Jack Milner
Guineas Day is almost here and what a day it should be at Turffontein on Saturday.
Heading up the nine-race card is the Grade 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, both over 1600m on the Standside track.
Of course, these two races are the respective first legs of the SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara.
So, it is the chance for a number of horses to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Horse Chestnut and Igugu and place their names in the annuls of South African horseracing history.
Sandringham Summit looks the runner to beat in the TAB Gauteng Guineas. He is the best weighted runner by at least 3.5kg and is the lone Grade 1 winner in the field and the highest rated runner.
He was desperately unlucky in The Dingaans over this course and distance and should reverse the placings with winner Purple Pitcher. Gavin Lerena takes the ride.
Interestingly, Main Defender is not in the field but Tony Peter has another intriguing runner in William Iron Arm.
He has not raced as a three-year-old and changed stables last month, but he has won two of his three races and looks most useful.
Mike de Kock dominates the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas with five of the 11 runners, and they are good enough to fill all the places.
However, he does run undefeated Gimme A Nother who has been priced up at 6-10 to win this race.
There is also a Pick 6 carryover of R500,000 with the pool likely to reach R3 million.
BETTING
TAB Gauteng Guineas
12-10 Sandringham Summit
4-1 William Iron Arm
17-2 Purple Pitcher
8-1 Gimmeanotherchance
10-1 Mondial
11-1 Hotarubi
12-1 Storm Brasco
15-1 House Of Romanov
20-1 Red Bomber
22-1 The Africa House
33-1 Navajo Nation
Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas
6-10 Gimme A Nother
6-1 Silver Sanctuary
17-2 White Pearl
9-1 Let’s Go Now
12-1 Champagne Cocktail
15-1 Egyptian Mau
33-1 My Soul Mate, Marys Greenlight
35-1 Mia Moo
40-1 Key Element
50-1 Sign Of Fate
Final field for the R1-million TAB Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2)(For 3 year-olds ) (1st Leg SA Triple Crown) over 1600m
1 - 3 SANDRINGHAM SUMMIT (D Nieuwenhuizen) G Lerena 60.0 - 121
2 - 10 PURPLE PITCHER (R Klaasen) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 114
3 - 2 GIMMEANOTHERCHANCE (M F De Kock) C Zackey 60.0 - 112
4 - 9 THE AFRICA HOUSE (S G Tarry) P Mxoli 60.0 - 103
5 - 11 MONDIAL (M/A Azzie) M Yeni 60.0 - 100
6 - 1 HOTARUBI (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 - 98
7 - 8 RED BOMBER (J J van Vuuren) P Strydom 60.0 - 98
8 - 4 WILLIAM IRON ARM (A P Peter) C Habib 60.0 - 94
9 - 5 HOUSE OF ROMANOV (A P Peter) C Maujean 60.0 - 93
10 - 7 NAVAJO NATION (R A Hill) S Moodley 60.0 - 93
11 - 6 STORM BRASCO (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 91
Same Trainer: (4,6,11) (8,9)
Final field for the 750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2)(3yo Fillies) (1st Leg Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara) over 1600m
1 - 11 GIMME A NOTHER (M F De Kock) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 - 120
2 - 3 SILVER SANCTUARY (M F De Kock) R Fourie 60.0 - 115
3 - 5 EGYPTIAN MAU (M N Houdalakis) C Zackey 60.0 - 110
4 - 10 WHITE PEARL (M F De Kock) G Lerena 60.0 - 109
5 - 7 LET'S GO NOW (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 - 105
6 - 8 MY SOUL MATE (C Dawson) P Strydom 60.0 - 103
7 - 9 CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL (M F De Kock) M Yeni 60.0 - 102
8 - 2 MARY'S GREENLIGHT (M F De Kock) R Munger 60.0 - 97
9 - 6 KEY ELEMENT (P F Matchett) P Mxoli 60.0 - 96
10 - 4 MIA MOO (S G Tarry) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 90
11 - 1 SIGN OF FATE (R A Hill) S Moodley 60.0 - 90
Same Trainer: (1,2,4,7,8) (5,10)