Goldmine! The Gauteng Guineas winner Tellina is expected to make his presence felt again as he marches to Triple Crown glory in the Gr1 SA Classic
The R2 million Gr1 SA Classic to be run over 1800m at Turffontein on Saturday has attracted a top quality field of sixteen 3yo’s. While Geoff Woodruff’s brilliant Gauteng Guineas winner Tellina takes his next step to possible Triple Crown glory, the contest looks a likely humdinger and far from cut and dried.
The inevitable seasonal debate about whether the current vintage is up to standard when compared to previous years is usually only answered much later on. But this is a race that produces a winner of future consequence virtually every year.
And frankly, the 2013 crop looks something very special indeed with claims evenly matched in many quarters across a spectrum of large and smaller yards.
While the extra 200m of Saturday’s race is bound to be of crucial consideration, our best yardstick when assessing the individual merits and prospects is the Gauteng Guineas, which was run on the first Saturday of this month.
Great Style
A few extenuating factors and excuses aside, Geoff Woodruff’s Tellina won that event narrowly in scintillating style, and while stepping up in distance here, he jumps from the same stall gate with his regular pilot aboard. And he will already have his eye on the R2 million SASCOC Triple Crown bonus!
It is Robbie Fradd’s post race comments from that early March afternoon that give us the greatest confidence for this weekend’s race. Recapping, Fradd quipped: “I was very bullish about this race. He is a lovely progressive sort with a great turn of foot. He lacks a bit of experience and his work wasn’t great. But I knew we would be right there. We just have to sort out his temperament and he will go places.”
They piled the money on and although his backers would have sweated, the son of Silvano got up to beat War Horse in encouraging fashion. Fradd fell foul of the Stipes, picking up a fine for excessive use of the whip. But that happens in the heat of the big moments, with so much riding on the outcome.
Tellina had also displayed that devastating turn of foot at his previous start too, when slow away in a lowly MR 72 Handicap, and scorching away to win unextended.
He should relish the extra 200m of Saturday’s test. But can he be trusted to behave himself in front of what will be a large crowd, and the usual distracting sideshows?
Runners Up
Overdue. Corne Spies’ War Horse is regaining his fitness and could be ready for a peak run
Let’s look at those that ran behind him in the Guineas: The Gr1 Golden Horseshoe winner War Horse ran a half length second in the Gauteng Guineas after hanging in during the latter stages. The son of Victory Moon has thus run two excellent seconds on his return to action after a break following a below par showing in the Graham Beck Stakes.
Corne Spies’ runner is highly regarded by his connections(lest we forget his trainer’s somewhat premature Durban July quip while he was still a 2yo), and he needs to be included in all calculations.
Tellina’s stablemate Killua Castle ran a 0,55 length third in the Gauteng Guineas, but will find this much tougher going from a 16 draw and comes in as just a one time winner.
Stressed Out
Gavin Van Zyl’s No Worries ran a one length fourth in the Gauteng Guineas, and has won 2 of his 8 starts to date. Of major interest is the jockey engagement, with Piere Strydom jumping ship from Francois Bernardus to ride this gelding.
As Strydom has already won on this fellow, we are inclined to read plenty into his decision to switch mounts. If Strydom can ride No Worries with more restraint than his handy effort in the Guineas, he could run right up there. No Worries dam was an eleven time winner, who won up to 2000m. So he should stay the trip.
Gitiano ran a 1,05 length fifth in the Gauteng Guineas, and was finishing well under Derreck David. The winner of 3 from 9 starts now gets the services of Anton Marcus and jumps from a 3 draw at his first try beyond a mile.
Lame Excuse
Tyrone Zackey’s Francois Bernardus ran a 3 length sixth in the Gauteng Guineas but pulled up lame afterwards. The son of Goldkeeper was a weak favourite for that race after having won his three previous starts, including a great effort in the Graham Beck Stakes, in outstanding style. We are not privy to Strydom’s thinking behind preferring the ride on No Worries, but it may well be related to soundness issues.
If that be the case, then Francois Bernardus needs to be monitored closely for fitness on the day.But he has shown himself to be good enough, so beware.
Paul Lafferty’s KZN Guineas Trial winner Love Struck ran a 3,50 lengths seventh in the Gauteng Guineas, and his participation here is puzzling after his Listed Breeders Cup Politician Stakes win at Kenilworth on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day. After that event, Anton Marcus suggested that the 1800mmight be at the limit of his range.
Taking on the big boys in their own backyard over the trip might be stretching matters. Anton Marcus has also moved on to ride Gitiano. The third of the Woodruff runners is the Var gelding Sabadell, who ran a 4,25 length eighth in the Gauteng Guineas, carrying a half kilo over.
He is ridden again by Bernard Fayd’herbe who will be hoping for better luck in running, after traffic problems forced him to ease at a crucial time in the Guineas.
Sabadell was tested positive after his second to The Hangman in The Dingaans on 1 December, and his form past 1400m must also thus be questioned.
De Kock Duo
Sea Cottage Stakes winner Alexandra Palace ran a 6,50 length ninth in the Gauteng Guineas, but as the only course and distance winner in the race, must come into the picture. Mike De Kock’s charge will in fact definitely enjoy the more testing trip here and jumping from a great draw with the vastly experienced Kevin Shea in the saddle, must be considered a serious contender.
The other De Kock runner Emerald Approach ran an eight length tenth in the Gauteng Guineas after losing a length at the start. The two time winner ran a fair fourth in The Dingaans, but has not done much at his last two starts. He will be ridden by veteran Cape jockey, Karl Neisius, who had a great feature strike rate for De Kock over a decade ago.
Another Capetonian in Glen Hatt travels North to ride Rock Of Arts, who ran fourteenth and 11 lengths off in the Gauteng Guineas. The Australia bred son of Rock Of Gibraltar had excuses as his jockey Kevin Shea was struck in the face by a bird at approximately the 350 metre mark, resulting in him being unable to fully assist his mount in the latter stages.
The birds aside, the Ready To Run Cup winner may well warrant another chance and his dam won up to 2100m in Australia. So he should stay the trip.
Sean Tarry’s Swift And Strong ran fifteenth and 13,50 lengths off in the Gauteng Guineas after running handily and then fading badly. He has drawn poorly, and needs to show improvement.
The dual Tony Ruffel Stakes and Secretariat Stakes winner Fantastic Mr Fox ran a thirty length last in the Gauteng Guineas, but pulled up lame apparently.
That definitely was not his genuine run after a good run of form, and while we are not convinced he will stay the 1800m, he must have a chance if returning fit and well,
Trio
Unchartered. The Egoli Mile winner Bay Of Bengal could be the dark horse in Saturday’s Gr1 SA Classic
The non Guineas runners number only three and the trio is headed by the Egoli Mile winner, Bay Of Bengal. Trained by Mike Azzie, who took him over from Spike Lerena near the end of last year, the son of Tiger Ridge ran on strongly to win the Egoli Mile from Wylie Hall three weeks ago, and is probably the singularly most unexposed runner in the field.
A winner of 3 of his 5 starts, he looks extremely progressive and very likely to stay the trip with ease. While drawn at 10, he has shown the versatility of being able to be dropped out or run handily, and this could be the dark horse of the field!
The poorly drawn Gray’s Champ is 7 kgs better off with Bay Of Bengal, who beat him 4,10 lengths in the Egoli Mile. That was his first run since an unplaced effort behind the exciting Capetown Noir in the Cape Derby, and Gavin Van Zyl will no doubt have him fitter for this race.
American Storm has drawn poorly and appears to be a rather luckless sort. Spike Lerena’s charge choked up and finished stone last in the Egoli Mile, and was withdrawn lame from his previous engagement.
He did run a very good second to Alexandra Palace in the Sea Cottage Stakes over the course and distance previous to that, but he would probably have been taken more seriously here if his prep had gone a touch smoother.
Yardstick
We have utilised the Gauteng Guineas form as our major yardstick. On that, Tellina is the right one, assuming he behaves himself and doesn’t expend unnecessary energy in the preliminaries. He is the selection to beat Bay Of Bengal, with Alexandra Palace and War Horse scrapping over the minor placings.
But it should be a tightly contested affair, where luck in running and split second decisions could mean the difference between a big payday and very little else.
• The R6,5 million SASCOC Triple Crown for 3-year-olds is the richest series of races in Africa. The Triple Crown comprises the R1 million Gr2 Betting World Gauteng Guineas which was run over 1600m on Saturday 2 March. The Classic to be run on Saturday and ends with the R1,5 million Gr1 SA Derby run over 2450m on Saturday 27 April.
A bonus of R2 million will be paid to the owner of the horse that wins all three legs of the Triple Crown.
