Marinaresco among entries for Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes

– Many of the top horses from around the country are among the 68 entries for the three feature races on Independent On Saturday Raceday, which officially opens South Africa’s Champions Season at Greyville in Durban on Sunday 7 May.

Stars like Vodacom Durban July winner The Conglomerate and runner-up Marinaresco, along with exciting Investec Cape Derby winner Edict Of Nantes, are among the high-quality entries for the three Grade 2 events, giving notice that an exciting and competitive feast of racing is in store for racegoers in KwaZuluNatal over the next three months.

The meeting features the R600,000 Daisy Guineas, the R500,000 Daisy Fillies Guineas, both over the classic 1600m trip and each drawing 19 entries, and the R500,000 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, which has attracted 30 entries.

Edict Of Nantes and runner-up in the Investec Cape Derby, Zodiac Ruler, are nominated for the Daisy Guineas along with Gauteng Guineas winner Janoobi and the winner of the East Cape Guineas, Gimme The Stars.

Other entries include Politician Stakes winner Horizon and the smart Australian-bred Table Bay, who finished third in both the Selangor Cup and the Cape Guineas.

The entries for the Daisy Fillies Guineas include the first two past the post in the Cape Fillies Guineas, Smiling Blue Eyes and Al Hawraa, as well as Ektifaa, who beat the boys home in the Tony Ruffel Stakes.

Gauteng Guineas winner Janoobi is also among the entries for the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes, in which he could meet the likes of The Gonglomerate and Marinaresco. Also among the opposition could be Hawaii Stakes winner Rafeef and the top-rated horse among the Vodacom Durban July entries, Captain America, who ran second to Legal Eagle in the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and third to Whisky Baron in the Sun Met.

This race is traditionally used by some stables to “stretch the legs” of runners that are opening their season programme and are likely to contest bigger races in the next three months, making for an exciting and competitive clash.

More than 60% of the entries for these three features are from stables in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Port Elizabeth. Entries for the R500,000 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes (Grade 2) over 1400m. 7 MARINARESCO (C L Bass-Robinson) 60.0 15 THE CONGLOMERATE Ramsden) 60.0 23 BLACK ARTHUR (S J Snaith) 59.0 12 CAPTAIN ALDO (S J Gray) 59.0 4 CAPTAIN AMERICA (B Crawford) 59.0 2 CHAMPAGNE HAZE (G M Alexander) 59.0 3 NEW PREDATOR (J A Janse van Vuuren) 59.0 27 RAFEEF (M F De Kock) 59.0 8 BARITONE (S J Snaith) 58.0 31 BUDAPEST (G van Zyl) 58.0 13 BULLETING HOME (S G Tarry) 58.0 29 JUST ASK ME (G H Van Zyl) 58.0 9 KINGVOLDT (Y Bremner) 58.0 21 MACDUFF (J Ramsden) 58.0 24 NIGHT TRIP (C L Bass-Robinson) 58.0 28 NO WORRIES (G van Zyl) 58.0 5 PIVOTAL PURSUIT (G M Alexander) 58.0 11 PRINCE OF ORANGE (C Dawson) 58.0 30 ROCKETBALL (G H Van Zyl) 58.0 18 SAIL SOUTH (B Crawford) 58.0 6 SARATOGA DANCER (D C Howells) 58.0 20 SEVENTH PLAIN (D R Drier) 58.0 16 TEN GUN SALUTE (D C Howells) (J 58.0 1 VICTORIOUS JAY (V H Marshall) 58.0 10 JANOOBI (M F De Kock) 57.0 17 AFRICA RISING (S G Tarry) 56.0 25 MATADOR MAN (S G Tarry) 56.0 26 SERGEANT HARDY (S J Snaith) 56.0 19 TABLE BAY (J Ramsden) 56.0 14 NEGROAMARO (J A Janse van Vuuren) 55.5 22 EKTIFAA (M F De Kock) 54.5 Entries for the R600,000 Daisy Guineas over1600m 4 AFRICA RISING (S G Tarry) 60.0 15 ALAADEL (M F De Kock) 60.0 8 BUFFALO SOLDIER (C Laird) 60.0 5 COPPER FORCE (S J Snaith) 60.0 19 EDICT OF NANTES (B Crawford) 60.0 14 GIMME THE STARS (Y Bremner) 60.0 10 GINGERBREAD MAN (D C Howells) 60.0 20 GUNNER (P M Gadsby) 60.0 2 HEAD HONCHO (W A Nel) 60.0 9 HORIZON (C L Bass-Robinson) 60.0 1 JANOOBI (M F De Kock) 60.0 18 JIFFY (E Verdonese) 60.0 13 MATADOR MAN (S G Tarry) 60.0 7 MESS (C Dawson) 60.0 11 SECRET CAPTAIN (D C Howells) 60.0 3 SUMMER SKY (D Kannemeyer) 60.0 12 TABLE BAY (J Ramsden) 60.0 16 UNAGI (G M Alexander) 60.0 17 WILD WICKET (D C Howells) 60.0 6 ZODIAC RULER (S J Snaith) 60.0 Entries for the R5000,000 Daisy Fillies Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m 2 A WOMENS WAY (D C Howells) 60.0 8 AL DANZA (G V Woodruff) 60.0 13 AL HAWRAA (M F De Kock) 60.0 17 ANNA PAVLOVA (R R Magner) 60.0 15 DAWN CALLING (D C Howells) 60.0 10 EKTIFAA (M F De Kock) 60.0 9 FINAL JUDGEMENT (G S Kotzen) 60.0 11 GIMME SIX (S J Snaith) 60.0 1 JUST SENSUAL (J Ramsden) 60.0 14 LADY OF THE HOUSE (B Crawford) 60.0 19 PARTY CRASHER (G S Kotzen) 60.0 7 PHILAE (W A Nel) 60.0 12 POOL PARTY (R R Magner) 60.0 3 SAIL (D R Drier) 60.0 18 SIMPLY ROYAL (S G Tarry) 60.0 6 SMILING BLUE EYES (S G Tarry) 60.0 5 TANAMI (L Forbes) 60.0 16 THE HIGH LIFE (D R Drier) 60.0 4 VISUALITY (S G Tarry) 60.0