Some of the country’s top horses, including Sun Met winner Rainbow Bridge and Vodacom Durban July and L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate winner Do It Again, could be on the card to celebrate the opening meeting of Champions Season 2019 at Greyville in Durban on Friday, May 3.
The two equine stars are among the 25 entries for the R500 000, Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes which, together with the R600 000, Grade 2 KRA Guineas and R500 000, Grade 2 KRA Fillies Guineas, raise the curtain on the three-month festival of racing operated by Gold Circle from May to July that incorporates the world-acknowledged R4.25-million, Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July.
Rainbow Bridge, from the stable of Eric Sands and the Justin Snaith-trained Do It Again will be making their first track appearances since filling the first two places in the Sun Met and are both aimed at the country’s premier race on the first Saturday in July. If confirming their participation, they could be joined by the fourth-placed Sun Met finisher Undercover Agent as well as Gauteng Guineas winner National Park and Cirillo, the runner-up to the star Mike de Kock winner of the Horse Chestnut Stakes, Soqrat. The Pomodoro colt Cirillo from the Sean Tarry stable has also been nominated for the KRA Guineas.
Rainbow Bridge pictured shortly after his arrival in KZN last week. Image: Candiese Marnewick
The two three-year-old classic races have also drawn strong entries with the Australian-bred colt Soqrat, that heads the current “status log” among the colts, being a major draw card having also run second in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and third in the Hawaii Stakes.
Among the 18 entries there is also the winner of the SA Derby Samurai Warrior as well as runner-up to Atyaab in the Investec Cape Derby, Charles, and Politian Stakes winner Twist Of Fate.
Among the 21 entries for the KRA Fillies Guineas is the runner-up to Return Flight in the SA Oaks, Blossom, and the exciting De Kock-trained Australian-bred filly Nafaayes that won the Gauteng Guineas, finished second to Return Flight in the SA Fillies Classic and third to Camphoratus, surprise winner of the Grade 1 Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein last weekend.
In that race just ahead of Nafaayes was the Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner-up Running Brave while the Cape entries include the winner of the Jamaica Handicap at Kenilworth in January, Princess Irene from the Brett Crawford stable that has also nominated their Cape Fillies Guineas winner Front And Centre that followed that up with a third place behind Clouds Unfold in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes.
Race-5 R 500,000 1400m
INDEPENDENT ON SATURDAY DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
Horses at Weight-For-Age + Penalties
WFA: 2yrs-11.0kgs 3yrs-2.0kgs
20 DO IT AGAIN (4G) 60.0 125 Justin Snaith
17 RAINBOW BRIDGE (4G) 60.0 124 Eric Sands
3 UNDERCOVER AGENT (4C) 60.0 120 Brett Crawford
10 WILL PAYS (7G) 60.0 112 M G Azzie/A A Azzi
25 EYES WIDE OPEN (4C) 60.0 111 B Glen Kotzen
14 ZOUAVES (5G) 58.5 109 Geoff Woodruff
11 AFRICA RISING (5G) 58.5 107 Sean Tarry
7 SNIPER SHOT (4G) 58.5 106 Paul Lafferty
18 MATADOR MAN (5G) 57.0 111 B Sean Tarry
24 ROY HAD ENOUGH (AU (4C) 57.0 109 Frank Robinson
21 TRIBAL FUSION (6G) 57.0 106 B Shane Humby
13 SAND AND SEA (4G) 57.0 105 Dennis Drier
8 INFAMOUS FOX (AUS) (4G) 57.0 103 B Candice Dawson
22 NEW CALEDONIA (6G) 57.0 101 Geoff Woodruff
1 RED CHESNUT ROAD (5G) 57.0 101 B R A Hill/S R Hill
12 SOCIAL ORDER (5G) 57.0 101 B Sean Tarry
9 CAPTAIN AND MASTER (4C) 57.0 100 Sean Tarry
19 WYNKELDER (5G) 57.0 100 B Tony Rivalland
6 NAAFER (AUS) (4C) 57.0 96 Mike de Kock
15 SOCRATES (4C) 57.0 94 Shane Humby
16 NATIONAL PARK (3G) 56.5 117 Yvette Bremner
4 CIRILLO (3C) 55.0 114 Sean Tarry
23 BASILIUS (3G) 55.0 96 B Tobie Spies
2 LADY IN BLACK (4F) 54.5 117 Dennis Drier
5 NAFAAYES (AUS) (3F) 54.0 106 Mike de Kock
(25)
Race-6 R 500,000 1600m
K R A FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2)
For 3 year-old Fillies
21 FRONT AND CENTRE (3F) 60.0 112 Brett Crawford
10 TEMPLE GRAFIN (3F) 60.0 107 Glen Kotzen
12 CELTIC SEA (3F) 60.0 106 B Sean Tarry
4 NAFAAYES (AUS) (3F) 60.0 106 Mike de Kock
18 SILVANO’S PRIDE (3F) 60.0 106 Justin Snaith
14 RUNNING BRAVE (3F) 60.0 104 Paul Matchett
5 BLOSSOM (3F) 60.0 103 Ormond Ferraris
17 SANTA CLARA (3F) 60.0 103 Candice Bass-Robin
1 BIZE (3F) 60.0 97 Alec Laird
8 CHITENGO (3F) 60.0 95 Alec Laird
20 PRINCESS IRENE (3F) 60.0 95 Brett Crawford
16 ARIANOS SHADOW (3F) 60.0 93 Frank Robinson
15 GENEROUS LADY (3F) 60.0 93 Paul Lafferty
7 RAILTRIP (3F) 60.0 91 B Chesney van Zyl
19 BEAT IT (3F) 60.0 84 Duncan Howells
6 PETRA (3F) 60.0 83 R A Hill/S R Hill
13 STRAWBERRY WINE (3F) 60.0 82 Glen Kotzen
2 LANA BELLE (3F) 60.0 79 Adam Marcus
9 WAITING FOR CHANGE (3F) 60.0 78 R A Hill/S R Hill
11 MOON IN JUNE (3F) 60.0 77 R A Hill/S R Hill
3 MAZARI (3F) 60.0 76 B Tobie Spies
(21)
Race-7 R 600,000 1600m
K R A GUINEAS (Grade 2)
For 3 year-olds
17 SOQRAT (AUS) (3C) 60.0 124 Mike de Kock
10 NATIONAL PARK (3G) 60.0 117 Yvette Bremner
1 TWIST OF FATE (3C) 60.0 115 Joey Ramsden
15 CIRILLO (3C) 60.0 114 Sean Tarry
14 ALYAASAAT (AUS) (3G) 60.0 105 Mike de Kock
7 SAMURAI WARRIOR (3C) 60.0 105 B Weiho Marwing
8 CHARLES (3C) 60.0 104 Brett Crawford
3 BUNKER HUNT (3G) 60.0 100 Justin Snaith
6 CHIJMES (3G) 60.0 97 Gary Alexander
2 THANKSGIVING (3C) 60.0 97 Duncan Howells
13 BASILIUS (3G) 60.0 96 B Tobie Spies
5 TRISTFUL (3G) 60.0 94 Tony Rivalland
4 APPROACH CONTROL (3C) 60.0 92 Candice Dawson
18 HUDOO MAGIC (AUS) (3C) 60.0 92 Brett Crawford
11 PROTEA PARADISE (3G) 60.0 92 B Mike de Kock
12 SOLID GOLD (3G) 60.0 90 Michael Roberts
16 TRIPLE FATE LINE (3C) 60.0 87 R A Hill/S R Hill
9 VIKRAM (3G) 60.0 82 Andre Nel
(18)
Supp Entries Closes : 11:00
Tuesday 23 April 2019
Declarations Close: 11:00
Wednesday 24 April 2019
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