Summer Pudding looks a sweet treat
Goes for R1-million bonus
This weekend’s horseracing action will most definitely put the bang back into the sport, with bumper meetings at both Turffontein and Hollywoodbets Greyville.
And with R500,000 in carryovers added to various pools for tomorrow’s meeting at Turffontein, punters are set to laugh all the way to the bank, with three feature races to be contested - the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m, the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m.
It will probably be the Oaks that will attract the most attention, as Summer Pudding will be looking to add her name to the exclusive list of Wilgerbosdrift
Triple Tiara winners.
This three-year-old filly won both the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic.
Trainer Paul Peter is confident that she can stay the 2450m.
Her regular jockey, Warren Kennedy, is however confined to KwaZulu-Natal due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but Gavin Lerena, who rode the filly to victory on debut, will be back in the saddle.
This Silvano filly is unbeaten in five runs and if she can make it six from six, she will win the R1-million bonus – and a special place in history.
While anything can happen on the day, she is the favourite to take the honours.
Hawwaam, trained by Mike de Kock, looks the one to beat in the Horse Chestnut Stakes, but he won’t have it all his way.
After his third place in the Sun Met, both stablemate Soqrat and Sean Tarry-trained Cirillo will be keen to show that they can emulate One World and beat the Silvano colt.
The top three in this race have earned a staggering R13-million between them, so racing fans can prepare for a battle of note.
But don’t ignore the rest of the field. Tarry also Tierra Del Fuego, and although his performances to date have been underwhelming, Gavin Lerena might just get him to up his game jumping from gate two.
The Champions Season in KwaZulu-Natal will kick off on Sunday on the Greyville turf track with the running of the Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m plus the Grade 2 WSB Guineas and WSB Fillies Guineas, both over 1600m.
Today’s action is from Fairview, where eight races are carded.