The traditional SA Champion Season launch-pad of the Independent On Saturday Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes and the individual sex Guineas will launch the national championships of SA horseracing at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday 7 May.
The first entries for the R400 000 Independent On Saturday Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes, the R400 000 World Sports Betting Gr3 Guineas and the R350 000 World Sports Betting Gr3 Fillies Guineas were received earlier this week.
Now retired, Rainbow Bridge wons the IOS Drill Hall Stakes last year (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
As anticipated, all three events are expected to host representative national entry as the major season gets underway.
Won by Eric Sands’ SA Horse Of The Year Rainbow Bridge last year, the Drill Hall has attracted an entry of 28 headed by Snaith star Jet Dark and Vaughan Marshall’s 2021 Durban July runner-up, Linebacker.
The battle for the national champion title between Justin Snaith and Paul Peter is expected to make for an interesting sub-plot in the big season. With Snaith only having saddled 2 winners with his last 40 odd runners, the yard can be expected to turn any day now.
DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
| 25 | Al’s My Daddy | Lorenzo Karriem | 83 | |
| 21 | Bold Act | Mike de Kock | 103 | |
| 1 | Captain Fontane | Paul Peter | 105 | |
| 2 | Celestial Love | J A Janse van Vuuren | 113 | |
| 16 | Chimichuri Run | Sean Tarry | 115 | |
| 9 | Cosmic Highway | Dean Kannemeyer | 110 | |
| 17 | Do It Again | Justin Snaith | 126 | |
| 22 | Eden Roc | Sean Tarry | 114 | |
| 6 | Eliud | Candice Dawson | 112 | |
| 24 | Good Traveller | Glen Kotzen | 116 | |
| 5 | Ikigai | Sean Tarry | 110 | |
| 28 | Jet Dark | Justin Snaith | 130 | |
| 19 | Linebacker | Vaughan Marshall | 126 | |
| 13 | Never Ending Rain | Glen Kotzen | 104 | |
| 20 | Pearl Of Asia | Robbie Hill | 119 | |
| 10 | Priceless Ruler | Dennis Drier | 100 | |
| 26 | Prince Of Fire | J A Janse van Vuuren | 104 | |
| 4 | Russian Rock | Dean Kannemeyer | 117 | |
| 18 | Seeking The Stars | Vaughan Marshall | 124 | |
| 11 | Seven Patriots | Kumaran Naidoo | 96 | |
| 7 | Shampompo Shampizi | Alyson Wright | 93 | |
| 12 | Silver Operator | Vaughan Marshall | 119 | |
| 3 | Smorgasbord | Paul Peter | 110 | |
| 23 | Thumbs Up | J A Janse van Vuuren | 106 | |
| 15 | Ultra Magnus | Peter Muscutt | 116 | |
| 8 | Waterberry Lane | Dean Kannemeyer | 115 | |
| 14 | William Robertson | Corne Spies | 104 | |
| 27 | Zapatillas | Brett Crawford | 111 | |
| (28) | ||||
Paul Peter and the Capetonian have two Drill Hall entries each.
The season is expected to attract the cream of the crop, as in addition to the increase in the Hollywoodbets Durban July main race stake from R2m in 2021 to a highest ever R5m, there is a further stakes top-up of R13m being injected into minor races and feature races from 1 March – 31 August, bringing the total to an incredible R16m boost to the KZN stakes pot between Hollywoodbets and Gold Circle.
GUINEAS (Grade 2)
| 8 | Bard Of Avon | Ashley Fortune | 105 | |
| 19 | Captain Lannister | Ashley Fortune | 115 | |
| 3 | Captain Of Grit | Candice Dawson | 78 | |
| 1 | Cosmic Highway | Dean Kannemeyer | 110 | |
| 20 | Double Superlative | Justin Snaith | 125 | |
| 11 | Fifty Fiver | Vaughan Marshall | 101 | |
| 4 | Hasta Manana | Lorenzo Karriem | 104 | |
| 16 | Master Redoute | Andre Nel | 99 | |
| 17 | Never Ending Rain | Glen Kotzen | 104 | |
| 10 | Outofthedarkness | J A Janse van Vuuren | 110 | |
| 5 | Passage Of Power | Robbie Hill | 86 | |
| 13 | Pomp And Power | Justin Snaith | 118 | |
| 7 | Prince Of Fire | J A Janse van Vuuren | 104 | |
| 6 | Rodriguez | Ashley Fortune | 77 | |
| 14 | Senso Unico | Vaughan Marshall | 104 | |
| 12 | Super Excited | Paul Matchett | 109 | |
| 15 | Supreme Warrior | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | 91 | |
| 2 | Waterberry Lane | Dean Kannemeyer | 115 | |
| 18 | William Robertson | Corne Spies | 104 | |
| 9 | Zapatillas | Brett Crawford | 111 | |
| (20) | ||||
The distribution of these funds has raised the minimum stakes for any races in the province during this period to R100 000. Grade 1 races such as the Daily News 2000, Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, Mercury Sprint and the Champions Cup will each now carry a stake of R1million and the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge will be run for R1,25m.
FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2)
| 5 | Amarandi | WDF Badenhorst/BC Kennedy | 74 | |
| 4 | Bon Vivant | J A Janse van Vuuren | 95 | |
| 7 | Indigo Fields | Lorenzo Karriem | 81 | |
| 9 | Kailene | Glen Kotzen | 105 | |
| 11 | Lillybelle | Andre Nel | 79 | |
| 12 | Look Yourself | Paul Matchett | 88 | |
| 13 | Marigold Hotel | Sean Tarry | 110 | |
| 6 | Princess Tea | WDF Badenhorst/BC Kennedy | 75 | |
| 10 | Queen Of Shadows | Justin Snaith | 94 | |
| 1 | Sashay Away | Peter Muscutt | 92 | |
| 8 | Silver Darling | Justin Snaith | 90 | |
| 2 | Supreme Quest | Corne Spies | 108 | |
| 3 | Under Your Spell | Sean Tarry | 119 | |
| (13) | ||||
Supplementary entries for the three mentioned features close at 11h00 on Friday 29 April, with declarations due by 11h00 on Tuesday 03 May.
