Andrew Fortune and drew 13 while Tristan Godden will have to navigate Native Ruler from gate 18. Alec Laird and jockey Calvin Habib pin their hopes on Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch who drew favourably in four. Andre Nel was first up to do the draw for Selukwe and came out with gate six. Serino Moodley will be doing the honours on Selukwe. Alan Greeff will fly the colours for the Eastern Cape with his star performer My Best Shot who has a midfield draw of nine. Local owner Sid Moodley has his first July runner in Madison Valley and he drew gate two for his trainer Frank Robinson. Rainbow Lorikeet is the only filly in the race and Candice Bass Robinson's runner drew well in seven and will have Diego de Gouveia aboard. Have you ever attended the Hollywoodbets Durban July? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Durban July: Salads, saunas for Gavin and Callan
Six July jockey bookings as race weights announced. There's going to be some serious weight watching in the Lerena and Murray households over the next few weeks. Jockey Gavin Lerena is booked to ride Madison Valley in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and will have to lose 3kg before the 5th of next month if he is to make the 54kg allocated to the Frank Robinson-trained four-year-old. This week, the former champion is riding at a minimum of 57kg – so a lot of salads and saunas are in his near future. Callan Murray has landed the July ride on Immediate Edge for the Mike and Mathew de Kock stable. The ex-champion apprentice presently rides at 55kg minimum so must shed a couple of kilos to meet the three-year-old's 53kg. These two top riders are among six jockeys thus far confirmed for 18 runners in the 2025 edition of South Africa's biggest race. Lerena and Murray The other four – easily hitting their assigned weights – are: Muzi Yeni on Nathan Kotzen-trained Royal Victory, whom he steered to third place in last year's July; Calvin Habib on Alec Laird's Atticus Finch, on whom he won the Summer Cup in November; Craig Zackey on lightly raced The Real Prince for his retainer Dean Kannemeyer; and ex-pat, now Kiwi champ, Warren Kennedy, on SA Classic victor Confederate for Fabian Habib. Lerena has been here before, famously slimming down from 55kg (at the time) to 53kg to ride Kommetdieding to glory in 2022. Last year he dropped from 57kg to 53.5kg for Barbaresco – who wasn't so obliging, result-wise. On his recent return from a lengthy stint in Australia, Murray – looking taller, stronger and more mature than when he left – declared he would be prepared to waste for 'the right horse'. Clearly Immediate Edge fits the bill. Given tight handicapping rules for the Durban July, there were no surprises when weights for the Grade 1, R5-million, 2200m showpiece were unveiled this week. The top permissible weight of 60kg will be shared by three horses on a merit rating of 127: Gladatorian, See It Again and defending champion Oriental Charm. At the other end of the handicap of 30 hopefuls are a number in the 54kg-53kg bracket – but, of course, some of these will not make the cut when final field is announced by a selection panel on Tuesday 24 June. Still, top lightweight jockeys will have their phones ring-toning like crazy as connections of handily weighted runners seek to give their charges the best possible chances of immortality. Reigning champion Richard Fourie will surely be declared on ante-post favourite Eight On Eighteen if the colt's prevaricating connections decide to run him. If the three-year-old drops out at final declarations next week, all serious punters' eyes will be on Fourie to see which way he jumps. Will he opt for another of the platoon of Justin Snaith runners he knows well, or a Sean Tarry familiar, or even Alan Greeff's left-field aspirant My Best Shot? Sean Veale, currently in the form of his life, is the regular partner of Gladatorian so is probably not touting for business. Similarly, JP van der Merwe looks certain to try for a repeat on Oriental Charm. Ray Danielson has taken over as first choice on warhorse See It Again. In-form lightweight Serino Moodley has been a regular on Andre Nel-trained Selukwe, but he'll possibly get a few other offers before next Tuesday. JULY WEIGHTS [name, weight, MR, trainer (jockey)] Gladatorian 60 127 Stuart Ferrie Oriental Charm 60 127 James Crawford See It Again 60 127 Michael Roberts Royal Victory 59 125 Nathan Kotzen (Muzi Yeni) Purple Pitcher 57.5 122 Robyn Klaasen Atticus Finch 57 121 Alec Laird (Calvin Habib) Eight On Eighteen 57 129 Justin Snaith The Real Prince 56.5 120 Dean Kannemeyer (Craig Zackey) Son Of Raj 56 119 Tony Peter Pomodoro's Jet 55.5 118 James Crawford Future Swing 55 117 Justin Snaith Okavango 54.5 120 Justin Snaith Holding Thumbs 54 108 Glen Kotzen Litigation 54 113 Sean Tarry Madison Valley 54 115 Frank Robinson (Gavin Lerena) Magic Verse 54 113 Justin Snaith Mucho Dinero 54 115 Justin Snaith Native Ruler 54 119 Justin Snaith Selukwe 54 111 Andre Nel The Equator 54 110 Tony Peter Thunee Playa 54 104 Mano Pandaram Underworld 54 109 Justin Snaith Confederate 53.5 118 Fabian Habib (Warren Kennedy) Beating Wings 53 113 Stuart Pettigrew Immediate Edge 53 108 Mike/Mathew de Kock (Callan Murray) Joy And Peace 53 110 Alan Greeff Legend Of Arthur 53 117 Sean Tarry My Best Shot 53 116 Alan Greeff On My Honour 53 116 Glen Kotzen Rainbow Lorikeet 53 111 Candice Bass-Robinson
