Trainers Mike de Kock and Sean Tarry have set their respective Gauteng Guineas and Gauteng Fillies Guineas winners Safe Passage and Rain In Holland on course for SA Triple Crown and SA Triple Tiara glory.
Safe Passage – should be more comfortable over the 1800m (Pic – JC Photos)
Both runners have accepted to run in Saturday’s World Sports Betting SA Classic and Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic respectively at Turffontein.
1st R937500, 2nd R300000, 3rd R150000, 4th R75000, 5th R37500
WSB SA CLASSIC (Grade 1)
For 3 year-olds (2nd Leg of SA Triple Crown)No Apprentice Allowance
| 1 | 8 | Safe Passage | 60 | 116 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Mike de Kock | |
| 2 | 6 | Pyromaniac | 60 | 113 | T A | Grant van Niekerk | Sean Tarry | |
| 3 | 2 | Outofthedarkness | 60 | 110 | AM | Keagan de Melo | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 4 | 5 | Aragosta | 60 | 109 | A | Richard Fourie | Mike de Kock | |
| 5 | 4 | Red Saxon | 60 | 107 | A | Julius Mariba | Joe Soma | |
| 6 | 9 | Super Excited | 60 | 107 | A | Muzi Yeni | Paul Matchett | |
| 7 | 1 | Captain Lannister | 60 | 105 | A | Ryan Munger | Ashley Fortune | |
| 8 | 11 | William Robertson | 60 | 105 | A | Craig Zackey | Corne Spies | |
| 9 | 3 | Platinum Sky | 60 | 104 | T A | Anton Marcus | Sean Tarry | |
| 10 | 10 | Zeus | 60 | 99 | A | Gavin Lerena | Fabian Habib | |
| 11 | 7 | Picture Perfect | 60 | 78 | A | Mark Khan | Weiho Marwing | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (1,4) (2,9) | ||||||||
The two Gr1 races over 1800m on the Standside track form the second leg of the WSB Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara.
De Kock-trained Safe Passage added the Gr2 WSB Gauteng Guineas to his Gr2 Dingaans win in November and has been priced up at 14-10 to triumph in the SA Classic.
Rain In Holland won the Gr2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas and Tarry has his charge on track for the second leg of the Triple Tiara.
1st R781250, 2nd R250000, 3rd R125000, 4th R62500, 5th R31250
WILGERBOSDRIFT SA FILLIES CLASSIC (Grade 1)
3yof (2nd Leg Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara)No Apprentice Allowance
| 1 | 4 | Desert Miracle | 60 | 117 | A | S’manga Khumalo | Mike de Kock | |
| 2 | 3 | Rain In Holland | 60 | 115 | BA | Richard Fourie | Sean Tarry | |
| 3 | 7 | Sprinkles | 60 | 110 | A | Warren Kennedy | Paul Peter | |
| 4 | 1 | Supreme Quest | 60 | 108 | A | *Rachel Venniker | Corne Spies | |
| 5 | 6 | Clafoutis | 60 | 105 | A | Keagan de Melo | Mike de Kock | |
| 6 | 8 | Eternity Ring | 60 | 105 | TBA | Craig Zackey | B Botes / Y Vosloo | |
| 7 | 5 | Perfect Witness | 60 | 103 | A | Gavin Lerena | Candice Dawson | |
| 8 | 10 | Follow Me | 60 | 102 | A | Diego De Gouveia | Stuart Pettigrew | |
| 9 | 9 | Look Yourself | 60 | 88 | A | Muzi Yeni | Paul Matchett | |
| 10 | 2 | Definitely Maybe | 60 | 79 | A | Kabelo Matsunyane | Mike de Kock | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (1,5,10) | ||||||||
She has also been priced up at 14-10 but the layers still have a lot of respect for Desert Miracle who is on offer at 16-10.
Desert Miracle – can she bounce back? (Pic – JC Photos)
For the most, both horses will be meeting similar opposition to those they saw off in the Guineas and Fillies Guineas but there are a few new faces on the scene.
In the SA Classic a number of eyes will be on unbeaten Zeus but in reality, he will have to run quite a bit above his current merit rating of 99 if he is to trouble the likes of Safe Passage.
There is also a Pick 6 carryover of R1-million at the meeting with the pool likely to reach R5 million.
