‘Peace’ and ‘Eagle’ top the boards

Betting on the rich array of supporting features at Turffontein on Saturday has opened.

Takingthepeace – the filly in line to claim the Triple Tiara by winning the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks – is priced up at 3-1 to perform the feat.

Many a punter will leap at those odds after the way Mike de Kock’s charge won the first two legs of the series – the Gauteng Fillies Guineas over 1600m and the Fillies Classic over 1800m. The daughter of Visionaire was flying at the finish of those contests and many pundits reckon she can do it again over 2450m.

Takingthepeace’s odds might well shorten before and on Champions Day as the charismatic filly has plenty of popular appeal.

Green Top, a close-up third and second in the first two legs of the Tiara series, has the respect of the bookmakers, who have her at 7-2.

De Kock’s second string in the Oaks, Silver Thursday, is third on the boards at 11-2.

The second R1-million Grade 2 race on Champions Day is the SA Nursery. The hot-pot favourite is unbeaten Bold Eagle, who runs for new trainer Chesney van Zyl.

The maiden Cirillo was only 0.10 lengths behind Bold Eagle in their last outing, but the odds layers are offering a seemingly generous 11-2 about his chances of reversing the placings.

R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, Grade 2, 2450m:

3-1 Takingthepeace; 7-2 Green Top; 11-2 Silver Thursday; 6-1 Secret Potion; 9-1 Chariot Of Gold; 14-1Gottalottaluv, Our Shining Star; 16-1 Flichity By Far; 20-1 and upwards others.

R1-milliion SA Nursery, Grade 2, 1160m:

16-10 Bold Eagle; 11-2 Cirillo; 8-1 Chimichurri Run, Hit The Green; 17-2 Mr Flood; 13-1 Dewali, In Cahoots; 14-1 Affranchi; 16-1 Louis The Seventh, Royal Italian; 18-1 Epic Dream; 25-1 and upwards others.