With a star-studded first entry announced on Wednesday, Mzansi is on track to welcome the crowds back to Hollywoodbets Greyville in Durban as the countdown has begun on the yellow brick road to horseracing fame and fortune in the R5 million Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Appropriately billed as Africa’s Greatest Horseracing event, the 126th renewal of the 2200m championship will be held at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 2 July, and will be run for the richest stake in the famous race’s proud history.
As regulations currently stand, the 2022 renewal will welcome crowds back to the premier horseracing and social spectacular for the first time since 2019!
Announcing the 68 first entries – an increase of 28% on the 2021 subscription – Gold Circle’s Graeme Hawkins described the list of equine stars who will bid for a place in the final field of eighteen as the who’s who of South African thoroughbred horseracing.
First-up entries for Africa’s richest graded stakes race, sponsored this year for the first time by South Africa’s international sportsbook operator, Hollywoodbets, include representatives from all three major racing centres nationally.
The 68 entries received include 13 individual Grade 1 winners as well as three former winners of this great race. These include past winners in Do It Again (2018/2019), Belgarion (2020) and popular defending champion, and current SA Horse Of The Year elect, Kommetdieding. The latter, widely hailed as the ‘People’s Horse’, is currently campaigning in Gauteng, where he is due to compete in the Gr1 Premiers Champions Challenge at the end of this month.
Besides the four-legged champions, Africa’s Greatest Horseracing event is synonymous with trackside glamour and fashion, and Durban’s social event of the year attracts the A to Z of the continent’s professional and once-a-year fashionistas.
The announcement of the Final Field and Barrier Draws will take place on Tuesday, 21 June.
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