History-seeking Malmoos and War Of Athena have been declared to run in Saturday’s Grade 1 World Sports Betting SA Derby and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks respectively.
The two races form the final legs of the WSB SA Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara and will be run over 2450m on the Turffontein Standside track.
This will be the first time that two runners will be aimed at the respective titles in the same year.
The final fields for the meeting were declared on Monday and trainer Mike de Kock has taken up the challenge to earn the R2-million bonus offered for SA Triple Crown success. Should Malmoos be victorious, it will be the second time a runner from the De Kock stable has claimed the honour. He won it in 1999 with Horse Chestnut.
Other horses who have won the SA Triple Crown are Louis The King (2014) and Abashiri (2016).
A victory would also be a fitting tribute to owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid al Maktoum who sadly passed away in Dubai last week.
War Of Athena will also become the fourth winner of SA Triple Tiara should she win the Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks and claim the R1-million bonus.
The other winners are Igugu (2011), Cherry On The Top (2013) and Summer Pudding (2020).
Also run at the meeting is the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m and that sees Got The Greenlight, runner-up in last year’s Vodacom Durban July, the best handicapped runner.
Final fields for feature races at Turffontein on Saturday 5 April.
WORLD SPORTS BETTING SA DERBY (Grade 1)(3rd Leg SA Triple Crown) R750,000 2450m
1 – 8 MALMOOS (M F De Kock) L J Ferraris 60.0 – 120
2 – 5 SECOND BASE (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 60.0 – 116
3 – 10 BINGWA (D Sham) R Danielson 60.0 – 108
4 – 14 FLYING CARPET (S G Tarry) L Hewitson 60.0 – 108
5 – 3 BOLD JAZZ (P F Matchett) M Yeni 60.0 – 103
6 – 11 SHAH AKBAR (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 – 102
7 – 9 KINGSLEY’S HEART (W H Marwing) W Marwing 60.0 – 101
8 – 7 PAMUSHANA’S PRIDE (A G Laird) S Khumalo 60.0 – 91
9 – 4 FSQUADRON (D Sham) C Maujean 60.0 – 84
10 – 2 VALIDUS (A B Fortune) P Strydom 60.0 – 82
11 – 1 BAYMAX (P A Peter) W Kennedy 60.0 – 81
12 – 12 THE KOP (G M Alexander) R Munger 60.0 – 80
13 – 6 MIDNIGHT CALLER (W H Marwing) M V’Rensburg 60.0 – 73
14 – 13 BLUE MOON CITY (P A Peter) C Habib 60.0 – 62
Same Trainer: (3,9) (4,6) (7,13) (11,14)
WILGERBOSDRIFT SA OAKS (Grade 2)(3rd Leg of SA Triple Tiara) R375,000 2450m
1 – 10 WAR OF ATHENA (P F Matchett) M Yeni 60.0 – 122
2 – 4 NETTA (P A Peter) W Kennedy 60.0 – 102
3 – 9 MAGICAL FLIGHT (S G Tarry) L Hewitson 60.0 – 98
4 – 11 SPARKLING WATER (M F De Kock) C Zackey 60.0 – 98
5 – 2 IDEAL JET (P A Peter) G Lerena 60.0 – 91
6 – 5 ONLY THE BRAVE (P F Matchett) L J Ferraris 60.0 – 88
7 – 12 SACRED LOTUS (P A Peter) C Maujean 60.0 – 82
8 – 8 ASTRAL PLANE (G M Alexander) S Khumalo 60.0 – 80
9 – 7 UNDERTHEMISTLETOE (Z Oosthuizen) S Khumalo 60.0 – 78
10 – 6 LOTUS (P A Peter) C Habib 60.0 – 73
11 – 3 FLYING FIRST CLASS (D Nieuwenhuizen) S Brown 60.0 – 68
12 – 1 ROSSO MEADOW (P F Matchett) K Matsunyane 60.0 – 68