The acknowledged unofficial national championships of the South African racing season, Champions Season 2025 launches at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 3 May with 61 entries received for the three opening feature races.
A festival of high-class action-packed racing that features 35 feature races, including 11 at the highest Grade 1 level in a comprehensive three-month programme, is set to get underway at Hollywoodbets Greyville, aka the Theatre of Champions, in Durban on 3 May.
Drill Hall ’24 flashback! Royal Aussie (Richard Fourie in pink) holds off an unlucky Cousin Casey (Smanga Khumalo) with Gladatorian (Sean Veale, gold cap) in third (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The dream season has been staged annually for decades, and is built around Africa’s greatest horseracing event, the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July, and brings together the best thoroughbreds in the country that compete in a diverse feature fest over three months.
At the risk of sounding cliched, this is the racing Olympics of South Africa.
Longstanding sponsor Independent Newspapers, one of the major sponsors of racing in the province, launch Champions Season with the traditional season opener, the R750 000 Independent on Saturday Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes which will be run at weight-for-age plus penalties over 1 400m.
The Drill Hall Stakes hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons last year when the late TC02 related scratching of favourite Main Defender, led to a protest and the abandonment of the meeting.
INDEPENDENT ON SATURDAY DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
Horses at Weight-For-Age + Penalties
WFA: 2yrs-11kgs 3yrs-2kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 19 | Gimme A Prince | (6G) | 60 | 134 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 16 | Dave The King | (5G) | 60 | 128 | A | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 24 | Purple Pitcher | (4C) | 60 | 123 | BA | Robyn Klaasen | |
| 21 | Main Defender | (4G) | 58.5 | 130 | A | Tony Peter | |
| 1 | Cafe Culture | (5G) | 58.5 | 128 | A | Lucinda Woodruff | |
| 3 | Royal Aussie | Accepted | (5G) | 58.5 | 124 | BA | Justin Snaith |
| 27 | Outlaw King | (4G) | 58.5 | 110 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 5 | Eight On Eighteen | (3C) | 58 | 127 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 13 | Cosmic Speed | (3G) | 58 | 125 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 14 | Montien | (5G) | 57 | 129 | A | Piet Botha | |
| 2 | See It Again | (5G) | 57 | 127 | A | Michael Roberts | |
| 26 | Cousin Casey | (5H) | 57 | 125 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 8 | Barbaresco | Accepted | (4G) | 57 | 124 | ATe | J A Janse van Vuuren |
| 10 | Questioning | (4G) | 57 | 124 | BA | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 6 | Gladatorian | (5G) | 57 | 123 | AT | Stuart Ferrie | |
| 25 | The Real Prince | (4G) | 57 | 118 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 15 | Texas Red | (5G) | 57 | 115 | A | Robyn Klaasen | |
| 18 | Anfields Rocket | (5G) | 57 | 113 | A | Trevor Brown | |
| 20 | Diani | (5G) | 57 | 103 | A | Dennis Bosch | |
| 11 | Cats Pajamas | (3G) | 56.5 | 115 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 9 | Red Palace | (4F) | 56 | 119 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 23 | White Pearl | (4F) | 56 | 114 | A | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 17 | Winds Of Change | (3C) | 55 | 121 | AT | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 4 | Great Plains | Accepted | (3G) | 55 | 112 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 22 | Sail The Seas | (3C) | 55 | 112 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 7 | Oxalis Gold | (3F) | 52.5 | 107 | A | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 12 | Khethiwe’s Destiny | (3F) | 52.5 | 100 | A | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| (27) | |||||||
The Drill Hall was run the following Wednesday and won by Justin Snaith’s Royal Aussie, who together with Tony Peter’s Main Defender, is amongst the 27 entries for the 2025 renewal.
The R500 000 World Sports Betting Gr2 Fillies Guineas launches the 3yo fairer sex onslaught on the season, with 25 fillies in the mix, including the top-rated Highveld pair of Spumante Dolce and VJ’s Angel.
WORLD SPORTS BETTING FILLIES GUINEAS
For 3 year-old Fillies
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 19 | Spumante Dolce | (3F) | 60 | 119 | AT | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 2 | Vj’s Angel | (3F) | 60 | 119 | A | Tony Peter | |
| 16 | Scarlet Macaw | (3F) | 60 | 110 | A | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 3 | Mon Petit Cherie | (3F) | 60 | 108 | A | BJ Crawford/JI Crawford | |
| 23 | Little Suzie | Accepted | (3F) | 60 | 107 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 14 | Oxalis Gold | (3F) | 60 | 107 | A | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 15 | Be Merry | (3F) | 60 | 104 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 22 | Green Sapphire | (3F) | 60 | 104 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 24 | Give Me Everything | (3F) | 60 | 103 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 17 | Gimmefabulous | (3F) | 60 | 102 | HA e | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 7 | Miss Scaletta | (3F) | 60 | 102 | A | Paul Matchett | |
| 5 | Khethiwe’s Destiny | (3F) | 60 | 100 | A | Mike / Mathew de Kock | |
| 9 | Regeneration | (3F) | 60 | 100 | A e | Robbie Hill | |
| 10 | Frozen Fantasy | (3F) | 60 | 99 | A | Robyn Klaasen | |
| 6 | Jeanne Darc | (3F) | 60 | 99 | A | Stuart Ferrie | |
| 21 | Lock And Key | (3F) | 60 | 98 | A | Glen Kotzen | |
| 1 | Too Late My Mate | (3F) | 60 | 97 | A | Alec Laird | |
| 11 | Magical View | (3F) | 60 | 96 | AT | Michael Miller | |
| 8 | Mocha Blend | (3F) | 60 | 94 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 4 | Disting | (3F) | 60 | 92 | BATe | Glen Kotzen | |
| 13 | Blind Ambition | (3F) | 60 | 91 | BA | Brett Webber | |
| 20 | Goodnessgraciousme | Accepted | (3F) | 60 | 91 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 12 | Two G’s | (3F) | 60 | 89 | A | Gareth van Zyl | |
| 25 | Glamorous Lady | (3F) | 60 | 85 | A | Weichong Marwing | |
| 18 | One Path | (3F) | 60 | 79 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| (25) | |||||||
Give Me Everything – progressive filly has won four on the trot (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The R750 000 World Sports Betting Gr2 Guineas has drawn 19 entries, including three fillies in Dean Kannemeyer’s Give Me Everything, VJ’s Angel and Frozen Fantasy.
Kannemeyer did not enjoy the best of luck when the barrier draws were allocated, and he may consider taking his chances against the boys with the exciting Varsfontein Stud-bred and raced Give Me Everything, who pulled a 5 here versus a 24 of 25 in her own sex group.
WORLD SPORTS BETTING GUINEAS (Grade 2)
For 3 year-olds
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 11 | Eight On Eighteen | Accepted | (3C) | 60 | 127 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 10 | Fire Attack | (3C) | 60 | 126 | A | Alec Laird | |
| 8 | Cosmic Speed | (3G) | 60 | 125 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 12 | Legend Of Arthur | (3C) | 60 | 117 | HA | Sean Tarry | |
| 18 | Cats Pajamas | (3G) | 60 | 115 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 4 | Great Plains | (3G) | 60 | 112 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 6 | Sail The Seas | Accepted | (3C) | 60 | 112 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 9 | Musical Score | (3G) | 60 | 108 | A | Lucky Houdalakis | |
| 14 | On My Honour | (3G) | 60 | 108 | A | Glen Kotzen | |
| 15 | Royal Force | (3G) | 60 | 104 | A | Lucky Houdalakis | |
| 17 | Field Marshal | (3G) | 60 | 102 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 13 | Legal Counsel | (3G) | 60 | 98 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 7 | Zeitz | (3C) | 60 | 97 | BA | Andre Nel | |
| 1 | Jp’s Palace | (3G) | 60 | 91 | A | Darryl Moore | |
| 3 | Dance King | (3G) | 60 | 89 | A | Weichong Marwing | |
| 16 | World Of Our Own | (3G) | 60 | 86 | A | Alyson Wright | |
| 2 | Vj’s Angel | (3F) | 57.5 | 119 | A | Tony Peter | |
| 5 | Give Me Everything | (3F) | 57.5 | 103 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 19 | Frozen Fantasy | (3F) | 57.5 | 99 | A | Robyn Klaasen | |
| (19) | |||||||
Supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Friday 25 April, while declarations are due by 11h00 on Tuesday 29 April.
