The SA Champions Season starts with fireworks at Greyville on 3 May when a host of South Africa’s top horses, including Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge and dual Gr1 star 3yo Soqrat, will step out on a treble feature billing, bolstered by a further four features rescheduled from Sunday.
Gr1 Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Anton Marcus takes the reins on the Eric Sands trained Rainbow Bridge as the son of Ideal World commences his bid for Vodacom Durban July glory in the R500 000 Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes which, together with the R600 000, Gr2 KRA Guineas and the R500 000 Gr2 KRA Fillies Guineas, raise the curtain on the three-month festival of racing.
Ten horses will line up in the Drill Hall Stakes with Dennis Drier’s Dynasty filly Lady In Black an interesting inclusion.
Hollywood are betting on the Drill Hall Stakes – click here
INDEPENDENT ON SATURDAY DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
| 1 | 9 | Rainbow Bridge | 60 | 124 | A | A Marcus | Eric Sands | |
| 2 | 2 | Undercover Agent | 60 | 120 | A | C Orffer | Brett Crawford | |
| 3 | 6 | Will Pays | 60 | 112 | A | C Zackey | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 4 | 8 | Zouaves | 58.5 | 109 | A | M V’Rensburg | Geoff Woodruff | |
| 5 | 4 | Sniper Shot | 58.5 | 106 | A | K de Melo | Paul Lafferty | |
| 6 | 10 | Matador Man | 57 | 111 | BA | …………… | Sean Tarry | |
| 7 | 7 | Sand And Sea | 57 | 105 | A | S Randolph | Dennis Drier | |
| 8 | 5 | Infamous Fox (AUS) | 57 | 103 | BA | M Byleveld | Candice Dawson | |
| 9 | 3 | Cirillo | 55 | 114 | A | L Hewitson | Sean Tarry | |
| 10 | 1 | Lady In Black | 54.5 | 117 | A | S Veale | Dennis Drier | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (6,9) (7,10) | ||||||||
Port Elizabeth giantkiller National Park takes on the mighty Soqrat in the KRA Guineas where Joey Ramsden’s trophy hungry Twist Of Fate has pulled a key pole position draw.
Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Soqrat (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
The surprise SA Derby winner Samurai Warrior rounds off a nationally representative bunch of 3yo males.
| 1 | 13 | Soqrat (AUS) | 60 | 124 | A | R Simons | Mike de Kock | |
| 2 | 9 | National Park | 60 | 117 | A | L Hewitson | Yvette Bremner | |
| 3 | 1 | Twist Of Fate | 60 | 115 | A | A Marcus | Joey Ramsden | |
| 4 | 11 | Alyaasaat (AUS) | 60 | 105 | A | B Fayd’Herbe | Mike de Kock | |
| 5 | 7 | Samurai Warrior | 60 | 105 | BA | M Yeni | Weiho Marwing | |
| 6 | 8 | Charles | 60 | 104 | BA | C Orffer | Brett Crawford | |
| 7 | 3 | Bunker Hunt | 60 | 100 | A | R Fourie | Justin Snaith | |
| 8 | 6 | Chijmes | 60 | 97 | A | *D Schwarz | Gary Alexander | |
| 9 | 2 | Thanksgiving | 60 | 97 | A | C Zackey | Duncan Howells | |
| 10 | 5 | Tristful | 60 | 94 | A | S Veale | Tony Rivalland | |
| 11 | 4 | Approach Control | 60 | 92 | A | D De Gouveia | Candice Dawson | |
| 12 | 10 | Solid Gold | 60 | 90 | A | G Wright | Michael Roberts | |
| 13 | 12 | Triple Fate Line | 60 | 87 | A | B Lerena | R A Hill/S R Hill | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (1,4) | ||||||||
The Greyville draw gods were not as kind to Ramsden’s Cape colleague Brett Crawford who sees his two KRA Fillies Guineas runners Front And Centre and Princess Irene drawing 15 and 14 in the fifteen strong fairer sex classic field.
Hollywood are betting on the KRA Guineas – click here
| 1 | 15 | Front And Centre | 60 | 112 | A | A Marcus | Brett Crawford | |
| 2 | 6 | Temple Grafin | 60 | 107 | A | G Cheyne | Glen Kotzen | |
| 3 | 8 | Celtic Sea | 60 | 106 | BA | L Hewitson | Sean Tarry | |
| 4 | 2 | Nafaayes (AUS) | 60 | 106 | A | W Kennedy | Mike de Kock | |
| 5 | 13 | Silvano’s Pride | 60 | 106 | A | R Fourie | Justin Snaith | |
| 6 | 9 | Running Brave | 60 | 104 | A | D L Habib | Paul Matchett | |
| 7 | 12 | Santa Clara | 60 | 103 | A | B Fayd’Herbe | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 8 | 14 | Princess Irene | 60 | 95 | A | C Orffer | Brett Crawford | |
| 9 | 11 | Arianos Shadow | 60 | 93 | A | S Moodley | Frank Robinson | |
| 10 | 10 | Generous Lady | 60 | 93 | A | K de Melo | Paul Lafferty | |
| 11 | 4 | Railtrip | 60 | 91 | TBA | C Zackey | Chesney van Zyl | |
| 12 | 3 | Petra | 60 | 83 | A | B Lerena | R A Hill/S R Hill | |
| 13 | 5 | Waiting For Change | 60 | 78 | T A | S Veale | R A Hill/S R Hill | |
| 14 | 7 | Moon In June | 60 | 77 | A | G Wright | R A Hill/S R Hill | |
| 15 | 1 | Mazari | 60 | 76 | BA | Reserve 1 | Tobie Spies | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (1,8) (12,13,14) | ||||||||
Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre looks a real powerhouse and the tactical battle she faces at a strange venue under the lights for the first time, against a host of top gallopers, should prove edge-of-the-seat racing action.
Hollywood are betting on the KRA Fillies Guineas – click here
Just a reminder that the Charity Turf Challenge gets under way on the same evening.
