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The Citizen
3 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
No hanging about in Gold Challenge at Greyville
The Equator's southern appearance will be closely watched. Oriental Charm, seen here winning last year's Durban July, is in the field for the Gold Challenge on Saturday. Picture: Gerhard Duraan/Gallo Images There'll be no dawdling behind the Drill Hall at Greyville on Saturday afternoon; no ambling, loitering, strolling or sauntering. It'll be, 'Quick march! At the double!' – recalling the bad old days when the infantry base resounded with fighting energy. The 1600m starting pole next to the Drill Hall plays host to 12 horses in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge and making the 2025 contest really interesting is a glut of accomplished front runners in the field. The high-quality line-up includes Equus Horse of the Year, and likely favourite, Dave The King, who always likes to make the pace in a race. Reigning Durban July champ Oriental Charm does not like to be headed at any stage – and can get a bit annoyed if it happens. The excellent Montien is seldom out of the first two in running, and See It Again performs best when travelling in a handy position. Other contenders Those are some of the best middle-distance racehorses in the country who'll be fighting it out for the early lead. But they're up against some sprinters with natural gate speed and cruising power – such as Café Culture and William Robertson. The real 'milers' in the race, such as Great Plains, Gladatorian and Royal Aussie might be outgunned at the start but will be hoping overeager speedballs cut each other's throats and leave the way clear for 'closers'. It'll be a good watch. A Grade 1 trophy and R2-million are on the finishing line, while several runners are also getting their acts together for the Hollywoodbets Durban July a month hence. The Greyville meeting will get massive international exposure with Races 7 to 10 being part of a Hong Kong World Pools Saturday extravaganza that also takes in the famous English Derby at Epsom. Turffontein meeting Sunday's meeting at Turffontein racecourse is a bit overshadowed by that glamour, but racing aficionados will watch it keenly. The Jubilee Handicap and the Egoli Mile feature a number of Durban July hopefuls – all out to do well and crack the nod for the big one. Among them are Legend Of Arthur, Confederate, Atticus Finch, Son Of Raj, Musical Score, Olivia's Way and Immediate Edge. But the most intriguing is surprise July entry The Equator, making his South African debut after being imported from the Irish stables of the world's top trainer Aiden O'Brien. Nigel Riley, new co-owner of the colt, who is a son of the great Galileo, put out a media statement on Wednesday saying: 'We have been inundated with enquiries about the well-being of The Equator and have decided to appraise the racing public of the situation, so that they can make their own decisions… He went into (trainer) Tony Peter's yard on 28 March, where he has made excellent progress and has put up some eye-catching work. 'Last Sunday, The Equator had a 1600m gallop on the inside track at Turffontein against a couple of horses, including a Grade 1 winner. He won the gallop by three lengths, going away from them, and his work rider was as impressed as onlookers. We look forward to the race. We hope this will assist punters.'
The Citizen
23-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Snaith chooses Guineas for Met champ Eight On Eighteen
All the stars out early in KZN season. The winter racing season in KwaZulu-Natal is set for a rousing start at Greyville on the first Saturday of May, with early entries for Guineas day pitching most of the country's best racehorses into action. Gimme A Prince, South Africa's top-rated horse, tops the list for the Drill Hall Stakes, a storied race that's always been closely linked to thinking about the country's premier contest, the Hollywoodbets Durban July. Unfortunately for trainer Dean Kannemeyer, Gimme A Prince has drawn wide at 19 and racing fans will have to wait and see if the brilliant gelding stands his ground for the Grade 2, 1400m contest. Put up against him are a phalanx of big names: Equus Horse of the Year Dave The King; smart Cape Town sprinter Café Culture; Joburg raiders Main Defender, Cousin Casey and Barbaresco; local heroes See It Again and Gladatorian … and plenty more. Three-year-old Eight On Eighteen, winner of this year's Cape Town Met and Cape Derby, is among the Drill Hall nominations, but his trainer Justin Snaith has already accepted for the colt to run in the WSB Guineas on the same card. Both races are Grade 2s carrying R750,000 purses, but the Guineas is over 1600m, which better suits the youngster at this stage. Snaith's Drill Hall combatants will be Royal Aussie and Great Plains, both of whom could end up in the July line-up. The champion trainer's back-up to Eight On Eighteen in the Guineas is the improving Sail The Seas, who we're likely to hear a lot more about in the coming months. The main threat to the Snaith pair in the Guineas will come from a trio of Highveld visitors: Sean Tarry-trained Cosmic Speed and Legend Of Arthur, and Alec Laird's Fire Attack. ENTRIES [draw, name, (age&sex), weight, MR, equipment, trainer] Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes 19 Gimme A Prince (6G) 60 134 A Dean Kannemeyer 16 Dave The King (5G) 60 128 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 24 Purple Pitcher (4C) 60 123 BA Robyn Klaasen 21 Main Defender (4G) 58.5 130 A Tony Peter 1 Cafe Culture (5G) 58.5 128 A Lucinda Woodruff 3 Royal Aussie (5G) 58.5 124 BA Justin Snaith 27 Outlaw King (4G) 58.5 110 A Dean Kannemeyer 5 Eight On Eighteen (3C) 58 127 A Justin Snaith 13 Cosmic Speed (3G) 58 125 A Sean Tarry 14 Montien (5G) 57 129 A Piet Botha 2 See It Again (5G) 57 127 A Michael Roberts 26 Cousin Casey (5H) 57 125 A Sean Tarry 8 Barbaresco (4G) 57 124 ATe J A Janse van Vuuren 10 Questioning (4G) 57 124 BA Vaughan Marshall 6 Gladatorian (5G) 57 123 AT Stuart Ferrie 25 The Real Prince (4G) 57 118 A Dean Kannemeyer 15 Texas Red (5G) 57 115 A Robyn Klaasen 18 Anfields Rocket (5G) 57 113 A Trevor Brown 20 Diani (5G) 57 103 A Dennis Bosch 11 Cats Pajamas (3G) 56.5 115 A Frank Robinson 9 Red Palace (4F) 56 119 A Dean Kannemeyer 23 White Pearl (4F) 56 114 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 17 Winds Of Change (3C) 55 121 AT M G Azzie/A A Azzie 4 Great Plains (3G) 55 112 A Justin Snaith 22 Sail The Seas (3C) 55 112 A Justin Snaith 7 Oxalis Gold (3F) 52.5 107 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 12 Khethiwe's Destiny (3F) 52.5 100 A Mike / Mathew de Kock WSB Guineas 11 Eight On Eighteen (3C) 60 127 A Justin Snaith 10 Fire Attack (3C) 60 126 A Alec Laird 8 Cosmic Speed (3G) 60 125 A Sean Tarry 12 Legend Of Arthur (3C) 60 117 HA Sean Tarry 18 Cats Pajamas (3G) 60 115 A Frank Robinson 4 Great Plains (3G) 60 112 A Justin Snaith 6 Sail The Seas (3C) 60 112 A Justin Snaith 9 Musical Score (3G) 60 108 A Lucky Houdalakis 14 On My Honour (3G) 60 108 A Glen Kotzen 15 Royal Force (3G) 60 104 A Lucky Houdalakis 17 Field Marshal (3G) 60 102 A Frank Robinson 13 Legal Counsel (3G) 60 98 A Justin Snaith 7 Zeitz (3C) 60 97 BA Andre Nel 1 Jp's Palace (3G) 60 91 A Darryl Moore 3 Dance King (3G) 60 89 A Weichong Marwing 16 World Of Our Own (3G) 60 86 A Alyson Wright 2 Vj's Angel (3F) 57.5 119 A Tony Peter 5 Give Me Everything (3F) 57.5 103 A Dean Kannemeyer 19 Frozen Fantasy (3F) 57.5 99 A Robyn Klaasen WSB Fillies Guineas 19 Spumante Dolce (3F) 60 119 AT Mike / Mathew de Kock 2 Vj's Angel (3F) 60 119 A Tony Peter 16 Scarlet Macaw (3F) 60 110 A Candice Bass-Robinson 3 Mon Petit Cherie (3F) 60 108 A BJ Crawford/JI Crawford 23 Little Suzie (3F) 60 107 A Justin Snaith 14 Oxalis Gold (3F) 60 107 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 15 Be Merry (3F) 60 104 A Justin Snaith 22 Green Sapphire (3F) 60 104 A Sean Tarry 24 Give Me Everything (3F) 60 103 A Dean Kannemeyer 17 Gimmefabulous (3F) 60 102 HA e M G Azzie/A A Azzie 7 Miss Scaletta (3F) 60 102 A Paul Matchett 5 Khethiwe's Destiny (3F) 60 100 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 9 Regeneration (3F) 60 100 A e Robbie Hill 10 Frozen Fantasy (3F) 60 99 A Robyn Klaasen 6 Jeanne Darc (3F) 60 99 A Stuart Ferrie 21 Lock And Key (3F) 60 98 A Glen Kotzen 1 Too Late My Mate (3F) 60 97 A Alec Laird 11 Magical View (3F) 60 96 AT Michael Miller 8 Mocha Blend (3F) 60 94 A Frank Robinson 4 Disting (3F) 60 92 BATe Glen Kotzen 13 Blind Ambition (3F) 60 91 BA Brett Webber 20 Goodnessgraciousme (3F) 60 91 A Justin Snaith 12 Two G's (3F) 60 89 A Gareth van Zyl 25 Glamorous Lady (3F) 60 85 A Weichong Marwing 18 One Path (3F) 60 79 A Frank Robinson
