OFF THE RECORD #118

With more than three months remaining before the 2025/6 South African racing season draws to a close on July 31, sustained dominance across the main categories has left only one championship still genuinely in play.

The championships are often finely poised at this time of the year, but a handful of contenders have tightened their grip over the last few weeks. There is little room for late challengers.

A closer look at the standings tells the story.

Above: Craig Zackey (image: Alet Pretorius)

Craig Zackey is almost 50 winners clear of Richard Fourie in the race for Champion Jockey. This looks destined to be a first senior national title for the 31-year-old, who claimed the Champion Apprentice title in 2014/15.

Zackey’s come a long way since, having suffered several injuries, double hip surgery and a number of suspensions. He also enjoyed a short and successful stint in New Zealand in 2022 and said he would probably still have been there if he was granted a Jockey Club visa at the time.

But he hasn’t looked back since returning. If anything, his spell in Kiwiland sharpened him to what some experts will argue is approaching the complete package. This augurs well for his Hong Kong ambitions.

Balanced, stylish and confident, Zackey believes that he is more mature and ‘self-dependent’ now. He rode a personal-best 247 winners last season to go close to the title, and his numbers at the top level have climbed steadily too, with his Grade 1 tally rising from 10 to 25 over the past four years.

Zackey took a short break with his family this week and said: “I’ve set myself a goal to ride 275 winners this season, which equates to about 30 winners per month for the next quarter. The travelling can be taxing, especially with all the airport procedures, but when the meetings are close together you quickly get into the rhythm of it.”

Above: Wilgerbosdrift & Maurtizfontein's Jessica Jell and Mary Slack (image: Sporting Post) 

Zackey’s long-time sponsors, Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein, are on target to regain the Champion Breeders title they’ve won twice in the last five seasons, but lost to Drakenstein Stud last year.

Their flagbearer is Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup winner, Mocha Blend (Ideal World), who is due for a racetrack return this winter; backed by stakes winners Holding Thumbs (Vercingetorix), Keukenhof (The United States) and One Eye On Vegas (Buffalo Bill Cody).

Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein’s competitive band of stallions – including Buffalo Bill Cody, Fire Away, Hawwaam and Danon Platina – has kept the winners flowing. At the time of writing, they’ve produced 130 winners from 178 races.

That tally may well fall short of their record 267 winners in the 2022/23 season, but this championship is decided on stakes earned rather than volume alone. With a buffer of more than R5-million over Drakenstein past mid-April, the prospects look bright for Mary Slack and Jessica Jell to reclaim the laurels.

There’s been no recent betting market for the Trainers’ Championship, but Justin Snaith would be hovering around the 1-20 mark if anyone would even dare frame a book.

Snaith (50) is cruising towards a fifth successive Trainers’ Championship and, last month, became the first South African trainer to surpass R400-million in career earnings.

Snaith is on the verge of bringing up his 100th winner for the 2025/2026 season, and his stable’s current earnings of R22,6-million leaves him a massive R10-million clear of second-placed Sean Tarry.

While Snaith is unlikely to match his career-best tally of 208 winners set in the 2020/21 season this time around, the numbers that matter are in his favour. With 10 entries in the 2026 R6-million Hollywoodbets Durban July alone, he has every chance of surpassing his seasonal stakes record of just over R31-million.

Hollywood Racing are the proverbial country mile clear in the race for Champion Owner, a title they won for the first time last year. They’ve already broken their record of 128 winners in a season and show stakes earnings approaching R16-million.

Devin Heffer, Hollywood’s Brand and Communications Manager, said that a target of 180 winners by 31 July would be a great achievement.

Heffer said: “We know that purely on volume, we have the best chance of being Champion Owners. However, one big win – particularly a race like the Hollywoodbets Durban July (R6 million to 1st place) – can quickly close that gap. We need to secure more feature wins, especially at Grade 1 level. That’s ultimately what we strive for as owners.”

Hollywood’s horses to watch out for include Curious Girl, Miami Mountain, Asiye Phambili, Salani Kahle, I’m A Fireball, Kaalvoet, One Eye On Vegas, Isivivane and Give It Laldy.

Above: Hollywood Racing, international ambitions (image: supplied)

Hollywood are enjoying a wonderful year overseas. They won a Grade 1 race at Cheltenham with the jumper Il Etait Temps, and notched a win and two terrific Grade 1 second places with One Stripe in the United States.

Heffer said: “We are starting to line up more horses to potentially compete overseas, including in Dubai, the UK and the USA. It’s important for us to keep promoting South African horses internationally and showcasing our bloodstock.

“We will continue to look at bringing in horses from outside South Africa to strengthen our bloodlines, including imports from Australia, New Zealand and Argentina. With our Ridgemont Highlands connection, this is also hugely important for strengthening their broodmare band.

“Last year, we brought in 10 horses from Australia, five from New Zealand and six from Argentina, and we’re looking forward to seeing them debut in the coming months.

“Mauritius racing is another exciting avenue for us this season, with five horses being exported there. It’s a new venture, and one we’re really looking forward to.”

Above: Blaine Marx-Jacobson (image: Alet Pretorius)

Mxolisi Mbuto (28 winners) and Blaine Marx-Jacobson (27) are separated by just one win at the top of the apprentices’ log, and it looks set to be a tight contest all the way to the finish.

The edge may lie with Marx-Jacobson, who still claims 1kg more than Mbuto and boasts a stronger strike rate. With third-placed Gidish Samo-Burthia sidelined through injury, the leading pair could begin to pull clear of Bavish Soodoo (21 winners), Damyan Pillay (20) and Dezahn Louw (19), who are further back but not entirely out of contention.

Marx-Jacobson has blossomed in recent weeks, drawing high praise from owners, trainers and the media alike. The 20-year-old Alberton-born rider attributes his surge in form to his move from Durban to the Highveld, saying: “I’m not sure exactly what changed, but everything just seemed to click when I came to Johannesburg.”

He added that having his supportive parents and grandmother nearby, regularly attending race meetings, has been a major source of confidence and motivation. At the same time, he has benefited from strong backing and encouragement from a range of trainers.

Marx-Jacobson is driven by the goal of reaching 50 winners to earn the South African Jockey Academy’s ‘white jacket’, but with the championship within reach, that remains firmly at the forefront of his ambitions.

While he knows that the impressive young Mbuto won’t give in without a fight, Marx-Jacobson said: “I am focused on getting the title now, I think about it most of the time.”