Highveld’s July Performers are Out Of This World

The 2023 Hollywoodbets Durban July lived up to its “out of this world” billing this weekend and it was a particularly memorable race meeting for Highveld-based trainers, jockeys and owners, with eight out of the nine races won by Highveld-based horses.

The 127th running of the Hollywoodbets Durban July attracted an excited crowd of 45,000, and it was a day of high-quality racing headlined by Soweto jockey Kabelo Matsunyane’s sensational Hollywoodbets Durban July main race win for trainer Brett Crawford with Drakenstein Stud’s Winchester Mansion.

Winchester Mansion has been based on the Highveld this season under the tutelage of trainer James Crawford, who has a permanent yard at Randjesfontein, and it was a fantastic maiden July win for jockey and trainer and a brilliant homebred win for Gaynor Rupert and her Drakenstein Stud Farm.

As altitude and distance make it difficult for Cape and Highveld horses to meet on equal terms, Greyville is where the titans clash.  Every year Durban forms the confluence of the best horses and industry talent in the country and only the best are called to battle on the Greyville turf. 

4Racing on Tuesday hosted a special celebration for all the Highveld’s July Day champions ahead of racing at Turffontein.  

On July Day Stuart Pettigrew drew first blood in the Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (Fillies) with Betula brilliantly powered home by Diego De Gouveia, Tony Peter was victorious with Main Defender in the Bloodstock SA Sales Cup (C&G) with Craig Zackey in the saddle, and Brett Crawford’s Randjesfontein satellite saddled Crimson King took the Gr3 Splashout 2200 to deliver Kabelo Matsunyane’s 100

Sean Tarry charge Future Pearl produced a 2.80-length victory in the Gr3 DSTV Gold Vase with Richard Fourie, and the Tarry and Fourie combination went back-to-back with the scintillating Mrs Geriatrix maintaining her unbeaten record to make it 5 from 5 in the Gr2 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper for the Magical Lady Syndicate. 

Tarry and Fourie also teamed up with the classy Princess Calla to dominate the Gr1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes.

Turffontein-based David Nieuwenhuizen swept the Gr2 Durban Golden Horseshoe with Sandringham Summit and Calvin Habib and the crowning glory was Brett Crawford’s Randjesfontein resident Winchester Mansion producing a battle for the ages with local hero See It Again, to sweep the 2023 July sash, an unforgettable career first Gr1 for Kabelo Matsunyane.

“The Highveld domination of the 2-year-old contests stands testament to the 4Racing programming team’s strategically designed Juvenile calendar, which has the most juvenile races annually on the racing calendar. Secondly, special acknowledgement must be made of the hard work and dedication of 4Racing’s operational team, from the groundsmen and track staff for their efforts in maintaining our racing and training tracks to standards that allowed Highveld horses to bring home 8 out of the 9 July day titles,” said 4Racing Horseracing Operations Executive, Gabriel Soma.

4Racing would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Gold Circle and Hollywoodbets on a fantastic race day and to also thank our tremendous team and congratulate all our incredible Highveld horses, horsemen and horsewomen for their successes on July Day.