Louis The King in full flight for Triple Crown glory as he staves off Mister Cricket to win SA Classic
Racing needs champions and frankly, who doesn’t love Louis right now?
The SASCOC Triple Crown is billed as horse racing’s ultimate test. Compressed into a testing eight weeks, the series comprises three top-level races run in the following order: the R1-million Gr2 Gauteng Guineas over 1600m, the R2-million Gr1 SA Classic over 1800m and the R2-million Gr1 SA Derby over 2450m. A premier series deserves a premier venue and all three races are run at Turffontein.
Louis declared his intentions in no uncertain terms with an emphatic 5.25 length victory over Forest Indigo in sticky going in the 1 March Gauteng Guineas. In the SA Classic on 29 March 2014, he showed that he would be king, digging deep over the extra 200m to deny Mister Cricket by half a length. Now the 2450m Derby looms on 26 April. It is not billed ‘Champions Day’ for nothing. Can he do it? In addition to the fame, the glory and the substantial prize money on offer, there is an additional R2-million bonus if the answer is yes.
It will not be easy. The series was first run in 1999 and to date only a single individual in the history of the event has proved successful – the mighty Horse Chestnut. A number have come close, including Louis’ conditioner Geoff Woodruff, who previously collected the Classic and the Derby with Badger’s Drift in 2001 and there have been a number of other pretenders to the throne. Surveyor won the Triple Crown 1600 (now the Guineas) and the Classic for David Ferraris in 2003, Greys Inn won the Classic and the Derby for Maestro de Kock in 2004, Hunting Tower grabbed the Guineas and the Classic for Charles Laird in 2006, Kings Gambit ran off with the Classic and the Derby for Lance Wiid in 2008 and Pierre Jourdan threatened with the Guineas and Classic for Gary Alexander in 2010. However none have matched Horse Chestnut’s 1999 campaign.
Yet.
Can he do it? The pedigree might say no, but the hearts of racing enthusiasts the country over are hoping for a yes. Saturday, 26 April will decide.
Louis Louis – the name on everyone’s lips!
Go Louis Go!
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