Durban July fever grips Greyville as early favourites reward punters
Sommerstern justified favouritism at odds of 14-10 to comfortably win the opening race, delighting supporters, who cheered
Sunny skies, colourful fashion and a string of popular winners created an electric atmosphere as tens of thousands of racing fans descended on Greyville Racecourse on Saturday for the 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July.
South Africa’s premier horse racing event attracted spectators from across the country, with the excitement on the track matching the glamour off it as racegoers embraced this year’s spectacle.
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The day’s racing began on a high note for punters, with two well-supported favourites, Sommerstern and Please Be True, claiming victory in the opening races, both run on the all-weather Polytrack.
Sommerstern justified favouritism at odds of 14-10 to comfortably win the opening race, delighting supporters, who cheered the Lucinda Woodruff-trained runner across the finish line under jockey Callan Murray.
The second race saw reigning champion trainer Justin Snaith register his first winner of the day when Please Be True, ridden by in-form jockey Keagan de Melo, recovered from a difficult start to edge out Open Highway in a thrilling finish.
The victory also boosted confidence among punters backing Snaith’s strong hand in the day’s feature race, where the champion trainer saddled five of the 18 Hollywoodbets Durban July runners.
The international flavour of the meeting came to the fore in Race 3, known as the “Consolation July”, when Australian jockey Zac Lloyd produced a polished ride aboard Magic Verse.
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Lloyd, the son of six-time South African champion jockey Jeff Lloyd, has been making a name for himself in Australia and recently celebrated a high-profile winner at Royal Ascot in the United Kingdom.
Despite favourite Imelenzeyokududuma attracting strong support before the race, it was Magic Verse that emerged victorious after Lloyd timed his run to perfection in the slowly run contest.
The early successes on the track added to the festive mood at Greyville, where fashion, entertainment and world-class racing once again combined to celebrate one of South Africa’s biggest sporting and social events.
