Africa’s greatest horse race delivered a finish worthy of its 130-year legacy, as Note To Self surged past the field in the dying strides to win the 2026 Hollywoodbets Durban July by little more than a nose at Hollywoodbets Greyville in Durban.
Ridden by Richard Fourie and trained by Justin Snaith, Note To Self timed the run to perfection in the Grade 1 feature over 2,200 metres, denying stablemate Wish List in one of the closest finishes the great race has seen.
A Finish for the Ages
Wish List made the first move and hit the front at the right time in the final straight, and for a moment the race looked won. But on the outside, Note To Self exploded into action in the closing stages, claiming victory right on the line.
Behind the fighting front two came King Pelles in third, Viva’s Liberte in fourth and Isivivane in fifth, rounding out a top order that kept the packed Greyville crowd roaring to the very last stride.
A Double Celebration for Justin Snaith
The photo finish carried a delicious twist: champion trainer Justin Snaith saddled both the winner and the runner-up. Whatever happened in those final metres, the Snaith yard was always going to be celebrating, and with Note To Self and Wish List filling the first two places, the stable claimed South African racing’s biggest prize in emphatic style.
For jockey Richard Fourie, the expertly judged ride added another famous Durban July triumph to his career aboard a horse that simply refused to lose.
Africa’s Richest Race Keeps Growing
The 130th running of the race was another showcase of South African sport at its best. Sponsored by Hollywoodbets for the fifth consecutive year, the 2026 edition offered a record prize fund of R10 million, with the winning owner, trainer and connections sharing an unprecedented winner’s purse of R6 million.
The Durban July remains the single biggest day on the South African horseracing and social calendar, drawing tens of thousands of racegoers, fashion lovers and festival-goers to Greyville each year and pumping energy into Durban’s hospitality and tourism economy.
With a record purse, a capacity celebration and a finish that will be replayed for years, the first Saturday of July once again proved why this race is the pride of the South African turf. Full results were published by durbanjuly.co.za.
Photo: durbanjuly.co.za
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