Hopes And Dreams Stud’s exciting new stallion Lucky Lad gained a handsome boost to his pedigree on Hollywoodbets Durban July day.
Classy five-year-old Magic Verse, whose G1 winning third dam State Treasure also ranks as the granddam of Lucky Lad, picked up the biggest win of his career when he won Saturday’s G3 Magical Zulu Kingdom 2200 (2200m).

Under a well judged ride from Zac Lloyd, the Justin Snaith trained gelding powered home to win his first stakes race by nearly a length and a half.

Saturday’s win was a redemption of sorts for Magic Verse, with the latter having finished third in the same race in 2025.

Bred by Drakenstein Stud, Magic Verse races for Greg and Gina Bortz and Mr Leon Ellman.

Magic Verse, a R400 000 buy from the 2022 National Yearling Sale, has won five of 29 starts.

By champion sire Vercingetorix, Saturday’s winner is out of the Jet Master mare Little Miss Magic, a winner of two races including the G1 Empress Club Stakes.

Little Miss Magic not only hails from the family of the dual G1 winning Lucky Lad, but also Equus Champion Tara’s Touch, as well as the likes of Bilateral and VJ’s Angel.