Justin Snaith’s Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas fourth-placer Royal Aussie has drawn at gate 8 for the richest race run on African soil in recent times, the R7,5 million WSB Gold Rush which will be contested over 1600m on Cape Town Met day, 28 January 2023.
The race is open to graduates of the 2021 Cape Premier Yearling Sale and is effectively owned by 16 prospectors who bought their big-race berth at R400 000 a pop. It is based on similar principles as The Everest in Australia.
Royal Aussie – top rated of the Gold Rush gang (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
At a lively draw function held at the Ginja Café on the V&A Waterfront on Wednesday evening ahead of the WSB Cape Town Met final field announcement, the sixteen strong field was announced and the barrier gates drawn.
Richard Fourie will partner Royal Aussie, who at an official 109 is the highest rated runner in the field.
Lindsey Orffer, Belinda Kieswetter and Kuyan Kotzen enjoyed the Mardi Gras vibe at the function (Pic – Troy Finch)
The son of Royal Mo races in the popular silks of Suzette and Basie Viljoen, in partnership with Dr Jill Warner and Australian-based, Dane Squance. Royal Aussie was originally pinhooked at the 2021 Cape Premier Sale by the astute Grant Knowles and then sold at the Ready To Run Sale.
The happy crowd wait for the WSB Gold Rush final field (Pic – Troy Finch)
It could be a big day for Knowles, who also bred Brett Crawford runner Champion Warrior at Klawervlei and then sold him to the Gujadhur family.
Champion Warrior will run on the Central Route Trading ticket, and Knowles also owns a share with Paul Barrett, Jacques Chowles, Ross Kieswetter, Ricky Sewgoolam, and Mesdames Gwen MacGregor and Brenda Moody, in the smart Cape Racing Ready To Run Stakes winner Seeking The One, who will come in under the Brett Crawford Racing ticket.
Seeking The One beats Pirsoshka and Royal Aussie in the Cape Racing Ready To Run Stakes (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
French Champion Christophe Soumillon is back for the big day and he partners the Vaughan Marshall-trained Dave The King for Gary Player and his partners.
The field is:
| R 7,500,000 1600m | |||||
| WORLD SPORTS BETTING GOLD RUSH | |||||
| For 3-year-olds (Non-Black Type) | |||||
| Horse | Mass | MR | Jockey | Trainer | |
| 1 | MAX THE OTTER | 60 | 89 | A Domeyer | Candice Bass-Robinson |
| 2 | TRIPLE TIME | 60 | 92 | B Fayd’Herbe | Justin Snaith |
| 3 | KING REGENT | 60 | 90 | G Van Niekerk | Glen Kotzen |
| 4 | LORD WILLIAM | 60 | 100 | J Jacobs | Vaughan Marshall |
| 5 | ITSRAININGWILLIAM | 60 | 94 | P Strydom | Justin Snaith |
| 6 | SEEKING THE ONE | 60 | 100 | L Mxothwa | Brett Crawford |
| 7 | SEE IT AGAIN | 60 | 104 | *R A Venniker | Michael Roberts |
| 8 | ROYAL AUSSIE | 60 | 109 | R Fourie | Justin Snaith |
| 9 | CHAMPION WARRIOR | 60 | 97 | K Matsunyane | Brett Crawford |
| 10 | ASIYE PHAMBILI | 57,5 | 88 | S Khumalo | Sean Tarry |
| 11 | WINTER GREETING | 57,5 | 90 | C Habib | Sean Tarry |
| 12 | PAS DE NOM | 60 | 97 | K De Melo | Dean Kannemeyer |
| 13 | BILLY SPELLBOUND | 60 | 81 | G Lerena | Sean Tarry |
| 14 | DAVE THE KING | 60 | 108 | C Soumillon | Vaughan Marshall |
| 15 | TIME FO ORCHIDS | 57,5 | 107 | C Orffer | Vaughan Marshall |
| 16 | HAMMIES HERO | 60 | 94 | G Wright | Candice Bass-Robinson |
| Reserve Runners | |||||
| 0 | FAMOUS AND RICH | 60 | 96 | Reserve 1 | Glen Kotzen |
| 0 | DOWSER | 60 | 84 | Glen Kotzen | |
| 0 | RULE OF THUMB | 60 | 84 | Justin Snaith | |
