The final fields for South Africa’s premier speed raceday, incorporating a jackpot of Grade 1 races, was published on Monday and includes the best of the local fast set!
Gold Circle report that Dean Kannemeyer star Gimme A Prince will be looking to stake a claim for the Equus Champion Sprinter crown by lifting the coveted R850 000 Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint title on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville as he takes on a quality field of 16 runners.
Gimme A Prince and Rio Querari bump heads again on Saturday at Hollywoodbets Scottsville (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Rio Querari finished second to Gimme a Prince in the Pongracz Gr1 Cape Flying Championship in January and won his prep run in the Champagne Stakes in the Cape in early May.
Both he and We’re Jamming will be having their first runs in KZN for the season.
Last year’s Gold Medallion winner, Thunderstruck, will be looking to recapture his form from a year ago.
1st R531250, 2nd R170000, 3rd R85000, 4th R42500, 5th R21250
GOLDEN HORSE SPRINT (Grade 1)
Handicap
WFA: 2yrs-8.5kgs 3yrs-1kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Bartholdi | 57 | 119 | BA | Craig Zackey | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 2 | 2 | Full Velocity | 54 | 110 | BA | Kabelo Matsunyane | Sean Tarry | |
| 3 | 3 | Seeking The Stars | 59.5 | 124 | BA | Robert Khathi | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 4 | 4 | We’re Jamming | 55 | 117 | BA | Grant van Niekerk | Justin Snaith | |
| 5 | 5 | Surjay | 56 | 117 | A | Luyolo Mxothwa | Brett Crawford | |
| 6 | 6 | Supreme Warrior | 57 | 119 | BA | Diego De Gouveia | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 7 | 7 | Good Traveller | 54 | 113 | A | #Rachel Venniker | Michael Roberts | |
| 8 | 8 | Thunderstruck | 54 | 115 | TBA | S’manga Khumalo | Sean Tarry | |
| 9 | 9 | Countdown | 54 | 109 | T A | Serino Moodley | Glen Kotzen | |
| 10 | 10 | William Robertson | 60 | 125 | JA | Gavin Lerena | Corne Spies | |
| 11 | 11 | After The Rain | 54 | 105 | A | Athandiwe Mgudlwa | Gareth van Zyl | |
| 12 | 12 | Gladatorian | 54 | 110 | T A | Sean Veale | Stuart Ferrie | |
| 13 | 13 | Rio Querari | 59.5 | 124 | A | Richard Fourie | Justin Snaith | |
| 14 | 14 | Gimme A Prince | 60 | 125 | A | Keagan de Melo | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 15 | 15 | Taikonaut | 55 | 117 | A | Muzi Yeni | Roy Magner | |
| 16 | 16 | Under Your Spell | 54.5 | 114 | T A | Calvin Habib | Sean Tarry | |
| 17 | 0 | Pearl Of Asia | 54 | 105 | TBA | Reserve 1 | Robbie Hill | |
| 18 | 0 | Tread Swiftly | 54 | 103 | BA | Reserve 2 | Gareth van Zyl | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (1,6) (2,8,16) (4,13) (11,18) | ||||||||
Seeking The Stars had his first run in a year in the IOS Drill Hall Stakes and only faded late, so will not be without a chance over the 1200m straight.
The very versatile champion filly, Under Your Spell, has chosen to take on the boys rather than take her place in the South African Fillies Sprint.
Other notable entries are Bartholdi and William Robertson who ran aecond in the Golden Horse Sprint and Mercury Sprint last year.
The South African Fillies Sprint, brought to you by The Witness, has attracted a small but high-quality field of 10 runners.
1st R468750, 2nd R150000, 3rd R75000, 4th R37500, 5th R18750
SOUTH AFRICAN FILLIES SPRINT (Grade 1)
For Fillies and Mares at Weight-For-Age
WFA: 2yrs-8.5kgs 3yrs-1kgs
| 1 | 1 | Princess Calla | 60 | 127 | A | Richard Fourie | Sean Tarry | |
| 2 | 2 | Aunty Lizzy | 60 | 102 | A | Grant van Niekerk | Lorenzo Karriem | |
| 3 | 3 | Cold Fact | 60 | 112 | PA | Denis Schwarz | Tony Peter | |
| 4 | 4 | Stiptelik (AUS) | 60 | 108 | A | Luyolo Mxothwa | Brett Crawford | |
| 5 | 5 | Whoa Whoa Whoa (AUS) | 60 | 108 | Ae | Kabelo Matsunyane | Brett Crawford | |
| 6 | 6 | Ameena | 59 | 112 | A | Serino Moodley | Glen Kotzen | |
| 7 | 7 | Iphiko | 60 | 107 | BA | Athandiwe Mgudlwa | Mike de Kock | |
| 8 | 8 | Gimme A Shot | 59 | 113 | A | Keagan de Melo | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 9 | 9 | Golden Hostess | 59 | 119 | TBA | Aldo Domeyer | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 10 | 10 | Desert Miracle | 60 | 124 | A | Craig Zackey | Mike de Kock | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (4,5) (7,10) | ||||||||
Princess Calla and Desert Miracle renew their rivalry, but Golden Hostess, Cold Fact and Stiptelik will be looking establish their Grade 1 credentials in this highly competitive sprint.
The Jackpot of Grade 1 Sprints is kicked off by the two 2-year-old races.
The Allan Robertson Championship for fillies has the unbeaten Mrs Geriatrix who won the WSB SA Fillies Nursery last time out, taking on the very well related Winter Cloud.
Mrs Geriatrix faces her biggest test on Saturday (Pic-JC Photos)
1st R437500, 2nd R140000, 3rd R70000, 4th R35000, 5th R17500
ALLAN ROBERTSON CHAMPIONSHIP (Grade 1)
For 2 year-old Fillies
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Moving In | 60 | 0 | A | Gavin Lerena | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 2 | 2 | Golden Tatjana | 60 | 0 | A | Grant van Niekerk | Glen Kotzen | |
| 3 | 3 | Rascova | 60 | 0 | A | Keagan de Melo | Glen Kotzen | |
| 4 | 4 | Captain’s Christy | 60 | 0 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Mark Dixon | |
| 5 | 5 | Global Thunder | 60 | 0 | A | Muzi Yeni | Corrie Lensley | |
| 6 | 6 | Troppo Veloce | 60 | 0 | A | Raymond Danielson | Ashley Fortune | |
| 7 | 7 | Red Hot Rose | 60 | 0 | BA | Calvin Habib | Mike de Kock | |
| 8 | 8 | Elegant Ice | 60 | 0 | A | Craig Zackey | Lucky Houdalakis | |
| 9 | 9 | Cullinan Blue | 60 | 0 | A | Kabelo Matsunyane | Brett Crawford | |
| 10 | 10 | Winter Cloud | 60 | 0 | A | Aldo Domeyer | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 11 | 11 | Hot Pearl | 60 | 0 | A | Serino Moodley | Wendy Whitehead | |
| 12 | 12 | Mrs Geriatrix | 60 | 0 | A | Richard Fourie | Sean Tarry | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (2,3) | ||||||||
With many of the field of 12 fillies only having run a few times, there is likely to be a lot of improvement from many of the fillies in the first Grade 1 two-year-old race of the season.
The R700 000 Gr1 Gold Medallion has Red Bomber, Cliff Hanger and Lucky Lad who are joined by the only filly in the race, Egyptian Mau as four of the eleven runners yet to taste defeat.
1st R437500, 2nd R140000, 3rd R70000, 4th R35000, 5th R17500
GOLD MEDALLION (Grade 1)
For 2 year-olds
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Icy Blast | 60 | 0 | BA | Sean Veale | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 2 | 2 | Let The Flag Fly | 60 | 0 | BA | Tristan Godden | Tienie Prinsloo | |
| 3 | 3 | Guy Gibson | 60 | 0 | A | Muzi Yeni | Roy Magner | |
| 4 | 4 | Red Bomber | 60 | 0 | A | Gavin Lerena | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 5 | 5 | Outlaw King | 60 | 0 | A | Keagan de Melo | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 6 | 6 | The Africa House | 60 | 0 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Sean Tarry | |
| 7 | 7 | Warrior Of Royalty | 60 | 0 | A | Robert Khathi | Nathan Kotzen | |
| 8 | 8 | Egyptian Mau | 57.5 | 0 | A | Craig Zackey | Lucky Houdalakis | |
| 9 | 9 | Cliff Hanger | 60 | 0 | A | Billy Jacobson | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 10 | 10 | The Abdicator (IRE) | 60 | 0 | Ae | Luyolo Mxothwa | Brett Crawford | |
| 11 | 11 | Lucky Lad | 60 | 0 | A | Richard Fourie | Sean Tarry | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (4,9) (6,11) | ||||||||
Once again, Sean Tarry, who has been so successful at this race day in the recent past, has a very strong hand in each of the Grade 1 sprints with Mrs Geriatrix, Lucky Lad, Princess Calla and Under Your Spell leading his charge this year.
