The R1-million race is one of four graded races to take place on Guineas Day. The others are the Gauteng Guineas, the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the Hawaii Stakes, all Grade 2 events.
The R1-million Gauteng Guineas also forms the first leg of the Triple Crown, the others being the R2-million SA Classic over 1800m on Saturday 28 March and the R1.5-million SA Derby over 2450m on Saturday 25 April. There is also a bonus of R2 million up for grabs for any horse who can capture all three races. All the races are scheduled to be run on the Turffontein standside track.
It could be another Mark Khan vs Piere Strydom occasion in the Empress Club Stakes as the current champion jockey will ride Justin Snaith’s grey mare who has been in the care of Geoff Woodruff for the past few weeks.
Vodacom Durban July dead heater Dancer’s Daughter is weighted to win the race quite comfortably but Gypsy’s Warning has done well since joining Ormond Ferrais’s Turffontein yard and is one of the best of three-year-old fillies in the country.
Oracy (photo) has accepted for the Gauteng Guineas and is beautifully drawn at No 2. However, stable jockey Anton Marcus is slated to ride stable companion Always with no jockey named for the Dingaans winner at this stage.
Missing from the field is Mike de Kock’s Meet At Malamala as the colt has been injured and had to be withdrawn. That leaves Bouquet-Garni as the only stable representative.
Captain’s Table ran second to Oracy in the Dingaans and should be competitive from a reasonably decent No 9 draw this time. Once again Piere Strydom gets the ride on Dominic Zaki’s charge.
The Gauteng Fillies Guineas has attracted a top-class field and looks the most competitive of the four features. De Kock has the talented Loupe, to be ridden by Anthony Delpech, and the consistent Zirconeum, Woodruff sends out Sharp Mistress and Charles Laird runs Thin Red Line.
Team Valor have two highly regarded runners in On Her Toes, trained by Mike Azzie, and newly acquire Sweet Theresa who is under the care of Ferraris.
Our Giant is weighted to win the Hawaii Stakes over 1400m but there are a number of runners who will be looking to lower his colours, including Succesful Bidder, Forest Path and Gliding High.
Final fields
L JAFFEE EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (G1)(Fillies & Mares) R1 million 1600m
1 - 8 DANCER'S DAUGHTER (J S Snaith) M Khan 60.0 - 114
2 - 4 OUTCOME (M D Miller) R Hill 60.0 - 104
3 - 7 ORACLE NEWS (P V Lafferty) F Coetzee 60.0 - 101
4 - 2 GLENROSSAL (D N Stenger) F Naude 60.0 - 98
5 - 1 BLUE SWIFT (C Laird) A Marcus 60.0 - 97
6 - 5 KISS FOR KATE (P F Matchett) M Mienie 60.0 - 97
7 - 10 MOCHACHINO (M G Azzie) G Lerena 60.0 - 95
8 - 3 ANGEL FLIGHT (S G Tarry) A Fortune 60.0 - 92
9 - 6 MILK AND HONEY (M F De Kock) A Delpech 59.5 - 93
10 - 9 GYPSY'S WARNING (O A Ferraris) P Strydom 56.0 - 105
Same Trainer:
GAUTENG GUINEAS (G2) (1st Leg of SA Triple Crown)) R1 million 1600m
1 - 2 ORACY (C Laird) ............... 57.0 - 106
2 - 9 CAPTAIN'S TABLE (D Zaki) P Strydom 57.0 - 104
3 - 12 SPORTING BOY (A G Laird) G Wrogemann 57.0 - 102
4 - 18 BOUQUET-GARNI (M F De Kock) A Delpech 57.0 - 101
5 - 17 CERISE CHERRY (P F Matchett) M Mienie 57.0 - 101
6 - 14 FENERBAHCE (G M Alexander) A Fortune 57.0 - 99
7 - 16 MOUNT HOOD (P F Matchett) R Hill 57.0 - 99
8 - 10 VERTICAL TAKEOFF (S G Tarry) G Figueroa 57.0 - 99
9 - 5 CHOISIR (G V Woodruff) F Coetzee 57.0 - 94
10 - 3 SEATTLE ICE (G V Woodruff) M Khan 57.0 - 93
11 - 11 MPUMELELO (T Zackey) B Lerena 57.0 - 92
12 - 7 ROYAL REZ (T Zackey) S Khumalo 57.0 - 92
13 - 8 IMPERIAL GESTURE (C Laird) G Lerena 57.0 - 91
14 - 4 CAPTAIN SCOTT (A G Laird) J Geroudis 57.0 - 90
15 - 13 GANGSTA FURY (B D Botes) D Habib 57.0 - 89
16 - 1 ALWAYS (C Laird) A Marcus 57.0 - 85
Reserve Runners
17 - 6 HUP-TWO-THREE (S J Gray) Reserve 1 57.0 - 81
18 - 15 AL FELON (J Vos) Reserve 2 57.0 - 80
Same Trainer: (1,13,16) (3,14) (5,7) (9,10) (11,12)
GAUTENG FILLIES GUINEAS (G2) (1st Leg SA Triple Tiara) R500 000 1600m
1 - 4 ZIRCONEUM (M F De Kock) J Geroudis 57.0 - 98
2 - 12 ON HER TOES (M G Azzie) G Lerena 57.0 - 99
3 - 6 SWEET THERESA (O A Ferraris) P Strydom 57.0 - 96
4 - 2 LOUPE (M F De Kock) A Delpech 57.0 - 94
5 - 5 FAKAZI (P F Matchett) M Mienie 57.0 - 92
6 - 14 KIRIBATI (S G Tarry) F Coetzee 57.0 - 92
7 - 11 THIN RED LINE (C Laird) A Marcus 57.0 - 91
8 - 1 SHARP MISTRESS (G V Woodruff) M Khan 57.0 - 88
9 - 9 GOLDEN SCOLD (P F Matchett) G Figueroa 57.0 - 86
10 - 10 RUTANA (S J Gray) S Brown 57.0 - 86
11 - 3 BASTILLE BELLE (B Webber) R Hill 57.0 - 81
12 - 8 AUTUMN GOLD (S G Tarry) A Fortune 57.0 - 81
13 - 7 SMART GIRL (R R Magner) G Wrogemann 57.0 - 75
14 - 13 PACIFIC PRINCESS (D N Stenger) D Mansour 57.0 - 70
Same Trainer: (1,4) (5,9) (6,12)
HAWAII STAKES (G2)(Open) R300 000 1400m
1 - 5 OUR GIANT (C Laird) A Marcus 60.0 - 111
2 - 2 SUCCESFUL BIDDER (S G Tarry) F Coetzee 57.5 - 108
3 - 7 LIKEITHOT (C Laird) P Strydom 57.5 - 104
4 - 13 SMART BANKER (C Laird) G Figueroa 57.5 - 101
5 - 9 FOREST PATH (M F De Kock) A Delpech 57.0 - 107
6 - 8 BUSCADOR (G V Woodruff) J Sampson 57.0 - 105
7 - 3 HORATIO (P F Matchett) D Habib 57.0 - 93
8 - 1 THEREALSLIMSHADY (A G Laird) J Geroudis 56.5 - 106
9 - 6 EARL OF SURREY (A I Harris) F Herholdt 56.0 - 108
10 - 10 GLIDING HIGH (B O Wiid) G Lerena 56.0 - 101
11 - 11 LUCKY BOY (G V Woodruff) M Khan 56.0 - 98
12 - 12 THE BIG ASK (M D Miller) R Hill 56.0 - 92
13 - 4 SURABI (D Zaki) B Lerena 55.5 - 103
Same Trainer: (1,3,4) (6,11)