Entries – ‘Open’ Oaks And Derby

A total of 49 entries were received on Monday for the Gr3 Track and Ball Derby and the Gr3 Track and Ball Oaks to be run at Scottsville on Saturday 22 June 2019.

The  unique ‘open’ R250 000 apiece KZN Derby and Oaks will be run at Scottsville at weight-for-age plus penalties.

Gold Circle made the bold move in 2014 to open these two contests to all ages on weight-for-age terms.

Tickets And Tax wins the 1995 Gr1 KZN Derby

They leant on international precedent offered by similar amendments to the Irish St Leger and the Yorkshire Oaks.

The coastal racing operator’s move, while innovative, was really just a local means to an end and addressed symptoms more than the core problems of the broader staying race picture.

It was based on the rationale that the chief focus of 3yo’s during the SA Champions Season is the Guineas, the Daily News 2000, the Woolavington Stakes and the Vodacom Durban July.

Further justification for the move was seen in the fact that there are no weight-for-age races in South Africa over the distance and it was hoped that the overall programme for stayers would actually benefit from the change. Five years on, it was clearly just a drop in the ocean.

The recent R250 000 Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, won by the out-of-sorts former Summer Cup winner Liege racing off a rating of 95, was the first of the SA Champion Season staying features.

Lonsdale winner Liege (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)

The champions season staying division is rounded off by the R500 000 Gr3 Gold Vase run over 3000m on July Day and the R1,25 million Gr3 Gold Cup on Super Saturday. That’s it.

South Africa’s highest ranked staying race is the R400 000 Gr2 Reserve Stayers, run over 2800m on Met Day, and won earlier this year by Snaith’s Magnificent Seven.

Our richest race over a trip is the 2450m R2 million Gr1 SA Derby, restricted to 3yo’s, and which was won by longshot Samurai Warrior, who was the only horse to have actually run over ground in the field. He earned a rating of 105, but sadly died weeks later.

9	Ancestry		Joey Ramsden	81
3	Ballad Of The Sea (AUS)		Candice Bass-Robinson	79
23	Banjo On My Knee		Dean Kannemeyer	72
22	Cedar Man		Greg Ennion	92
7	Charles		Brett Crawford	104
18	Dawn Assault		St John Gray	106
20	Elusive Silva		Justin Snaith	103
15	Gimme One Night		Brett Crawford	92
6	Insignis		Geoff Woodruff	102
11	Liege		Sean Tarry	100
12	Major Return		M G Azzie/A A Azzie	80
2	Mangrove		Yvette Bremner	92
25	Mr Winsome		Dean Kannemeyer	84
17	Pacific Chestnut		Candice Bass-Robinson	91
8	Paths Of Victory		Gareth van Zyl	89
13	Roy Had Enough (AUS)		Frank Robinson	108
4	Seattle Force		Stuart Pettigrew	89
1	Secret Potion		Geoff Woodruff	102
24	Silva’s Bullet		Dean Kannemeyer	91
21	Silver Rose		Andre Nel	97
19	Strathdon		Justin Snaith	101
16	The Sultans Bazaar		Dean Kannemeyer	90
10	Top Classman		Paul Lafferty	84
5	Walter Smoothie		Stuart Pettigrew	95
14	White Lightning		Paul Lafferty	80
(25)

Progressive stayer Sunshine Silk (Pic – JC Photos)