Hollywoodbets Durban July 2026: 63 First Entries Revealed, New Handicap Rules in Force
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Gold Circle has published the 63 first entries for the R10 million Hollywoodbets Durban July, to be run on Saturday 4 July 2026 at Hollywoodbets Greyville over 2,200m. The list is led on numbers by champion trainer Justin Snaith, who is chasing a sixth July win, and includes last year's winner The Real Prince trained by Dean Kannemeyer.
The race also runs under new handicap conditions for 2026, materially changing how weights are allocated. Coverage from Gold Circle sets out the full entry list and the rule revisions.
Snaith leads with 10 entries
Snaith has entered ten horses, headlined by See It Again, the WSB Cape Town Met and World Pool Premier's Champions Challenge winner who is rated 130 and is the presumed top weight on 62kg. He is joined in the Snaith yard by last year's runner-up Eight On Eighteen, dual Gr 1 winner Wish List, Met runner-up Legal Counsel, Cape Derby runner-up Note To Self (54kg), plus Okavango, Happy Verse, Native Ruler, Regulation, and Great Plains.
Mike de Kock back at the July
Mike de Kock, partnering with son Mathew, has four entries and is again chasing a July win that has eluded him: Jan Van Goyen (Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner), Curious Girl (Gr 2 SA Derby winner), Splittheeights (Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas winner, rated 109, in 2.5kg under sufferance), and former Zimbabwean Triple Crown winner Buster Barnes.
Last year's winner still in
Dean Kannemeyer has entered The Real Prince, last year's July winner, as he goes for a fifth title. Sean Tarry has three entries headed by SA Classic winner Grand Empire (1.5kg under sufferance). James Crawford, whose yard won the July in 2023 and 2024, has entered Star Major and Reet Petite (both rated 114, on the bottom weight of 52kg). Alec Laird has six entries including Gr 1 winner Atticus Finch, the former Betway Summer Cup champion (rated 127, 60.5kg).
KZN-trained contenders
KZN-stabled hopes include Frank Robinson's Mocha Blend (Betway Summer Cup winner), Stuart Ferrie's Gladatorian (Gr 1 Champions Cup winner), Gareth van Zyl's stayer King Pelles and SA Derby runner-up Salani Kahle, and Nathan Kotzen's pair Shoot The Rapids and Field Marshal. Larry Nestadt's Trust, the Jackpot City Dingaans winner and SA Classic runner-up, is also engaged (rated 110, 2kg under sufferance).
What changed in the 2026 conditions
The 2026 race is run under materially different handicap conditions compared to last year:
- Weight spread widened from 8kg to 10kg
- No maximum or minimum weights for three-year-old males, three-year-old females, or older females
- No minimum weights for older males
- Straight handicap with normal weight-for-age allowances. Over 2,200m in July, three-year-olds receive a 2kg weight-for-age allowance.
The bigger spread should produce a more open market on the day. Three-year-olds in particular have more room to be properly weighted under the new framework, which historically has been the age group most likely to deliver a July upset.
Where to bet ante-post
Hollywoodbets is the title sponsor and typically the biggest market on the race, but ante-post prices are also up at most SA bookmakers. We track all four operators with active July markets and update the comparison weekly on the Durban July 2026 hub. For ante-post strategy and what the new handicap rules mean for value, see our Durban July betting tips guide.
Key dates
- 4 July 2026 - Hollywoodbets Durban July, run over 2,200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Race purse R10 million.
- Subsequent declaration and weights stages will be confirmed by the National Horseracing Authority closer to the race.
Source: Gold Circle (David Thiselton).