Jack Milner
The autumn season on the Highveld will officially come to its conclusion at Turffontein on Saturday with the Championships Finale, the last leg of the four-meeting event.
While there are no Grade 1 races on the day, there are seven feature races on the card – four Grade 2s, two Grade 3s and a Listed event.
The four Grade 2 races are the TAB Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m, the TAB Colorado King Stakes over 2000m, as well as two races for fillies and mares, the TAB Camellia Stakes over 1160m and the TAB Igugu Stakes over 2000m.
There are also great betting opportunities on the 11-race card as we have three Jackpots (Races 1-4, 5-8 and 8 to 11) and two BiPots (Races 2-7 and 6 to 11).
An interesting jockey and trainer combination in the Senior Santa Stakes is the engagement of Richard Fourie to ride Pistol Pete for the Tony Peter stable. The Buffalo Bill Cody colt is better than his last few runs but he is known for not enjoying soft going and all the rain recently has not been in his favour.
But the two other runners to take note of are Candice Dawson-trained Truth with Muzi Yeni up, and Mount Pilatus, trained by Fanie Bronkhorst, with Calvin Habib in the irons.
Only seven horses are carded to go to post for the Colorado King Stakes and this looks wide open. However, Sean Tarry-trained Let’s Go Now gets the fillies’ weight allowance, and she comes in as the best weighted runner by at least 3kg.
Fourie will be riding the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight but she has yet to prove she will see out 2000m.
TAB SENOR SANTA STAKES (Grade 2)(Open) R500,000 1160m
1 - 1 MELECH (R R Magner) G Lerena 60.0 - 119
2 - 3 MOUNT PILATUS (F Bronkhorst) C Habib 58.0 - 112
3 - 2 PISTOL PETE (A P Peter) R Fourie 56.0 - 115
4 - 5 TRUTH (C Dawson) M Yeni 56.0 - 115
5 - 4 MRS BROWNING (S G Tarry) C Zackey 55.5 - 113
6 - 7 TAXI TO THE MOON (A P Peter) A Fortune 54.0 - 110
7 - 8 CHYAVANA (J J van Vuuren) C Maujean 54.0 - 104
8 - 6 MAGIC TATTOO (S G Tarry) K Matsunyane 54.0 - 104
9 - 9 CHASING HAPPINESS (J J van Vuuren) S Khumalo 53.5 - 109
Same Trainer: (3,6) (5,8) (7,9)
TAB COLORADO KING STAKES (Grade 2)(Open) R500000 2000m
1 - 6 HOTARUBI (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 112
2 - 2 MARAUDING HORDE (M/M de Kock) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 108
3 - 5 INFINITE WONDER (M Pandaram) J Gates 60.0 - 103
4 - 7 NAVAJO NATION (W H Marwing) K J Lihaba 60.0 - 101
5 - 1 LA MOOHAL (T Zackey) G Lerena 60.0 - 96
6 - 3 ROYAL EDITION (P P Labuschagne) R Danielson 60.0 - 90
7 - 4 LET'S GO NOW (S G Tarry) R Fourie 57.5 - 113
Same Trainer: (1,7)
TAB CAMELLIA STAKES (Grade 2)(For Fillies and Mares) R350000 1160m
1 - 8 GIMME A SHOT (M/A Azzie) M Yeni 60.0 - 110
2 - 7 TIME FO ORCHIDS (J J van Vuuren) S Khumalo 60.0 - 109
3 - 5 WINTER GREETING (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 109
4 - 2 MIA MOO (S G Tarry) P Strydom 60.0 - 108
5 - 1 MINOGUE (C Dawson) C Zackey 60.0 - 102
6 - 4 CHROME TOURMALINE (F P Habib) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 100
7 - 9 ALMOND SEA (A P Peter) G Lerena 58.0 - 112
8 - 3 WHISTLE THE TUNE (C Dawson) C Habib 58.0 - 103
9 - 6 KOMATI RIVER (A P Peter) A Fortune 58.0 - 96
Same Trainer: (3,4) (5,8) (7,9)
TAB IGUGU STAKES (Grade 2)(For Fillies and Mares at Weight for Age + Penalties) R350000 2000m
1 - 4 BEATING WINGS (S T Pettigrew) R Fourie 60.0 - 116
2 - 1 NONE OTHER (M N Houdalakis) S Khumalo 59.0 - 115
3 - 2 INDIAN OCEAN (M Pandaram) P Strydom 59.0 - 107
4 - 7 CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL (M/M de Kock) R Danielson 59.0 - 98
5 - 6 BLUE HORIZON (W H Marwing) K J Lihaba 59.0 - 91
6 - 5 OLIVIA'S WAY (R R Magner) G Lerena 55.5 - 112
7 - 8 WORLD OF ALICE (S G Tarry) C Zackey 55.5 - 108
8 - 3 COCOMELON (S G Tarry) K Matsunyane 55.5 - 106
9 - 9 TODOQUE (P F Matchett) M Yeni 55.5 - 100
Same Trainer: (7,8)
TAB PROTEA STAKES (Grade 3) R300,000 1100m
1 - 3 KAALVOET (C Binda) C Habib 60.0 - 85
2 - 2 KING HARALD (R R Magner) G Lerena 60.0 - 100
3 - 1 TIN PAN ALLEY (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 90
4 - 4 GREEN DIAMOND (S G Tarry) C Zackey 57.5 - 106
5 - 7 LAVA COUNTY (C Dawson) C Maujean 57.0 - 0
6 - 5 PORRIDGE BOY (M Pandaram) S Khumalo 57.0 - 96
7 - 6 VANAKKAM (M Pandaram) J Gates 54.5 - 0
Same Trainer: (3,4) (6,7)
TAB PRETTY POLLY STAKES (Grade 3) R250,000 1100m
1 - 4 GLASTONBURY (P F Matchett) M Yeni 60.0 - 99
2 - 1 JINGLEBERRY (M/M de Kock) G Lerena 58.0 - 84
3 - 3 MALIBU (M N Houdalakis) C Zackey 58.0 - 90
4 - 5 ONE FINE WINTER (S G Tarry) R Fourie 58.0 - 95
5 - 2 TINA LOVELACE (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 58.0 - 84
6 - 6 RED CARAMEL (P P Labuschagne) J Gates 55.0 - 72
Same Trainer: (4,5)
TAB GOLD BOWL (Listed)(Open) R400,000 3200m
1 - 1 BREEZE OVER (M/A Azzie) M Yeni 60.0 - 100
2 - 3 NEBRAAS (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 99
3 - 6 MY SOUL MATE (C Dawson) R Fourie 59.5 - 107
4 - 4 UNITED COUNCIL (R R Sage) R Danielson 59.5 - 102
5 - 10 BATTLEGROUND (M N Houdalakis) S Khumalo 58.0 - 96
6 - 7 ARUMUGAM (J S Roux) C Maujean 58.0 - 94
7 - 5 EXPLOSIVE BOND (P F Matchett) C Habib 57.5 - 99
8 - 9 TWENTY DRACHMA'S (S T Pettigrew) P Mxoli 56.0 - 93
9 - 8 TO THE RESCUE (S G Tarry) K Matsunyane 56.0 - 82
10 - 2 TAXHAVEN (P F Matchett) M K Katjedi 56.0 - 73
Same Trainer: (2,9) (7,10)