Milnerton trainer Vaughan Marshall trained his first Cape Guineas winner 31 years ago and saddles favourite Tap O’Noth on Saturday in a bid to register his fifth winner of one of our greatest races.
Lightly raced William Longsword
Marshall and jockey MJ Byleveld bid for a double after William Longsword’s emphatic victory in the race last year.
Prior to that the former KZN-based trainer won it with Sea Warrior in 1986, Face North in 1990 and the legendary Captain Al in 2000. His stable jockey MJ Byleveld also won the classic on Le Drakkar in 2008 for Dean Kannemeyer.
Captain Al wins the 2000 Gr1 Cape Argus Guineas
Captain Al has four representatives in Saturday’s renewal, including Tap O’Noth and the son of champion sire Al Mufti and broodmare of the year Off To War, went into the 2000 Guineas as a 7-1 shot behind the well fancied visiting contenders, Badger’s Coast and Glamour Boy.
The Vaughan Marshall trained bay prevailed by three parts of a length from subsequent SA Classic hero, Glamour Boy. Further back in the race came dual classic winner, The Sheik (Cape Derby, SA Guineas), while the disappointing favourite, Badger’s Coast, would go on to beat older horses in the J&B Met that same season.
The Guineas was traditionally run on the first Saturday in February and was run for the first time in 1955 as the Cape Of Good Hope Guineas for a stake of £4200. The 2017 renewal boasts a stake of R1 million.
Face North wins the 1990 Guineas
The first Guineas winner Marion Island was bred by George Kramer at his Broadlands Stud and was raced by Mr & Mrs R Engestrom and Mr J Carney, who was also his trainer. The horse changed stables to Syd Garrett sometime after his Guineas win and went on to win the first of the £10 000 Mets in 1957.
Piet Botha and Norma Marsh lead Bushmanland into the No 1 box in the 1995 renewal
In 1963 Cape Mellow-wood came on board as sponsors until 1970. The race was sponsorless from 1971 to 1974. In line with the Cape Town Festival of 1975 the race was branded the Argus Festival Guineas and won by the brilliant son of Kirch Flambee, Gatecrasher.
It became the Richelieu Guineas in 1978 and in the next two decades had various sponsors from Topsport Bloodline, to Bloodstock South Africa and the Cape Premier Yearling Sale – up to Grand Parade Investments.
