Gold Circle’s 2018 SA Champions Season launches at Greyville Race Course on Friday 4 May with the running of three Gr2 features.
Entries for the R500 000 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400 metres, as well as the R600 000 Daisy Guineas and R500 000 Daisy Fillies Guineas, both over 1600 metres, were received on Monday.
Mike Azzie’s Will Pays – entered for the Drill Hall Stakes
SA Champions Season, often referred to as the National Championship of horseracing in South Africa, showcases the very best the sport of horse racing has to offer from the beginning of May to the end of July each year, and attracts contestants from all over the country.
Comprising 25 Race Meetings and 217 races, Champions Season boasts more than R46-million in prize money including 13 Grade 1 races; 9 Grade 2 races; 9 Grade 3 races and 7 Listed races.
Power King wins the 2015 Vodacom Durban July
The R4,25-million Vodacom Durban July, run annually on the first Saturday of July, is the jewel in Gold Circle’s crown and once again approximately 55 000 racegoers will descend on Greyville Race Course to enjoy the 12-race VDJ extravaganza.
Flashback to 2017 – Gr1 Tsogo Sun celebrations for the Bull Valley team
The Golden Horse Casino Sprint Race Day at Scottsville on 28 May; the Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday 2 June; the Rising Sun Gold Challenge at Greyville on Saturday 10 June and the eLan Gold Cup at Greyville on 28 July are the other major Grade 1 race days on the calendar.
Horses at Weight-For-Age + Penalties
WFA: 2yrs-11kgs 3yrs-2kgs
| 2 | Sail South | (7G) | 60 | 123 | A | Brett Crawford | |
| 11 | Bishop’s Bounty | (4G) | 58.5 | 117 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 6 | Will Pays | (6G) | 58.5 | 114 | A | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 21 | Copper Force | Accepted | (4G) | 57 | 115 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 17 | Saratoga Dancer | (6G) | 57 | 112 | A | Duncan Howells | |
| 7 | Captain Aldo | (7G) | 57 | 111 | BA | St John Gray | |
| 1 | Our Mate Art (AUS) | (4G) | 57 | 109 | A | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 5 | Amazing Strike | (6G) | 57 | 107 | BA | Alec Laird | |
| 9 | Doing It For Dan | (6G) | 57 | 104 | AT | Louis Goosen | |
| 19 | Doosra | (4G) | 57 | 102 | BA | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 10 | Red Chesnut Road | (4G) | 57 | 102 | A | Robbie Hill | |
| 16 | Zodiac Ruler (AUS) | (4G) | 57 | 101 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 8 | Lord Balmoral (AUS) | (4G) | 57 | 100 | A | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 4 | Perovskia | (4G) | 57 | 99 | A | Harold Crawford | |
| 20 | Wonderwall | (3C) | 56.5 | 103 | AT | Sean Tarry | |
| 14 | Sniper Shot | (3G) | 55 | 105 | A | Paul Lafferty | |
| 18 | Full Mast | (3G) | 55 | 99 | BA | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 12 | Down To Zero | (3C) | 55 | 98 | BA | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 3 | Prince Of Kahal | (3C) | 55 | 95 | A | Roy Magner | |
| 15 | Kilauea | (5M) | 54.5 | 99 | A | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 13 | Final Judgement | (4F) | 54.5 | 96 | A | Glen Kotzen | |
| (21) | |||||||
Tap O’Noth – nicley drawn in the Guineas (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
For 3 year-olds
| 17 | Do It Again | Accepted | (3G) | 60 | 110 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 10 | Roy Had Enough (AUS) | (3C) | 60 | 110 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 3 | Surcharge | (3C) | 60 | 110 | A | Stuart Pettigrew | |
| 4 | Tap O’ Noth | (3C) | 60 | 110 | A | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 18 | Undercover Agent | (3C) | 60 | 110 | A | Brett Crawford | |
| 5 | White River | (3C) | 60 | 109 | A | Brett Crawford | |
| 14 | Pack Leader | (3C) | 60 | 106 | A | Glen Kotzen | |
| 13 | Sniper Shot | (3G) | 60 | 105 | A | Paul Lafferty | |
| 2 | Wonderwall | (3C) | 60 | 103 | AT | Sean Tarry | |
| 12 | Rocket Countdown | (3G) | 60 | 102 | A | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 8 | Premier Show | (3G) | 60 | 94 | BA | Clinton Binda | |
| 7 | Blackball | (3G) | 60 | 91 | A | Gavin van Zyl | |
| 11 | Silva’s Bullet | (3G) | 60 | 91 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 1 | Kazaar | (3G) | 60 | 90 | A | Dennis Bosch | |
| 6 | Mardi Gras | Accepted | (3C) | 60 | 90 | A | J A Janse van Vuuren |
| 15 | Purple Diamond | (3G) | 60 | 89 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 9 | Oh Susanna (AUS) | (3F) | 57.5 | 121 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 16 | What A Player | (3F) | 57.5 | 82 | AT | Alan Greeff | |
| (18) | |||||||
Snowdance – accepted for the Daisy Fillies Guineas (Pic – Chase Liebenberg Photography)
For 3 year-old Fillies
| 1 | Oh Susanna (AUS) | (3F) | 60 | 121 | A | Justin Snaith | |
| 10 | Snowdance | Accepted | (3F) | 60 | 114 | A | Justin Snaith |
| 17 | Lady In Black | (3F) | 60 | 111 | A | Dennis Drier | |
| 13 | Elusive Heart | (3F) | 60 | 105 | A | Glen Kotzen | |
| 3 | Folk Dance | (3F) | 60 | 103 | A | Paul Peter | |
| 8 | Fiorella | (3F) | 60 | 101 | A | Duncan Howells | |
| 16 | Luna Child | (3F) | 60 | 98 | BA | Glen Kotzen | |
| 14 | Roy’s Riviera (AUS) | (3F) | 60 | 96 | A | Frank Robinson | |
| 9 | Twice As Smart | (3F) | 60 | 94 | A | Wendy Whitehead | |
| 12 | Desert Rhythm | (3F) | 60 | 93 | AT | Sean Tarry | |
| 2 | Sugar Girl | (3F) | 60 | 93 | A | Dean Kannemeyer | |
| 15 | Varsity Girl | (3F) | 60 | 91 | A | Candice Dawson | |
| 6 | She’s A Dream | (3F) | 60 | 90 | A | Mark Dixon | |
| 7 | Star Profile | (3F) | 60 | 90 | A | Corne Spies | |
| 11 | Regal Graduation | (3F) | 60 | 86 | A | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 4 | London Secret | (3F) | 60 | 85 | A | Sean Tarry | |
| 5 | Leia Organa | (3F) | 60 | 84 | A | Corne Spies | |
| 18 | Melinda’s Garden | (3F) | 60 | 77 | A | Corne Spies | |
| (18) | |||||||
Supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Friday 20 April.
Declarations due by 11h00 on Wedensday 25 April.
