July 2025 News

Horse of the Month – Louis’s Brilliance brings Otto Luyken Home

Any punter worth his salt marks the first Saturday of July on his calendar, as that is the day that the Hollywoodbets Durban July is run. Along with the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met, Betway Summer Cup and the L’Ormarins King’s Plate these four racedays arguably make up the ‘Grand Slam’ of horseracing in South Africa.

For an owner to have one horse running on Hollywoodbets Durban July day is an achievement, but Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith are no ordinary owners. They own multiple horses, across multiple stables, in co ownership with multiple like-minded owners.

On the 05th of July 2025, not only did Messrs Bortz and Goldsmith have one of the top-rated horses in the country running in the Durban July in the form of Oriental Charm but also had an added string to their well populated bow. They also had Otto Luyken running in Race 3, the Grade 3 Magical Zulu Kingdom, a race for stayers over 2200 metres.

OTTO LUYKEN

Age: 5 (at last run)

Sex: g

M/Rating: 114 (at last run)

Owner: Mr Greg Bortz & Ms Gina Goldsmith

Breeder: Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein

Trainer: J Crawford

Breeding: Flower Alley (USA) – Laurel Cherry by Ideal World (USA)

Colours: Aquamarine, dark grey seams, aquamarine sleeves, dark grey armbands, striped cap

Unfortunately, Oriental Charm ran a below par race in the Durban July, but these prominent owners did not walk away empty handed in the dash to the winner’s enclosure on Durban July Day, as Otto Luyken did not disappoint. A five-year gelding with an incredibly colourful past Otto Luyken started his racing career in Gauteng with the stable of Tyrone Zackey and in the ownership of Mr W H Ackerman & Mr K P & Mrs N M Backo. In June 2023 he changed ownership to Mr Greg Bortz and Miss Gina Goldsmith and moved to Cape Town to the stable of Gareth Van Zyl and at the beginning of 2025 the son of Flower Alley moved to the stable of Crawford Racing.

His two runs prior to his assignment at Greyville on Durban July Day produced two sterling duels vs the highly rated Piet Steyn inmate, Garrix, at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town. Both races ended in heads up, heads down finishes, with Garrix winning the first one and Otto Luyken short heading the second one.

Otto Luyken – A courageous win under a forceful and balanced ride from Louis

Otto Luyken beats Garrix – Winning Interviews

In the Grade 3 Magical Zulu Kingdom Otto Luyken was drawn eleven, and as the field jumped Louis could not get onto the rail and was forced to take his medicine and had to race three wide as the field rounded the first turn. Louis continued to be patient making up a little bit of ground as the field moved down the back stretch, and as the field entered the home straight, he continued to hold his line down the middle of the racecourse.

As the field went through the 300M, Otto Luyken was now in full flight down the centre of the track, running strongly at the leaders but still having to get to Navajo Nation who was rallying down the inside. However, Louis was having none of it, and despite Otto Luyken drifting marginally off a straight course, he continued to gain on the leader and as the pair flashed past the post, he put his head down to win a brilliant race.

Otto Luyken wins the G3 Magical Zulu Kingdom under a brilliant ride from Louis Mxothwa

Otto Luyken wins on HW Durban July Day – Winning Interviews

James Crawford on the Double at Kenilworth Racecourse

Another rainy Tuesday afternoon, another racemeeting that was not sure of going ahead due to the underfoot conditions. However, horses galloped in the morning, the racetrack was deemed good enough to race, and once again James and his team saddled another double for the day, just as they did in June.

FESTIVAL CHIC

Age: 3 (at last run)

Sex: f

M/Rating: 89 (at last run)

Owner: Mr P M Murugasa

Breeder: Klawervlei Stud

Trainer: J Crawford

Breeding: William Longsword – Jamboree by Black Minnaloushe (USA)

Colours: Green, black epaulettes, blue sleeves and collar, green cap

Festival Chic is a three-year-old filly who started her career in very good fashion for prominent owners the Murugasa family. What you could glean from her early races and victories, was that she preferred the soft underfoot conditions. After back-to-back victories, she ran a couple of below par runs before being rested.

The first run after her rest she showed a flicker of her previous form finishing only four lengths off Babelicious. Her second run was down the 1200M straight, once again with the going being yielding to soft and she did not disappoint. Under a cracking ride from Callan Murray, he brought her home in very good fashion despite being baulked for a clear run at the 300M.

She jumped well showing good gate speed before settling just off the pace as the field went through the 400M. As Callan made her run down the inside running rail, the pacemaker Miss World rolled onto the inside rail. Callan had pull her out, balance her and make his run between the two pacemakers and she exploded through to win a tad cosily. An excellent win for a filly that has now regained her confidence after the layoff and with the track at Kenilworth continue to be saturated by the ongoing rain, a horse to watch.

Festival Chic wins a tad cosily under a brilliant ride from Callan Murray

Festival Chic wins for Mr Murugasa – Winning Interviews

James and his Team then had to wait for the last race for the stable to complete their double, but this win was equally impressive. Brevan Plaatjies relocated from Natal to Cape Town in the middle of the horseracing season and has blossomed in the Cape. He has been riding multiple winners for various stables, and on July 15th he recorded his first winner for the Crawford Stable.

ELEGANT NOBLE

Age: 5 (at last run)

Sex: g

M/Rating: 69 (at last run)

Owner: Mrs J E Kieswetter

Breeder: Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud

Trainer: J Crawford

Breeding: Time Thief (AUS) – Elegantes (AUS) by Danehill Dancer (IRE)

Colours: Gold, purple braces and sleeves, gold cap

Despite being Five years old, Elegant Noble is lightly raced. Before his second win at Kenilworth, he had only run eight times. After his fifth run which was also his culminated in him breaking his Maiden, he was off the track for more than two years. His first two runs back were needed badly, but his third run after the rest saw him run a close third to King’s Quest, ridden by Brevan for the first time.

Brevan retained the ride for this run on owner Mrs Kieswetter five-year-old gelding, and he did not disappoint. Jumping from a good draw of three, Elegant Noble displayed sharp gate speed, immediately going off to the front. Once in front Brevan slowed the pace, which allowed Sean Veale on Water Dragon to move through on his outside to quicken the gallop marginally, Brevan holding second position on the turn.

Just before the field spun into the stretch, Brevan moved Elegant Noble one off the rail and immediately took up the running at the 300M. As the field approached the 200M, he gave his mount a quick backhander with the left hand, switched his whip to the right keeping the horse balanced and then pulled away from the field as the post loomed to win a very good race.

Elegant Noble wins well under Brevan Plaatjies for Mrs Kieswetter

Elegant Noble – Winning Interviews

Another successful day for the stable, ending the day on a wonderful note with a good double. With the current season now at an end, and the new season being eagerly awaited, the sky could be the limit for James, his brilliant team, his loyal owners and his stable of potential superstars.

Ride of the Month – Louis Mxothwa and Captain West

Captain West has always been highly rated by the Crawford Stable. He was considered good enough to run in multiple Graded races at the end of the 2024 calendar year, finishing 5th and 4th to Great Plains and One Stripe in consecutive starts. Those two runs pushed up his merit rating from a 92 to a 103 and in his next six starts he had multiple placings, winning once.

CAPTAIN WEST

Age: 3 (at last run)

Sex: g

M/Rating: 99 (at last run)

Owner: Mr P M Murugasa

Breeder: Hemel ‘N Aarde Stud

Trainer: J Crawford

Breeding: One World – Weston by Philanthropist (USA)

Colours: Green, black epaulettes, blue sleeves and collar, green cap

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Cape Town, he was entered into a Class 3 Handicap in the soft going at Kenilworth Racecourse at the end of July. On his back was Louis Mxothwa, a man in prime form, winning for Sharon Kotzen most Fridays in Gqeberha, and then for James Crawford on most  Saturdays in Cape Town.

Drawn three, Louis had him out in a flash, settling off the leader as the field stretched down the back stretch. The leader San Pedro increased his lead to five lenths as the field was about the spin into the lane, but Louis was just holding him quietly in second. As the pacemaker started coming up for air, Louis responded quickly, driving him into the lead as the field approached the 200M.

Louis just kept him balanced under a driving right hand stick, running on strongly all the way to the line to beat Please Be True. JP Van Der Merwe on the second horse saw some gaps close for him down the inside, which he then switched to the outside and was flaying at the son of One World.

However, Louis had timed his run to perfection on the Murugasa family owned three year old, and would not be denied as he extended all the way to the line holding Please be True comfortably at the line.

Captain West wins his third career start under a brilliantly timed ride from Louis

Captain West wins well – Winning Interviews

Louis is riding at the top of his game at the moment, and the confidence is high. Jockeys have to make multiple split second decisions in a race, and when the confidence is good, a high percentage of those decisions tend to be the correct ones. Carry that confidence over into the current season and the sky could be the limit for Louis Mxothwa.

James is fortunate to have incredibly talented jockeys at his disposal on race day. Richard Fourie rides many of the stables leading lights as does Louis Mxothwa. He then also has Callan Murray who rides the majority of the horses who run out of the Gauteng stable as well as travelling down to Cape Town most racedays. They all have impeccable race judgement when making those split second decisions, great balance in the saddle, strength in the finish and the ability to coax that little extra from their respective mounts in tight finishes.

To that end, special recognition for ‘Ride of the Month’ has to go to Callan aboard Mr Murugasa’s Festival Chic (see ‘James Crawford on the Double at Kenilworth Racecourse’ insert ). The way he extricated her when Miss World moved across her as she was making her run, balanced her and took the gap to win was very impressive, and it was nip and tuck between Louis and Callan for ride of the month, as both rides were exceptional.

Timothy Woodruff – Keeps the Winners Ticking over in Gauteng

Timothy Woodruff added another two winners in Gauteng to his overall tally for the month of July, winning one race at the Vaal and one at Turffontein despite only having a limited number of runners competing for the month. Twentytwentyvision scampered home over 1000M at the Vaal at the beginning of the month, and Aladdin’s Lamp reeled off a hat trick of wins at Turffontein closer to month end.

TWENTYTWENTYVISION

Age: 4 (at last run)

Sex: g

M/Rating: 80 (at last run)

Owner: Messrs G S Knowles, B Nunhuck & Wehann Smith, Mrs G MacGregor & Mr & Mrs D Naik

Breeder: Klawervlei Stud

Trainer: J Crawford

Breeding: Royal Mo (USA) – Winning Eyes by Qui Danzig (USA)

Colours: Black, white stars, black sleeves, black cap, white star

Twentytwentyvision had been a long time Maiden in Cape Town, when suddenly he realised he loved running over 1250M at Durbanville. After winning two runs on the bounce, the remainder of his performances were below par in Cape Town. The son of Royal Mo then relocated to Gauteng and finished fourth on his debut on the Highveld over 1200M at the Vaal.

However, his second run was very impressive. Running over 1000M at the Vaal equipped with blinkers and ridden by Pierre Strydom, he jumped well showing good speed out of the gates. Drawn on the outside rail, Pierre slotted him in just behind the pacemaker Deal Maker.

At the 400M Pierre moved him one off the rail and he absolutely cantered past the pacemaker to hit the line full of running, winning unextended by over five lengths. That win was very impressive and if he continues to enjoy his time at Randjesfontein, there is no reason to suggest that another win is not on the horizon for his owners Messrs G S Knowles, B Nunhuck & Wehann Smith, Mrs G MacGregor & Mr & Mrs D Naik.

Twentytwentyvision relocates to Gauteng and hacks up at the Vaal

ALADDIN’S LAMP

Age: 4 (at last run)

Sex: g

M/Rating: 87 (at last run)

Owner: Mr P M Murugasa

Breeder: Varsfontein Stud

Trainer: J Crawford

Breeding: Master Of My Fate – Little Genie by Judpot (USA)

Colours: Green, black epaulettes, blue sleeves and collar, green cap

Tim’s second winner came in the form of probably the most improved horse on the Highveld. When Mr Murugasa decided to send Aladdin’s Lamp to Gauteng, I doubt he even thought that in its four starts, he would finish second on his debut and then reel off a hat trick of wins, all three wins being ridden by Callan Murray.

But this is exactly what the son of Master Of My Fate did, the third win being at the end of July at Turffontein. Running in a Middle Stakes over 2400M, Aladdin’s Lamp jumped well, settling just behind the pacemaker as the field negotiated the back stretch. Callan had now moved Aladdin’s Lamp one off the rail as the field spun into the stretch and he had about four lengths to make up on the frontrunning Breeze Over.

Callan got stuck into him at the 400M, and he started making inroads into the lead of the leader. Aladdin’s Lamp kept nagging away in the last 200M under the right-handed urging from the saddle and as the post loomed, he showed tremendous courage to get to the frontrunner and run past him to reel off a brilliant hat trick. With his three wins, his merit rating has now increased to a career high of 87. However, with his new lease of life in the rarified Gauteng air there might be enough improvement to overcome the increase in his rating.

Aladdin’s Lamp reels off a Highveld Hat Trick under the Callan drive