Top field for Drill Hall Stakes
NEXT Sunday marks the start of South Africa’s Champions Season at Durban’s Greyville Racecourse. Since 1962, the Drill Hall Stakes has opened the winter racing season at Greyville.
It was named after the race’s starting point along the track near the Durban Light Infantry Regiment’s grand building. Some of the top horses in the country will take part in the R500 000, Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1 400m as well as two other races on the day that set the standard for a thrilling winter season, according to Gold Circle. The other races are the R600 000, Grade 2 Daisy Guineas and the R500 000, Grade 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas.
“Super stars Marinaresco, Captain America and Sail South head the 14-horse field under weight-forage conditions in The Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes that traditionally opens the winter season and, while they could well need the outing, they have the class to play major roles in the outcome,” said Gold Circle. The three followed the champion Legal Eagle home in the Grade 1 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at the beginning of the year and are sure to be in very competitive form for this race.
“Among the opposition are the likes of Champagne Haze, New Predator and Bulleting Home from Gauteng, and the Cape four-yearold Black Arthur that was one of the country’s leading three-yearolds last season.”
Gold Circle communications manager Gill Mostert said the Gauteng Guineas winner Janoobi headed the field in the Daisy Guineas and would meet the Investec Cape Derby runner-up Zodiac Ruler for the first time, along with the exciting East Cape Guineas winner Gimme The Stars and the first two past the post in the Byerley Turk, Africa Rising and Copper Force.
Over the years there have been seven double wins in the Drill Hall Stakes (Grade 2) – Demain in 1966 and 1967; Magic Mirror in 1968 and 1969; Applause in 1971 and 1972; Wolf Power in 1983 and 1984; Chili Bite in 1985 and 1986; Eldoriza in 1995 and 1996; and Beach Beauty, daughter of Dynasty, in 2013 and 2014. Last year’s winner was the Australian horse New Predator.