MIKE de Kock must have felt the  “draw Gods’’ had deserted him after the barrier positions for the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and Gauteng Fillies Guineas were announced on Monday.

He’s entered five runners into the R1-million Gauteng Guineas and three into the R500,000 Gauteng Fillies Guineas, both over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 26 February, and only two of his runners managed to scrape into the first 10 barrier positions. Link Man has drawn at No 9 of the 27 Guineas entries while Berry Blaze is drawn at No 6 of the 16 nominations for the Fillies Guineas.

Igugu, poor draw.

The Gauteng Guineas forms the first leg of the SASCOC Triple Crown with a R2-million bonus up for grabs for any horse who can win the Guineas, the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m and the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m. The Fillies Guineas is the first leg of the Triple Tiara, the other two races being the SA Fillies Classic and the SA Oaks.    

Antious, from the KwaZulu-Natal-based stable of Herman Brown, was the only supplementary for the Guineas, while Joe Soma and Roy Magner added Chances Are and Howhighcanyoufly respectively to the nomination list for the Fillies Guineas.

Of the De Kock entries, Perana looks the most capable of winning all three legs of the Triple Crown but he is currently drawn at No 14 for the Guineas. With a bit of luck he could come into around No 8 but he will have to rely on withdrawals to do so. The news is even worse for Kavanagh who is drawn at No 19.  The Raj is drawn at No 15 and The Assayer at No 21.

Charles Laird also has five entries in the Guineas and his runners have also not fared too well. While Fidelis is nicely positioned at No 2, highly rated Galileo’s Destiny is at No 18. Western Front has drawn at No 11, Good On You at No 13 and Not Liable at No 17.

There will be smiles on some other faces though. Ormond Ferraris has drawn pole position with Snowdon while Geoff Woodruff will be delighted that Shea Shea has finally earned a decent draw at No 3. Port Elizabeth visitor The Plunderer is nicely positioned at No 5 with Approachable at No 6.

Worse news for De Kock is that Igugu has drawn widest of all – at No 16 – for the Fillies Guineas. Laird will be reasonably satisfied that Hollywoodboulevard is positioned at No 9. Happy Archer from the Sean Tarry yard has drawn at No1.      �
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Final declarations for the Guineas and Fillies Guineas are on Thursday, 17 February while the declarations for the balance of the card fall due at 11am on Tuesday 22 February.  

NOMINATIONS WITH DRAWS AND WEIGHTS

GAUTENG GUINEAS (Grade 2) R1-million 1600m

16 ANTIOUS (H J Brown) 58.0
6 APPROACHABLE (W H Marwing) 58.0
25 CAPTIVE ACTION (P F Matchett) 58.0
20 CITY OF BELLS (M G Azzie) 58.0
24 DRUM MASTER (W H Marwing) 58.0
2 FIDELIS (C Laird) 58.0
18 GALILEO’S DESTINY (C Laird) 58.0
10 GOLD ONYX (S G Tarry) 58.0
13 GOOD ON YOU (C Laird) 58.0
19 KAVANAGH (M F De Kock) 58.0
7 LANCEWOOD (M G Azzie) 58.0
9 LINK MAN (M F De Kock) 58.0
8 MONEY GRUBBER (G H Van Zyl) 58.0
17 NOT LIABLE (C Laird) 58.0
4 PAINTYOURFACE (R R Magner) 58.0
14 PERANA (M F De Kock) 58.0
26 ROMAN WALL (S G Tarry) 58.0
23 SEPTEMBER WIND (G M Alexander) 58.0
3 SHEA SHEA (G V Woodruff) 58.0
1 SNOWDON (O A Ferraris) 58.0
27 SUPER TROUPER (S J Gray) 58.0
21 THE ASSAYER (M F De Kock) 58.0
5 THE PLUNDERER (G D Smith) 58.0
15 THE RAJ (M F De Kock) 58.0
22 TROUBLED WATERS (S G Tarry) 58.0
12 VALOR (M G Azzie) 58.0
11 WESTERN FRONT (C Laird) 58.0

GAUTENG FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2) R500,000 1600m

14 BEAUTIFUL YOU (S G Tarry) 58.0
6 BERRY BLAZE (M F De Kock) 58.0
2 CHANCES ARE (J A Soma) 58.0
5 FAIR ROSALIND (P F Matchett) 58.0
1 HAPPY ARCHER (S G Tarry) 58.0
9 HOLLYWOODBOULEVARD (C Laird) 58.0
8 HOWHIGHCANUFLY (R R Magner) 58.0
16 IGUGU (M F De Kock) 58.0
12 MINA SALAAM (R R Magner) 58.0
7 PIMPINELLA (G M Alexander) 58.0
15 PRINCESS OF LIGHT (G V Woodruff) 58.0
13 RUNNING RIVULET (W H Marwing) 58.0
4 SEPTEMBER MORN (D N Stenger) 58.0
10 STORMY COAST (G B Scott) 58.0
11 WELWITSCHIA (M F De Kock) 58.0
3 WITHOUT MALICE (G B Scott) 58.0

HAWAII STAKES (Grade 2) R300,000 1400m

4 ARABIAN MIST (G M Alexander) 57.0
7 ASLAN (S G Tarry) 56.5
30 REGAL RANSOM (S G Tarry) 56.5
20 BULSARA (G H Van Zyl) 56.0
13 IRON CURTAIN (R R Sage) 55.5
15 CALL TO COMBAT (S J Gray) 54.5
31 CAPTAIN SCOTT (A G Laird) 54.5
21 LINK MAN (M F De Kock) 54.5
24 LOCHLORIEN (M G Azzie) 54.5
22 ACROSS THE ICE (S G Tarry) 54.0
19 DON’T TELL TITCH (G V Woodruff) 54.0
25 EARL OF SURREY (G V Woodruff) 54.0
28 EMIR (D J Nieuwenhuizen) 54.0
18 GALILEO’S GALAXY (C Laird) 54.0
16 INTELLECTUAL (H J Brown) 54.0
1 JAMAICAN DREAM (M G Azzie) 54.0
3 LIGHTNING LECTURE (D J Nieuwenhuizen) 54.0
27 MPUMELELO (J A Soma) 54.0
29 OPENING NIGHT (C Binda) 54.0
5 OZYMANDIAS (W H Marwing) 54.0
14 POLAR MOON (S G Tarry) 54.0
26 REBEL KNIGHT (G M Alexander) 54.0
9 SMANJEMANJE (T Zackey) 54.0
12 THANDOLWAMI (C Eudey) 54.0
17 KAVANAGH (M F De Kock) 53.5
11 AUTUMN GOLD (S G Tarry) 51.5
8 MISS TURBULENCE (W H Marwing) 51.5
2 SHEA SHEA (G V Woodruff) 51.5
6 CAPTAIN’S KEY (M G Azzie) 51.0
23 THE ASSAYER (M F De Kock) 51.0
10 VALOR (M G Azzie) 51.0

ACACIA HANDICAP (Grade 3)(F&M) R165,000 1600m

19 MISS TURBULENCE (W H Marwing) 60.5
2 GOAT (P V Lafferty) 60.0
1 ESTEREL (D N Stenger) 59.5
8 QUICK SINGLE (G V Woodruff) 58.5
21 TREE OF PERFECTION (P F Matchett) 58.5
23 FISANI (M F De Kock) 58.0
25 AUTUMN GOLD (S G Tarry) 57.5
27 FILLY BUSHWACKER (G H Van Zyl) 57.5
7 HEADSTRONG (M F De Kock) 57.5
16 ALL AFIRE (A G Laird) 56.0
22 CANDY SINGER (M F De Kock) 56.0
15 CATHERINA LADY (D N Stenger) 56.0
5 CHECCETTI (M F De Kock) 56.0
17 GLUWEIN (M F De Kock) 56.0
12 QUEEN MIRA (G V Woodruff) 56.0
6 LISA ANNE (G M Alexander) 55.5
9 BELLA JET (B P Maroun) 55.0
13 GENEROUS ANNA (C Laird) 55.0
14 LADY MAGPIE (A D Gordon) 55.0
3 DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL (S J Gray) 54.5
11 ENGAGEMENT (S J Gray) 54.5
20 CAREY’S QUI (A G Laird) 54.0
26 GIVE ME FIVE (S G Tarry) 54.0
10 STELLA MIA (A G Laird) 54.0
18 SYNCOPATE (O A Ferraris) 50.0
4 PRINCESS OF LIGHT (G V Woodruff) 48.5
24 BEAUTIFUL YOU (S G Tarry) 45.5

AQUANAUT HANDICAP (Listed) R135,000 2450m

20 WINNING LEAP (D Zaki) 60.0
21 GOLD ON GOLD (O A Ferraris) 58.0
15 CRACKER JACK (G V Woodruff) 57.5
8 LION’S BLOOD (M F De Kock) 57.5
3 FROZEN FIRE (M F De Kock) 57.0
18 VERTICAL TAKEOFF (S G Tarry) 57.0
6 HAVASHA (M F De Kock) 56.5
14 ARCOLA (W H Marwing) 55.5
12 ILSANPIETRO (M F De Kock) 55.5
10 MIRAGE DRIVE (T Zackey) 55.5
1 ROYAL CAPTIVE (S G Tarry) 53.5
4 SAYADAW (S W Kenny) 52.0
17 CHICO AZUL (G V Woodruff) 51.5
19 BADGER LAKE (M F De Kock) 51.0
9 SALTWATER GIRL (D J Nieuwenhuizen) 49.0
16 DOLOMITE (K Naidoo) 48.5
2 RAPID FLOW (D J Nieuwenhuizen) 48.5
11 DARK WIND (M F De Kock) 46.5
5 ICE CRUSHER (H E Adamson) 46.5
13 PARLOTONE (L W Goosen) 45.5
7 FURLING SAIL (S J Gray) 42.0