Oriental Charm ready to fire at Durban July
Oriental Charm will be looking at completing a Durban July double and according to Tim Woodruff, assistant trainer to James Crawford, he is more than capable of achieving that goal.
The Grade 1 race will be run over 2200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday and the Crawford yard are following a familiar routine as they look for a third successive victory in South Africa's premier race.
James' father Brett engineered the last two victories, with Winchester Mansion in 2023 and Oriental Charm last year, and all the preparation took place at their Randjesfontein yard on the Highveld, which was administered by James.
This year Brett is preparing to train in Hong Kong, James is operating the yard from their Cape Town base, and Woodruff is running the show at Randjesfontein.
James, however, is keeping a keen eye on the goings-on in Joburg. 'He is either on the phone every day or he is up here overseeing everything,' said Woodruff on Tuesday.
ALSO READ: Litigation is ready for Durban July call up, says Tarry
Woodruff, son of former multiple champion trainer Geoff Woodruff, had been out of racing for a while but admits he is glad to be back again. 'I tried a few other things which I wasn't really good at. Being away from it made me realise how much I missed working with horses.'
What he is sure about is that Oriental Charm is putting in some excellent work at home. 'He's very good. I haven't worked with a horse that gives you so much confidence.
'He works himself hard at track every day. He does it hard, and if anything moves up to challenge him he fights back.
'He just shines every day.
'If he can reproduce last year's run with his form now, he will be hard to beat.'
ALSO READ: Numbers add up to Eight On Eighteen for Durban July
Oriental Charm will jump from the No. 1 draw, which some pundits feel is a concern in a big field with 18 runners.
'I don't see it as a problem,' added Woodruff. 'He has so much gate speed so he will get out well and will have the smoothest trip hugging the rail. '
If he is in front I don't see anybody getting past him.'
While Woodruff was not part of the team last year, he does feel Oriental Charm has improved since that victory and he will be strong enough to carry the additional 7kg this year.
'Most horses develop as three- and four-year-olds and reach their peaks as a five-year-old, so he has to be better. His races after the July indicate that.'
Since then, the son of Vercingetorix has won the Green Point Stakes, finished second behind Eight On Eighteen in the WSB Cape Met and then had an ideal warm-up when almost dethroning Dave The King in the Grade 1 Independent On Saturday Gold Challenge.
He will have one more run after this, the Grade 1 Champions up over 1800m, and then will be off to stud.
ALSO READ: What Durban July gallop poll revealed
The stable also has a second runner in the Durban July and that is Pomodoro's Jet, who is unbeaten since fitted with cheekpieces.
'He is well,' said Woodruff, 'but his prep didn't go that well. He went off his food, possibly a virus, and had to be scratched from his last run. We're trying our best to get him ready despite missing that race.'
Current betting
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Daily Maverick
NSPCA takes aim at Durban July and cruelty in SA's horse racing industry
A new campaign to clean up South Africa's horse racing industry started with a fashion statement that shocked glamorous guests at the country's premier horse race. The Durban July held last weekend was South Africa's most glamorous day of racing — a swirl of high fashion, Champagne flutes and big bets. Amid the spectacle, actress and activist Nirvana Nokwe stepped on to the red carpet dressed not to dazzle, but to disturb. Draped in an unsettling art piece paying tribute to racehorses abandoned and broken when they're no longer profitable, Nokwe's striking look was a wake-up call: the 'sport of kings' is built on suffering. Her bold statement launched the National Council of SPCAs' (NSPCA's) Rein in the Pain campaign — a challenge to the Durban July's glossy image and a call for South Africans to confront the cruelty that lurks behind the roar of the crowd. 'This isn't just about what happens on race day,' said Nokwe. 'It's about what we don't see — the tongue-ties, the brutal whipping, the strained tendons, the fractured legs, the bleeding lungs. Fashion can make a statement, and this one says: It's time to change.' The dark truth According to the NSPCA, behind the turf tracks, mint juleps and TV cameras is a brutal system. Thoroughbreds — the sleek, high-speed horses synonymous with the Durban July — are bred for explosive performance. They can hit 60km/h in just a few strides, but that speed often comes at the cost of broken bones, strained ligaments and shortened lives. Many horses begin racing before their skeletons are fully developed, leaving them prone to injuries that force early retirement, or worse. 'These magnificent animals are being silenced by a system that too often places profit above their welfare,' said Jacques Peacock, NSPCA communications manager. 'Tradition can't excuse cruelty.' Every year, the South African racing industry registers around 2,000 new thoroughbred foals, adding to a population of about 30,000. Only a fraction of these will ever make it to the big racecourses. Many of those that do will be cast aside when they stop winning — and their new lives are often far from the manicured paddocks they once knew. The 'lost horses' While some racehorses have second careers in showjumping or leisure riding, a disturbing number simply vanish. A Daily Maverick investigation into the thoroughbred world revealed that thousands slip into a welfare black hole when they no longer earn. Some end up in slaughterhouses, their meat sold for lion parks or game reserves. Many more fall into the unregulated world of 'bush racing', where abandoned racehorses are flogged to race for small stakes or illegal bets on potholed dirt roads and tarred township streets. In these informal races, dubbed 'community racing', the cruelty can be staggering. Saddles are often ill-fitted or non-existent, bits are replaced with wire that tears mouths, and exhausted horses collapse from injuries or overwork. When the NSPCA inspected an Eastern Cape race, they found more than 100 ex-thoroughbreds, many with injuries so severe they had to be euthanised on the spot. 'They used to be pampered, treated better than most humans,' said an NSPCA inspector. 'Now they're tossed away like old shoes at a jumble sale.' Racing's shaky foundations While informal bush racing booms, formal thoroughbred racing in SA is on the decline. Since 1990, the number of horses starting races has dropped by nearly a third. In 2022, when we did the investigation, half of the country's racecourses had shut down, and the number of breeders and stud farms had plummeted by more than 80%. Once a lucrative spectacle, thoroughbred racing now survives largely thanks to betting houses and bookies, who rake in billions while owners struggle to cover the spiralling costs of raising and training a winning horse. 'You have to be wealthy to own racehorses, but you're not likely to get wealthy racing them,' said an owner. 'You're lucky if a win covers a few months' stabling costs.' Yet the real losers aren't the owners — they're the horses. The NSPCA argues that the racing industry's obsession with breeding and speed is producing more animals than it can or will care for. And once these horses leave the formal tracks, the National Horseracing Authority (NHRA) admits it has almost no power to track what happens to them next. Bush racing pipeline From the plush paddocks of the Durban July to the dusty roads of rural racing, a hidden pipeline funnels discarded thoroughbreds straight into a world of unchecked suffering. Some are sold or simply given away when they can't win any more. Others are bought up by owners who lack the knowledge — or the resources — to care for such high-maintenance animals. 'The big problem is thoroughbreds,' says Stanley Adam of the Eastern Cape Horse Care Unit. 'They're like Ferraris — you can't take a Ferrari and drive it down a gravel road and expect it to blossom.' Traditional racing is deeply woven into rural life. For some, it's a point of pride, a cultural celebration. But the lack of regulation can leave horses exposed to horrific injuries, doping, malnutrition and abuse. And unlike formal races, there are rarely vets on site and no accountability. However, the NSPCA's Farm Animal Protection Unit tries to inspect every informal or community race that takes place in SA. 'We rely on donations and used to do inspections as far up as Kuruman,' said Theresa Hodgkinson of the Highveld Horse Care Unit. 'But funding dried up. Now we see more thoroughbreds sold into informal racing — and many are in terrible condition.' A roadmap for change The NSPCA's Rein in the Pain campaign isn't just about raising awareness — it's about fixing a system that, in the organisation's view, is built to fail the animals at its heart. It has drafted clear, practical amendments to the NHRA's rules, setting a minimum standard for change. Key demands include: Banning performance-enhancing drugs and masking agents used to push injured horses through races; Phasing out harmful equipment like tongue ties by the end of this year; Completely banning whips by 2029 — with strict limits and schooling for jockeys in the interim; Ensuring that horses are microchipped by six months old and properly tracked from birth to retirement and beyond; Prohibiting racing horses under three years old to prevent premature skeletal damage; and Enforcing lifetime care and accountability, with criminal charges and lifetime bans for repeat offenders. 'These reforms are the bare minimum,' said Peacock. 'They're not exhaustive, but they're a start. This is about public trust — people need to see the industry take real responsibility for the animals that make it possible.' For the NSPCA, the real test will be whether ordinary South Africans demand this change. It's calling on the public to sign its petition at and to hold racing's big players accountable for the animals behind the betting slips and fancy hats. 'Our goal is simple,' says Peacock. 'We want the industry to stop pretending that window-dressing measures and paltry fines are enough. It's time for meaningful change — and it starts with every one of us saying, 'Enough is enough.'' DM
The South African
2 days ago
- The South African
WATCH the Hollywoodbets Durban July with Xhosa commentary
In a thrilling duel to the line, The Real Prince was crowned king of the 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday. Ridden by Craig Zackey and trained by Dean Kannemeyer, The Real Prince narrowly got the better of race favourite Eight On Eighteen in the Grade 1 R5 million race. Third was Selukwe with Royal Victory finishing strongly for fourth. The Real Prince's full brother Gimme A Prince was crowned Champion Sprinter two season's back so there was always a question mark hanging over his ability to stay the 2 200m trip of the Hollywoodbets Durban July. That was answered in no uncertain manner as The Real Prince fought off Eight On Eighteen who was attempting to become the first three-year-old to win the Grade 1 WSB Cape Met and the July in the same season. As expected, Oriental Charm set the early pace, but JP van der Merwe was in no great hurry, stacking the field up behind him. Richard Fourie angled Eight On Eighteen in from his 11 draw, but was not able to get anywhere near the rail in the early exchanges. With the pace pedestrian, Fourie made a dash around the final turn hitting the front shortly after crossing the subway and going clear. It looked to be a winning move until The Real Prince loomed up on his outside. Zackey had given his mount a copy book ride, cosy on the rail and keeping Eight On Eighteen in his sights. As Fourie went for broke, Zackey got a clear path and gradually reeled in his rival. It was a nod of the heads at the line, but Kannemeyer had his fourth Hollywoodbets Durban July winner in the bag and his second for Lady Christine Laidlaw and Khaya Stables. It was a plan come together said Kannemeyer speaking in the third person. 'Where were we going to place him. The first time we tried him over a mile he won by six lengths. Great run in the Drill Hall. If we run him in the Gold Challenge and run fourth the handicapper is going to be looking for you. You have to come in at the right time with the right weight and we got the right draw.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen good value for another stage win
Monday's 178km Stage 3 is from Valenciennes to Dunkirk and is likely to end with a bunch sprint into the historic town of World War 2 fame. The Tour de France is in full swing, with Monday's stage set to end in another bunch print finish. Picture: Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP Four legs gives way to two wheels. After excitement overload at the weekend, headlined by the 2025 Durban July, local horse racing takes a break with a blank Monday in the programme. It's a chance for punters to relax and switch focus. The Tour de France, the world's premier cycle race, set off on its three-week journey on Saturday. Traversing the French countryside, towns and cities, it's a relaxing watch on TV while also offering betting opportunities for competitive-spirited sports fans. Every day of the Tour is a new race for the 180-odd competitors. 'Odd' is appropriate as these guys are fit to the point of insanity. The trick for bettors is to match the stage to the rider. Monday's 178km Stage 3 is from Valenciennes to Dunkirk and is likely to end with a bunch sprint into the historic town of World War 2 fame. The winner of Stage 1, also a sprint finish, speed merchant Jasper Philipsen, is one of the obvious favourites to consider at a generous R4.00 for a win with Betway. The bookmaker's favourite is Tim Merlier at R2.60, ahead of Jonathan Milan at R3.20. All three of these riders have been in good form this season. Philipsen had a very efficient lead-out from his teammates in Stage 1, but that finish was a chaotic affair that worked against the other fast men – something unlikely to happen twice running. For anyone in search of value, Biniam Ghirmay at R15.00 and Kaden Groves at R67.00 could be interesting. The winner of Sunday's hilly Stage 2, Mathieu van der Poel (R34.00), is no mean sprinter himself and is clearly in fighting mood. But he might fancy an easy day after his efforts. Hot overall Tour de France favourite Tadej Pogacar (R1.40) finished second in Stage 2 but is not likely to be challenging on Monday – as reflected by his stage odds of R81.00. Pogacar will make his presence felt again on Stage 5 on Wednesday, a tough time trial around the city of Caen.
