Boasting great tradition and a proud history, the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas has been a rich source of champions, its honour roll studded with many of our most famous horses.
Marion Island won the Cape Of Good Hope Guineas (Pic – Supplied)
First run a century ago in 1924 as the Western Province Derby and renamed the Western Province Guineas in 1945, the race officially became the Cape of Good Hope Guineas a decade later when it was won by Marion Island, who would go on to claim the Met two years later.
The swinging sixties was the decade of the mighty Colorado King and Hawaii. In 1963, Colorado King won what was then the Cape’s richest race whilst setting a new record time over the Milnerton mile. Hawaii followed suit in 1968, outclassing his rivals by two lengths. Both subsequently continued their distinguished careers in the States, with Hawaii named Champion Grass Horse in 1969.
Many still regard the seventies as the “golden age’ of South African racing, a notion which would not be out of place, given that the list of Guineas winners includes the likes of In Full Flight, Jamaican Music, Gatecrasher, Politician and Bold Tropic, all giants of the turf.
In Full Flight, Jamaican Music, Gatecrasher and Politician would all go on to glory in the Hollywoodbets Durban July and barring Jamaican Music, won the Met as well, Politician not once, but twice. Bold Tropic followed Colorado King and Hawaii across the Atlantic where he too, proved himself in the best of company.
Incidentally, 1973 winner Ocean City redeemed his sire, the legendary Sea Cottage, who could only finish fourth behind Savonarola in 1966.
Following that dazzling array of winners, one could be forgiven if the eighties came across as somewhat of an anti-climax, albeit that 1980 Guineas winner Quarrytown would scoop the Horse of the Year title at four. This was also the decade where the dreaded equine flu led to the cancellation of the 1987 Guineas.
The early half of the nineties was dominated by the fairer sex, with no less than three fillies beating the boys in successive years. Star Effort set the tone in 1991 when she became the first female winner in 26 years and the first to complete the Fillies Guineas/Guineas double. Trained by Geoff Woodruff and a champion at two, she won ten of eleven starts, six at the elite level.
Twelve months later, Cape racegoers witnessed another female winner, the Argentinian bred champion Empress Club, who counted the Guineas amongst a seven-win streak at three. Trained by Woodruff’s brother-in-law Tony Millard, the “galloping goldmine” as she was fondly known, won no less than eight Gr1 races and was voted Horse of the Year in 1992.
Rounding out the treble was was ill-fated Little Ballerina, who ran out a facile 2.25 length winner in the 1993 renewal. Sadly, that proved to be her only stakes success, as she died in training. No filly has won the classic since.
No filly has won the Cape Guineas since Little Ballerina in 1993 (Pic – Supplied)
A pair of superstar colts closed out the nineties, during which time the Guineas had moved to Kenilworth following the sale of its former home Milnerton in 1996.
The Devines’ champion Jet Master triumphed in 1998, setting the tone for a stellar career at four and five. The Joint Equus Horse of the Year in 1999, he was lethal up to a mile and at stud became a stallion sensation.
The 1999 Guineas witnessed another legend of the turf, the Oppenheimer homebred Horse Chestnut, who turned the classic on its head with a sublime 6.75 length tour de force.
Horse Chestnut wins the 1999 Cape Guineas (Pic – Supplied)
A true champion and trained by Mike de Kock, he was voted both the Champion 3yo and Equus Horse of the Year before leaving for the States, where he won his only start in runaway fashion.
The new millennium started with a bang when Jeff Lloyd piloted Vaughan Marshall’s Captain Al to victory. The son of Al Mufti has since contributed to Guineas history as the only modern-time winner whose progeny have emulated their sire in the mile classic, with William Longsword claiming victory in 2016 and Tap O’Noth making it a double twelve months later. Who knows, we may yet witness a fairytale third-generation success this year, as Captain Al’s grandson One Stripe, also trained by Marshall, tops the bookmaker boards.
In 2002, trainer Mike de Kock again came, saw, and conquered with Flight Alert and for good measure, returned twelve months later to repeat with Domino Man.
Domino Man beats Dynasty in a turn-up for the books (Pic – Supplied)
However, it was local trainer Dean Kannemeyer who dominated the first decade of the millennium, saddling no less than four winners, Rabiya (2005), Express Way (2006), Le Drakkar (2008) and Noordhoek Flyer (2009).
The jockey/trainer duo of Anton and Basil Marcus teamed up Jay Peg to claim the 2007 renewal in a season which saw the colt named the Equus Champion Classic Colt.
In 2010 trainer Justin Snaith landed his first Cape Guineas with Solo Traveller leading home a one-two for the stable.
Twelve months later, Hollywoodbets Kenilworth racegoers witnessed the maiden Gr1 win of budding superstar miler Variety Club. The Guineas was the chestnut’s first of five Gr1 victories in a stellar career which brought with it two Horse of the Year titles and three championships, not to mention that famous Hong Kong win in the Gr1 Champions Mile.
Capetown Noir is eased down by Karl Neisius to win the Gr1 CPYS Guineas (Pic – Supplied)
Dean Kannemeyer’s Capetown Noir added his name to a star-studded honour roll with a visually impressive score in the 2012 renewal to give his trainer a fifth Guineas success, a tally shared by Mike de Kock, whose most recent winner Soqrat outgunned his rivals in 2018, this despite a 27-hour road trip from home base Randjiesfontein and a week off work.
Dean Kannemeyer closed out the year 2020 on a high when he claimed his sixth Guineas success with Russian Rock, a striking grey grandson of 1998 winner Jet Master.
In 2022, prize money for the Guineas was upped to a record R2-million, the bulk of which was won by budding champion Charles Dickens, the chestnut making it six wins from as many starts by blowing away a star-studded field.
The most recent renewal nearly resulted in an upset when unfancied filly Red Palace came close to running her male rivals into submission, only to be caught late by Snow Pilot, who made it a superb double for owner-breeder Drakenstein Stud.
Saturday’s renewal figures to be just as compelling when a field of ten will go postward for what promises to be another hotly-contested affair.
