Jack Milner
The first leg of the SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara will be run at Turffontein on Saturday with the staging of the R1-million Gauteng Guineas and the R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, both Grade 2 races over 1600m on the Standside track.
A number of fillies were nominated to contest both races but interestingly all those who are running were declared for the Wilgerbosdift Fillies Guineas.
Of course, that includes star filly Quid Pro Quo, who will be bidding farewell to South African racing fans as she prepares to continue her career overseas.
She was purchased by a syndicate for an undisclosed figure following her sensational victory in the Grade 2 Dingaans where she gave some of the best three-year-colts in the country an absolute hiding. What added to the quality of that win is that it was her first race in four months.
Barend Botes, who deserves all the accolades for her successes, is still taking care of her ahead of her departure and she will, once again, be ridden by Piere Strydom.
There are 14 runners carded to race in the Fillies Guineas and she will jump from draw No 11, not the greatest place to be over this course and distance.
But she appears to be a very easy filly to ride and based on her victories so far, she should be too good for her rivals at level weights.
Ironically, she is not the highest rated runner; that position goes to Tony Peter-trained VJ’s Angel but while she has Gavin Lerena in the irons, she is drawn even wider out at No 13 and was beaten three lengths by Quid Pro Quo in a Grade 2 event at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
World Of Alice and Fiery Pegasus, first and second in the Grade 3 Fillies Mile, represent Sean Tarry and Joe Soma respectively, but both did not perform as well as expected in their races after that and will need to regain their top form to feature.
As expected, Fire Attack and Greaterix will renew rivalry in the Guineas, with the score currently at 1-1. Greaterix, running for the first time under the official banner of the father and son team of Mike and Mathew de Kock, was strong favourite to win the Dingaans but was too quick in the early stages and was run out of it by both Quid Pro Quo and Fire Attack.
Last time, over 1400m in the Grade 3 Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes, Muzi Yeni was able to settle Greaterix a little better and got clear early in the straight, winning more comfortably than the 0.75-length may suggest from a fast-finishing Fire Attack.
The battle between the pair should be interesting but they can expect a challenge from the Sean Tarry pairing of Legend Of Arthur and Dantonfromsandton with Strydom and Ryan Munger the respective riders.
The second leg of the Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara, the Grade 1 SA Classic and Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m, will be run on 1 March with the third leg on Champions Day, 28 March, with the running of the Grade 1 SA Derby and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, both over 2450m.
Final field for the R1-million Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m
1 - 1 FIRE ATTACK (A G Laird) G Lerena 60.0 - 111
2 - 4 LEGEND OF ARTHUR (S G Tarry) P Strydom 60.0 - 111
3 - 9 GREATERIX (M/M de Kock) M Yeni 60.0 - 109
4 - 13 CHESTNUT BOMBER (J J van Vuuren) C Maujean 60.0 - 106
5 - 11 DANTONFROMSANDTON (S G Tarry) R Munger 60.0 - 106
6 - 5 WAHEED (M/M de Kock) R A Venniker 60.0 - 105
7 - 10 WILD AT WAR (C Dawson) P Mxoli 60.0 - 102
8 - 6 BACCHUS (F P Habib) D Schwarz 60.0 - 101
9 - 2 PARISIAN WALKWAY (A G Laird) D De Gouveia 60.0 - 101
10 - 7 MUSICAL SCORE (M N Houdalakis) C Zackey 60.0 - 100
11 - 8 CHOISAANADA (E Verdonese) R Danielson 60.0 - 98
12 - 12 ARISTOTLE (A G Laird) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 94
13 - 3 DIWALI ROCKET (M Pandaram) K A Brewer 60.0 - 91
Same Trainer: (1,9,12) (2,5) (3,6)
Final field for the R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m
1 - 13 VJ'S ANGEL (A P Peter) G Lerena 60.0 - 119
2 - 11 QUID PRO QUO (B D Botes) P Strydom 60.0 - 115
3 - 5 OLIVIA'S WAY (R R Magner) D De Gouveia 60.0 - 110
4 - 12 WORLD OF ALICE (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 108
5 - 10 FIERY PEGASUS (J A Soma) M Yeni 60.0 - 107
6 - 1 VULCANITE (P F Matchett) R Munger 60.0 - 104
7 - 2 KOMMETJIE STORM (A P Peter) R A Venniker 60.0 - 96
8 - 9 BAKWENA (J J van Vuuren) ............... 60.0 - 95
9 - 14 MISS LIA (P F Matchett) P Mxoli 60.0 - 95
10 - 6 SALENIO PENINSULA (J J van Vuuren) C Maujean 60.0 - 95
11 - 8 POBLANO (R R Sage) D Schwarz 60.0 - 93
12 - 7 SONIC JET (C J Lensley) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 91
13 - 3 SPUMANTE DOLCE (M/M de Kock) R Danielson 60.0 - 89
14 - 4 TOO LATE MY MATE (A G Laird) K A Brewer 60.0 - 83
Same Trainer: (1,7) (6,9) (8,10)