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2025 December

Hollywoodbets Raises The Stakes

Racehorse Owners AssociationDecember 17, 2025

Hollywoodbets Raises The Stakes


The Hollywoodbets Durban July is set to deliver its most compelling blend of sport, style and celebration yet in 2026. Hollywoodbets has announced a record-breaking R10 million stake for the 130th running of the race, which reinforces the event’s position as Africa’s richest race – both in prize money and in cultural impact.

The announcement was made at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse on Friday evening on the 5th of December, during a vibrant Durban July-inspired event that offered guests a festive taste of the July magic to come, complete with festive décor, photo moments, a market, beer and gin garden, night racing, a dazzling light show and family friendly entertainment, including Santa for younger guests. The event also encouraged giving, inviting attendees to donate new, unwrapped toys for children in need.

Taking place on Saturday, 4 July 2026, the Hollywoodbets Durban July remains South Africa’s most iconic racing event and an internationally recognised lifestyle spectacle. It is where high-performance racing meets high-fashion energy, and where the nation gathers for the ultimate day out, and in 2026, the racing story at the heart of it is set to be as exciting as the style in the stands.

A MILESTONE YEAR WITH A BOLDER, MORE COMPETITIVE RACE!
With 129 runnings behind it and the milestone 130th edition ahead in 2026, the Hollywoodbets Durban July is defined by the drama only a great handicap can deliver: big fields, unpredictable outcomes and the belief that on the day, anything can happen.

In 2026, the race will make a bold return to its handicap heritage, reintroducing a more “open” handicap designed to deepen competitiveness and elevate spectacle for racing fans and casual viewers alike. In handicap racing, weights are adjusted according to each horse’s rating, age and sex to level the playing field, helping deliver the kind of edge-of-your-seat finish that has built the July’s legend.

Key changes for 2026 include a return to a wider weight spread across the field:

  • Bottom weight reduced to 52kg (from 53kg)
  • Top weight increased to 62kg (up from 60kg)
  • Restoring a full 10kg spread — a hallmark of a true, open handicap

BIGGER STAKES. BROADER REWARDS. MORE TO RACE FOR.
The R10 million stake forms part of a wider evolution to increase opportunity and reward performance across the field, and expand the prize-money distribution to recognise more finishers.

In 2026:

  • The first 12 horses past the post will now earn prize money (up from 10 previously)
  • The winning connections will take home R6 million

To uphold the integrity of this world-class contest, Race Coast will assemble a five-person national panel of racing experts (to be announced in due course), responsible for determining the final field.

THE ULTIMATE JULY: WHERE RACING FUELS THE FASHION AND CULTURE
While the racing is the heartbeat, the Hollywoodbets Durban July is defined by the full experience that embraces heritage, fashion, hospitality and Durban’s winter social season.

The 2026 theme will be announced in February 2026, which signals the start of the creative countdown that turns designers, stylists and racegoers into storytellers, and transforms Hollywoodbets Greyville into a living runway alongside a world-class sporting stage.

“Hollywoodbets Durban July is where sport, style and South African spirit come together — and we’re proud to be raising the stakes for this milestone 130th running,” said Devin Heffer, Brand and Communications Manager at Hollywoodbets. “With a record R10 million stake and a bold return to a more open handicap, the racing will be as dramatic as the day is stylish. It’s a celebration of our heritage — on the track and in the culture — and 2026 is set to be unforgettable.”

For further information please contact:
Kirsti Lyall: kirsti@racecoast.co.za or 083 450 6665
Stephen Marshall: stephen@racecoast.co.za  or 083 412 3028