Latest news with #MyBestShot
The Citizen
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
‘Shrewdies' to make July Quartet pay big
Confederate at 40-1, Atticus Finch at 28-1 and My Best Shot at 25-1 might be decent calls. There is almost always a surprise package among the top four finishers in the Durban July, making winning Quartet, Trifecta, Swinger and Exacta bets pay handsomely. On Saturday at Greyville, the July Quartet is predicted to have a pool of R10-million. Three days before the race, the TAB pool was already nearing R1.5-million, so there's a fair chance it will exceed the target. In 2024, all four horses at the head of the July pack were priced in double figures by the bookmakers: winner Oriental Charm at 10-1, runner-up Cousin Casey at 25-1, third-placed Royal Victory at 10-1, and fourth-placed Flag Man at 14-1. The Quartet on that occasion paid a princely R24,359.60. The year before, third-placed Bless My Stars was a 33-1 shot and fourth Do It Again 16-1; in 2022, winner Sparkling Water and second Jet Dark were both surprisingly good value at 16-1 apiece; and in 2020, fourth-placed Golden Ducat at 33-1 helped swell all dividends. This week's 129th running of Africa's greatest race sees one horse, Eight On Eighteen, dominating the betting, meaning other well-fancied runners are comparative long-shots. Second and third favourites Oriental Charm and Immediate Edge are quoted at 8-1 by Betway. But, of course, they will be included in most Quartet selections and won't be pushing out the dividend. Confederate is excellent value So, in search of the real 'roughie' – or 'shrewdie' – to make Saturday's Quartet pay, we must look to deeper reaches of the betting boards. Confederate at 40-1, Atticus Finch at 28-1 and My Best Shot at 25-1 might be decent calls. In particular, Fabian Habib-trained Confederate seems excellent value on a line of form through Fire Attack, who he beat in the SA Classic but who has since had a Grade 1 win and has attained a merit rating eight points higher than him. The gelding has never been out of the first two in nine starts and has New Zealand champion jockey Warren Kennedy – on a mission back on home turf – to help him overcome a widish draw. Every punter is on a budget of some sort, so, to keep the Quartet cost down below R1,000, say, some runners more fancied than the above three will have to be left out. It's a hard game. Suggested Quartet on the Durban July, Race 7, at Greyville on Saturday 5 July: Floating banker 11; with 1,4,6,9,10,14,16 (R840)
The South African
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The South African
Hollywoodbets Durban July: Here's who will WIN
We are now 48 hours away from the 129th edition of Africa's greatest horse race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July to be held on Saturday, 5 July at Hollywoodbets Greyville. The R5 million Grade 1 race over 2 200m is scheduled for 16:00. The race was rocked by a late scratching on Tuesday morning when Michael Roberts's See It Again was withdrawn due to an abnormal blood count. See It Again was at the time of his scratching the joint fifth favourite at 16/1. First reserve runner, Litigation, from the Sean Tarry yard has taken the place of See It Again and will jump from gate 15 with Grant van Niekerk aboard. So which horse will cross the line first – that's the big question. Eight On Eighteen from the Justin Snaith yard will be tough to beat if things go his way. And that's a big 'if'. The Hollywoodbets Durban July has thrown up a number of shock results, especially by horses drawn wide out. Eight On Eighteen will be doing his best work late in the race. Whether he's able to catch those horses who would have bolted from the gates nearest the rail, especially with Hollywoodbets Greyville's short final straight, remains to be seen. Defending champion Oriental Charm figures as the main danger and is drawn in pole position, but there are concerns over a lack of race fitness. Those looking for outsiders and a bit of value shouldn't look past, in no particular order, My Best Shot, Selukwe, Gladatorian and The Real Prince – if the distance doesn't prove a factor. Eight On Eighteen My Best Shot Selukwe Oriental Charm The Real Prince Horse Draw Odds Eight on Eighteen 11 14/10 Oriental Charm 1 7/1 Immediate Edge 10 7/1 The Real Prince 5 25/2 On My Honour 3 14/1 Selukwe 6 16/1 Gladatorian 16 16/1 Madison Valley 2 20/1 My Best Shot 9 25/1 Royal Victory 17 25/1 Atticus Finch 4 33/1 Pomodoro's Jet 8 33/1 Okavango 13 33/1 Confederate 14 33/1 Litigation 15 40/1 Purple Pitcher 12 40/1 Rainbow Lorikeet 7 50/1 Native Ruler 18 50/1 Reserve runner Son Of Raj SP Odds correct as at the time of publishing 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
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
All the latest Durban July news
East Cape ace My Best Shot joins big race hopefuls. News stories about the 2025 Hollywoodbets Durban July are coming thick and fast as excitement builds for the country's most famous horse race. Developments include: • Two horses were supplementary entrants into the Grade 1, R5-million, 2,200m contest this week. Musical Score, trained on the Highveld by Lucky Houdalakis, and My Best Shot, trained in Eastern Cape by Alan Greeff, were added to the 49 July early entries remaining after the first declarations stage. Three-year-old Musical Score popped into the big race reckoning with a nice win in a 1,400m Pinnacle Stakes at Turffontein on Sunday, though Houdalakis warned that the gelding would need to do well in the upcoming 1,800m Jubilee Stakes to make a trip to KwaZulu-Natal worthwhile. Fellow three-year-old My Best Shot underlined his class when becoming the first horse to claim the daunting Eastern Cape Triple Crown, which involves winning over distances from 1,400m to 2,400m. Eastern Cape-based runners are a rarity in the July and any increased diversity will be welcomed by racing aficionados. • Grade 1 winner Fire Attack was the most significant scratching from the July nominations at first declarations stage. The 12-1 ante-post chance had a bruised foot, his trainer Alec Laird reported. Red Palace, quoted at 25-1 for the July, was another withdrawal – due to a minor training setback, according to the Dean Kannemeyer stable. Cape Eagle, who disappointed in the WSB 1900 that was won so impressively by his Andre Nel stable companion Selukwe at Greyville on Saturday, was another scratching. The Ultimate King, who at the weekend won a handicap at Turffontein at even money, was also pulled out of the July. Other notable scratchings were Barbaresco and Without Question. • Selukwe was hit with an eight-point merit-rating hike for his WSB 1900 victory, taking him to 111 and a likely slot in the final July line-up. The handicappers made another July hopeful, Narina Trogon, the line horse in assessing the race and left his MR at 106. Fourth placed Okavango, also currently still in the July, was pushed up from 96 to 105. My Best Shot's comfortable win in Friday's East Coast Derby didn't shift his MR a jot from 111, even though he wasn't the line horse. The handicappers said his reputation preceded him and they didn't want his clearly inferior opposition to have their ratings hoisted unrealistically. • First entries for two important Durban July prep races – the Daily News 2000 and the Woolavington on 24 June – were unveiled, with a number of July candidates involved. The 13 names for the former event include seven from the stable of national champion Justin Snaith. Whether the firepower of Snaith's KZN raiding party scared off the connections of other three-year-olds isn't clear, but it is a surprise that a so-called outstanding generation is not better represented in a prestige race with a R2-million purse. Snaith will be expected to dominate with his two-time Grade 1 champ Eight On Eighteen and recent KZN Guineas winner Sail The Seas – both July noms and, strangely, both rated 127. The main danger to the Snaith juggernaut could be Fabian Habib's Confederate, winner of the SA Classic at Turffontein. Mike and Mathew de Kock have entered star filly Spumante Dolce for both races on the day and she has drawn 5 and 7 respectively. It'll be interesting to see which way they go. ENTRIES [draw, name, trainer, MR] DAILY NEWS 2000 (Grade 1) R2m 2,000m 4 Confederate Fabian Habib 118 10 Eight On Eighteen Justin Snaith 127 3 Field Marshal Frank Robinson 102 1 Gran Canaria Justin Snaith 80 7 Grey Jet Weichong Marwing 108 6 Makazole Justin Snaith 98 2 Native Ruler Justin Snaith 103 0 Okavango Justin Snaith 105 8 On My Honour Glen Kotzen 116 9 Parisian Walkway Alec Laird 121 11 Regulation Justin Snaith 93 12 Sail The Seas Justin Snaith 127 5 Spumante Dolce Mike / Mathew de Kock 117 WOOLAVINGTON 2000 (Grade 2) R500,000 2,000m 13 Beating Wings Stuart Pettigrew 114 1 Celtic Beauty Tony Rivalland 100 10 Destiny Of Fire Mike / Mathew de Kock 90 9 Explosive Bond Paul Matchett 99 20 Gerbera Sean Tarry 99 16 Give Me Everything Dean Kannemeyer 108 4 Hat's Queen Tony Peter 105 18 Indian Ocean Mano Pandaram 111 8 Little Suzie Justin Snaith 106 17 Mascherina Peter Muscutt 99 19 Miss Platina Tienie Prinsloo 94 12 Miss Scaletta Paul Matchett 102 14 Mocha Blend Frank Robinson 94 11 My Soul Mate Candice Dawson 107 5 One Path Frank Robinson 77 3 Rainbow Lorikeet Candice Bass-Robinson 111 15 Regeneration Robbie Hill 108 7 Spumante Dolce Mike / Mathew de Kock 117 6 Todoque Paul Matchett 100 2 World Of Alice Sean Tarry 108
The Herald
05-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
My Best Shot aims for historic Sophomore Series clean sweep at Fairview
My Best Shot is a rising local champion. His consistent performances at Fairview have made him a fan favourite, and a win in the East Cape Derby would be a significant achievement for his connections and the region. A half-brother to the Eastern Cape's 2022/23 Champion two-year-old colt, Questor, My Best Shot races in the interests of Nick and Val McFall, Messrs GL Blank, G Piha, HN Yutar, D Yutar, and Mr and Mrs AC Greeff . He was purchased for just R120,000 at the Cape Yearling Sale and has provided his connections an enormous amount of fun. 'He's a progressive type with a strong temperament and a good work ethic,' says Greeff. 'He's taken every step in his stride, and we've been pleased with how he's handled each race.' Much of the credit must also go to jockey Richard Fourie, who has partnered with My Best Shot in all but one of his career runs. However, the 2,400m distance of the East Cape Derby is a significant step into uncharted territory. To date, all of My Best Shot's wins have come over either 1,400m or 1,600m. Whether he can stay the testing Derby trip remains to be seen, but his connections are optimistic. 'It's a challenge,' Greeff acknowledges. 'But he's in good shape and we're going to give him every chance.' Should he complete the series sweep, My Best Shot will enter the record books and highlight the value of structured regional racing programmes like the Sophomore Challenge in helping the Eastern Cape to produce competitive and consistent performers. The Derby meeting on May 9, which also features the Dahlia Plate, promises to be one of the highlights of the local horse racing calendar. Public entrance to Fairview Racecourse is free, but if you want to experience the excitement in style, book a VIP hospitality package with 4 Racing. Priced at R350 per person, it includes a buffet lunch, Computaform guide, and a complimentary bottle of wine per table. For more information or to book, email Marilyn Smith at marilyns@ or contact her on WhatsApp at 076 301 5449. This article was sponsored by 4 Racing.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Leave those kids alone! Teaching through play
During his time as a plastic arts teacher in 1990s Marrakech, he collaborated with his young students to create performative works in the classroom Benohoud created a makeshift darkroom in his classroom and used photography to foster collaborative and hands-on learning, encouraging students to engage with creativity and identity The images created with his students blend absurdity, humour and unease In contrasting classroom monotony with free movement, The Classroom builds a playful critique of postcolonial identity, where childlike creative gestures appear in a more ambiguous aesthetic that hints at oppression, violence and isolation Teaching showed Benohoud how trapped his pupils were both socially and economically, 'my students come from a disadvantaged social background' he says. 'In most of their families, for financial reasons, girls are married off very young while they are still in school. The boys, even if they manage to get their baccalaureate, often end up practicing the profession of their father, who is often a farmer or worker.' Benohoud's classroom became an imagined world in which they could find true freedom 'I had my student wear my sweater. This was the first time I incorporated an object from outside the classroom into the series. I had already exhausted all the available materials in the classroom … storage paper, plastic, tape and so on,' Bonohoud says The work of Benohoud, who is a graduate of the École supérieure des arts décoratifs in Strasbourg, transforms everyday objects into unsettling, thought-provoking compositions 'This was the final image produced in this series. For years, I had envisioned capturing a photograph of a student jumping on to a stool, but I hesitated out of concern that an accident could happen,' says Benohoud 'Despite its apparent simplicity, this image was particularly challenging to capture. The model had to stand on tiptoe for an extended period while maintaining a relaxed facial expression.' Benohoud talks more about this photograph in our My Best Shot interview The new publication of this work draws from the artist's archive, building the first comprehensive appraisal of Benohoud's groundbreaking series while highlighting the modern relevance of the work in its engagement with performance, politics, pedagogy and the body, decades ahead of its time
