It was not only the horseracing that entertained. The intimacy and rural ambience of Hollywoodbets Durbanville certainly lends itself to a day of enjoying the racing in a family-oriented environment of outdoor entertainment, that over the series included live music, family entertainment, an enthusiastically patronised potjiekos competition along with wine and gin tasting. And with the spring weather playing ball, a host of bumper race days have brought the crowds back on course.
The final chapter of the 2022 Hollywoodbets Spring Country Series saw a seven-race programme at Hollywoodbets Durbanville and included another chapter of the free-to-enter Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge, with a massive R240 000 bonus jackpot up for grabs, which saw one punter go within a short-head of winning the jackpot prize, as his selection Catteleya finished second in the last race.
Adding to the spring-infused splash of colour on course, Western Cape horseracing introduced the distinct barrier draw-aligned saddle cloths from the first Hollywoodbets Spring Country Series meeting.
This feature has been successfully employed in KwaZulu-Natal racing for the last three years and makes spotting your favourite horse a whole lot easier.
On Saturday, the spotlight moves to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, where the R250 000 Gr3 Cape Classic, a strategic stepping stone for progressive 3yos, headlines a top-notch programme, with three support features, including the Listed Southeaster Sprint, the Need For Speed Sprint and the Prestige Plate.
Candice Bass-Robinson has high Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas hopes for her smashing Trippi colt Charles Dickens, who won the Listed Somerset 1200 at his second start and then opened his 3yo account with a facile victory at Hollywoodbets Durbanville three weeks ago to keep his unbeaten record intact.
The chestnut now goes the 1400m for the first time in the Gr2 Cape Classic on Saturday and stable confidence is running high. He looks hard to beat.
The meeting is off at 12h35 and includes nine well-filled action-packed races.
Looking ahead, the Cape Summer Season will be the national focal point of horseracing from 1 November 2022 to 28 February 2023, with high-class feature contests setting the scene for a refreshing return of horse racing to its action-packed best, where the sky is the limit!