Guineas winners are back
HOPEFUL: JANOOBI, SMILING BLUE EYES ENTERED FOR RESPECTIVE CLASSIC, FILLIES CLASSIC Smiling Blue Eyes draws well for Grade 1 Fillies Classic.
Both Janoobi and Smiling Blue Eyes, respective winners of the first leg of the SA Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara, are among the entries for the second leg at Turffontein on Saturday 1 April.
Janoobi, who just held on to beat Al Sahem by a head in the Grade 2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas on 4 March, heads up just eight nominations for the R2million SA Classic (Grade 1) over 1800m on the Turffontein Standside track.
Janoobi, ridden by Piere Strydom, gave Mike de Kock his 3,000th winner as a trainer. He has also entered Heavenly Blue, a fast finishing third in the Guineas, and Alaadel who was touched off in the Egoli Mile (Non-Black Type) at Turffontein last Saturday by Bold Viking.
Heavenly Blue was at the back of the Guineas field, did not have the clearest of passages but still flew up late to run third.
Al Sahem heads up the three entries of champion trainer Sean Tarry. Jockey Anthony Delpech called his mount “still very dumb” after the narrow loss to Janoobi but he will no doubt prefer the slightly longer trip.
Tarry has also entered Furiosa and Tilbury Fort.
The remaining two entries are Crowd Pleaser, whose two wins have come on the Greyville Polytrack, from the Johan Janse van Vuuren yard and Gary Alexandertrained Unagi.
Smiling Blue Eyes won the Fillies Guineas from a very wide draw but at least this time she will have an easier task.
There were 16 fillies nominated to run in the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift Fillies Classic over 1800m and Sean Tarry’s charge drew barrier No 7. With the first leg in the bag there are many pundits who believe she has the right credential to capture the Triple Tiara and the R1-million bonus that comes with it.
Second-placed Al Haawra, who is now drawn No 1, third-placed Orchid Island, who has drawn No 16, and fourth-placed Babbling Brooke have all been entered. Two Cape Town-based trainers have also entered runners. Joey Ramsden has nominated Captain Gambler and Andre Nel has entered Philae.
Supplementary entries close at 11am on Friday with declarations having to be in by 11am on Thursday 23 March.
The final fields will be announced on TellyTrack.
Entries for the R2-million SA Classic (Grade 1) (2nd Leg of SA Triple Crown) over 1800m AL SAHEM (S G Tarry) 60.0 ALAADEL (M F De Kock) 60.0 CROWD PLEASER (J A Janse van Vuuren) 60.0 FURIOSA (S G Tarry) 60.0 HEAVENLY BLUE (M F De Kock) 60.0 JANOOBI (M F De Kock) 60.0 TILBURY FORT (S G Tarry) 60.0 UNAGI (G M Alexander) 60.0
Entries for the R1-million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1) (2nd Leg SA Triple Tiara) over 1800m
1 AL HAWRAA (M F De Kock) 60.0
3 BABBLING BROOKE (O A Ferraris) 60.0
8 BEING FABULOUS (J A Janse van Vuuren) 60.0
10 BELLE ROSE (M F De Kock) 60.0 5 BI POT (G V Woodruff) 60.0 11 CAPTAIN GAMBLER (J Ramsden) 60.0
15 DELIGHTFUL DANCER (D J Nieuwenhuizen) 60.0
4 MALEFICENT (A G Laird) 60.0
14 MY FRIEND LEE (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
16 ORCHID ISLAND (M F De Kock) 60.0
9 ORIENTAL OAK (R R Sage) 60.0 2 PHILAE (W A Nel) 60.0 12 REDBERRY LANE (S G Tarry) 60.0
13 SAFE HARBOUR (S G Tarry) 60.0 6 SANTIBURI (R R Sage) 60.0 7 SMILING BLUE EYES (S G Tarry) 60.0