Gary Lemke looks back at a jam-packed sporting weekend as the Hollywoodbets purple presence becomes ever increasing in the world of sport, while the race for Champions League football heats up in the Premier League.
RACE ON FOR EPL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPOTS
Southampton’s 3-1 defeat at Tottenham sealed their relegation from the English Premiership, the earliest a club has learnt their fate after 31 of 38 games.
They will be joined by Ipswich and Leicester; the official confirmation being a matter of when, not if. All top five sides were unable to win, but Arsenal were only able to close the gap on Liverpool to 11 points with seven matches left.
As we’ve said before, the most interesting aspect of the run-in is the fight for Europe next season. Realistically, Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest will be joined in the Champions League by one of Chelsea, Man City, Aston Villa or Newcastle.
The Manchester derby was an anti-climax; both sides were gun-shy in a 0-0 draw.
CAPE TOWN TO DUBAI TO LONDON FOR HWB
Hollywoodbets are an ever-increasing force in the world of sport, and purple was the colour when the 56km Two Oceans Marathon came to Cape Town. Runners from the Hollywood Athletics Club won both the men’s and women’s races, through Khoarahlane Seutloali (3:10:46) and Gerda Steyn (3:29:10).
In Dubai, the Hollywood brand was represented on the biggest horseracing stage, the World Cup meeting, where Isuvunguvungu went off at 16-1 in the Grade 1 Al Quoz Sprint over 1200m.
Now based in the USA, Isuvunguvungu was always on the heels of the leaders and might be a couple of lengths below the world’s very best sprinters but was not disgraced. The Hollywood brand was also on show in the English Premier League, where Brentford drew 0-0 with Chelsea.
F1 SEASON TURNING INTO A BOXED TRIFECTA
Punters would call it a boxed trifecta – where you take three runners to fill the first three, but you cover all bases with the order. After Max Verstappen’s imperious drive in winning the Japanese GP at Suzuka, the 2025 Formula One season is a boxed trifecta.
Sure, we’re only three races into a long, 24-race calendar, but you can bookmark this. It’s the two McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and the Red Bull of Verstappen that will dominate.
In Japan, Verstappen led home Norris and Piastri in an uneventful race – ninth-placed Alex Albon called it “boring” – with few overtakes. We’re now off to Bahrain for round four this coming week. Place your bets. Boxed exacta anyone?
BLITZBOKS PAY PRICE FOR COSTLY GBR DEFEAT
The Blitzboks won three of their four matches in the penultimate World Sevens leg in Singapore but finished ninth overall as Fiji claimed the title. Such was the repercussion of the damaging 38-10 pool defeat to Great Britain.
All of GBR, Argentina and South Africa won one pool game, but the Blitzboks finished bottom because of the margin of that opening defeat. They renounced with wins over the USA (14-12) and Australia (26-7), but the die was cast.
Ninth in Singapore leaves them fourth overall on the table heading to the finale in Los Angeles. Kenya reached a Sevens final for the first time, before falling short against Fiji 19-7.
HOSTS DOMINANT – WHILE LEINSTER RUN RAMPANT
Seven of the eight home sides in the Last 16 of the Investec Champions Cup – basically, seven favourites – won through to the quarter-final stage.
The one result that went in the away team’s favour was Munster’s 25-24 win over La Rochelle, while the best club side in Europe, and dare we say the world, Leinster, whitewashed Harlequins 62-0.
In the second-tier Challenge Cup, the Bulls prevailed away from home, beating Bayonne 32-22, but both the Hollywoodbets Sharks and Lions exited in the Last 16. The Sharks lost 34-21 at Lyon and the Lions 23-12 to Edinburgh.
THE CONFUSING STATE OF SA FOOTBALL
A lack of goals has been a hallmark of South African domestic football for many seasons, but Orlando Pirates only needed one goal to beat Polokwane City and close the gap to 12 points on Betway Premiership leaders Sundowns, while pulling nine points clear of third-placed TS Galaxy, who dbeat Cape Town City 2-1.
If you’re visiting from Mars, a look at the table makes no sense. Sundowns lead by 12, but Pirates have three games in hand, while bottom-placed Royal AM are 50 points behind Sundowns, but have played 12 fewer games.
That’s because Royal AM were last week expelled from the League. Meanwhile, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie said on social media that adverts were being placed this week as he works to imminently introduce VAR in our football.
