Jack Milner
It is that time of the year again when the three-year-olds head up to Gauteng in attempt to insert their names into the annals of South African racing history.
At stake over the next two months is an opportunity to win the SA Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara and it all kicks off at Turffontein on Saturday with the running of the TAB Gauteng Guineas and the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, both Grade 2 races over 1600m on the Standside track.
Both races have been strongly supported, with 13 three-year-old colts and geldings declared to contest the Gauteng Guineas while 15 fillies will fight out the Fillies Guineas.
At this stage all of them are Triple Crown and Triple Tiara contenders but after Saturday’s meeting just one male and one female will have the opportunity to claim the respective R2-million Triple Crown and the R1-million Triple Tiara bonuses for winning all three legs.
The second leg is the Grade 1 TAB SA Classic and Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, both over 1800m at Turffontein on 7 March, and finally the Grade 2 TAB SA Derby and Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m on 4 April.
It is no mean feat to be able to win three races in the space of 8 weeks over three different distances as many horses are either specialists over 1600m or over further.
The Gauteng Guineas is headed up by Grade 2 Betway Dingaans winner Trust, trained by Candice and Tammy Dawson and ridden by Serino Moodley. He beat Jan Van Goyen by 0.70 lengths in that race, and the runner-up went on to win the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas just two weeks later.
With the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Jan Van Goyen giving this race a miss after his Cape campaign, Trust, well drawn in gate No 4, is likely to start a warm favourite for the Gauteng Guineas.
While he did not win his comeback start in the Grade 3 Got The Greenlight Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein last month, one must remember that he was given a break after the Dingaans and would have been in need of that run. In addition, he had to give weight to many of his rivals, which is not the case in the Guineas.
There are some talented opponents though, headed up by the two runners that finished first and second respectively in the Got The Greenlight Stakes, Splittheeights and One Eye On Vegas, both from the De Kock yard, as well as Yippee Kiyay and I’m A Fireball.
Sean Tarry has some decent runners with Tin Pan Alley, who had excuses when unplaced in the Dingaans but came back well with a victory last time, talented Grand Empire and Shadowfax.
Gqeberha will also be represented in the field as Dean Smith is bringing up All Systems Go who finished third in the Dingaans.
All eyes will be on Alan Greeff-trained Golden Palm in the Wilgerbosdrift Fillies Guineas. She travelled the country as a two-year-old, winning the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m at Turffontein and then capturing the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Greyville in July.
She did not have the best of luck in the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and finished unplaced for the first time, but she will jump from No 1 draw at Turffontein and has Craig Zackey in the irons.
Justin Snaith also has a runner in Lowveld Lily, who was beaten just 2.80 lengths in the World Sports Betting Cape Guineas and ran a decent third in her last start.
He has engaged Callan Murray to ride the daughter of Legislate.
There will also be a Pick 6 carryover of R500,000 at Saturday’s meeting with the pool likely to reach R3 million.
Final field for the R1-million TAB Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m at Turffontein
1 - 4 TRUST (C/T Dawson) S Moodley 60.0 - 119
2 - 11 TIN PAN ALLEY (S G Tarry) K de Melo 60.0 - 117
3 - 6 GRAND EMPIRE (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 108
4 - 3 ALL SYSTEMS GO (D G Smith) C Habib 60.0 - 106
5 - 13 ONE EYE ON VEGAS (M/M de Kock) S Veale 60.0 - 106
6 - 10 I'M A FIREBALL (M/M de Kock) C Murray 60.0 - 105
7 - 9 COPPER EAGLE (R Klaasen) M Yeni 60.0 - 103
8 - 8 GOLDEN WARRIOR (A Ndzilana) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 103
9 - 2 KING HARALD (R R Magner) S Khumalo 60.0 - 102
10 - 7 SHADOWFAX (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 102
11 - 1 YIPPEE KIYAY (M/M de Kock) R Munger 60.0 - 101
12 - 5 SPLITTHEEIGHTS (M/M de Kock) R Danielson 60.0 - 97
13 - 12 RADIO STAR (M G Azzie) G Lerena 60.0 - 95
Same Trainer: (2,3,10) (5,6,11,12)
Final field for the R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m at Turffontein.
1 - 1 GOLDEN PALM (A C Greeff) C Zackey 60.0 - 115
2 - 9 LOWVELD LILY (J S Snaith) C Murray 60.0 - 109
3 - 4 ELEGANTRIX (C Spies) R Munger 60.0 - 106
4 - 5 CHARGE IT (A Wright) S Moodley 60.0 - 104
5 - 12 HAZY DAZY (C Spies) T Mayhew 60.0 - 101
6 - 7 WARM RECEPTION (C/T Dawson) M Yeni 60.0 - 100
7 - 8 DAISY JONES (M G Azzie) S Khumalo 60.0 - 99
8 - 10 LITTLEMISSMILLION (T Zackey) P Mxoli 60.0 - 99
9 - 2 TINA LOVELACE (S G Tarry) M K Katjedi 60.0 - 95
10 - 15 VALENTINA BALDUCCI (R R Sage) G Lerena 60.0 - 97
11 - 14 PRETTY PERSUASIVE (J J van Vuuren) K de Melo 60.0 - 93
12 - 13 DRUMNADROCHIT (M/M de Kock) R Fourie 60.0 - 91
13 - 11 MERRYWEATHER (J J van Vuuren) R Danielson 60.0 - 88
14 - 6 AMAZON QUEEN (M Pandaram) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 81
15 - 3 FRANGIPANI (R Klaasen) C Habib 60.0 - 81
Same Trainer: (3,5) (11,13)