BOTH the winners of the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Gauteng Fillies Guineas are among the nominations for the R2-million SA Classic and the R1-million SA Fillies Classic to be run over 1800m on the Turffontein standside track on Saturday 26 March.

These two Grade 1 races form the second leg of the SASCOC Triple Crown and the Triple Tiara for fillies respectively. Link Man won the Guineas, while Igugu took the Fillies Guineas. There is a R2-million bonus for any horse who can win all three legs of the Triple Crown and a R1-million windfall for the Triple Tiara winner.

Igugu:  Fillies Classic.

Three Grade 1 races take place on Classic Day – the third being the R1-million HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes – as well as five Grade 3 events. They are the R200,000 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m, the R200,000 Man O’War Sprint and the Protea Stakes, both over 1100m, the R165,000 Protea Stakes and Pretty Polly Stakes for Juveniles, and the Jacaranda Handicap over 1800m for fillies and mares.

The first four past the post in the Guineas – Link Man, Kavanagh, Galileo’s Destiny and Snowdon – have all been entered in the SA Classic. However, with some degree of uncertainty as to whether Link Man and Kavanagh will see out 1800m, trainer Mike de Kock has also nominated the pair for the Horse Chestnut Stakes.�
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De Kock has plenty back up in the Classic with Dark Wind, Perana and The Raj also among the entries. Galileo’s Destiny was running on well in the Guineas and Charles Laird expects his charge to be far more suited to this 1800m. He has also entered Not Liable.

An interesting entry is Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Top Seller. Vaughan Marshall’s runner finished well and got up just short of the post to beat Il Saggiatore and M’Lord’s Throat in that race over 2000m. He was ridden that day by Gauteng-based jockey Marthinus Mienie and he could well be looking forward to that ride again.
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There is another Cape entry in the form of English Garden. Mike Bass’ runner ran on strongly in his first race on the Highveld last Saturday to run a neck second to King’s Entourage, who is also among the Classic entries.  

Igugu is likely to have a full crack at the Triple Tiara, and after her facile four-length win in the Guineas she looks a strong contender to win the SA Fillies Classic and the Grade 2 Oaks over 2450m at the end of April.

Hollywoodboulevard, second in the Guineas, is also among the entries and once again looks to be her main opposition. Another interesting entry is Las Ramblas, who has beaten some of the colts in KwaZulu-Natal.

Bass has entered three runners in the Horse Chestnut Stakes – Fort Vogue, Captain’s Secret and English Garden – while Marshall has J&B Met fourth-placed Tales Of Bravery.

Supplementary entries close on Monday, 14 March at 11am after which the draws and weights will be announced. Final declarations take place at 10am on Tuesday 22 March.  

NOMINATIONS|
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SA CLASSIC (Grade 1) R2-million 1800m
APPROACHABLE (W H Marwing); BELMONTE (S Mohideen); DARK WIND (M F De Kock); ENGLISH GARDEN (M W Bass); GALILEO’S DESTINY (C Laird); GOLD ONYX (S G Tarry); JOE KOOL (B D Botes) ; KAVANAGH (M F De Kock); KINGS ENTOURAGE (M N Houdalakis); LINK MAN (M F De Kock); MONEY GRUBBER (G H Van Zyl); NOT LIABLE (C Laird); PERANA (M F De Kock); ROMAN WALL (S G Tarry); SEPTEMBER WIND (G M Alexander); SNOWDON (O A Ferraris); SUPER TROUPER (S J Gray); THE RAJ (M F De Kock ; TOP SELLER (V H Marshall);

S A FILLIES CLASSIC (Grade 1) R1-million 1800m
CHECCETTI (M F De Kock); HOLLYWOODBOULEVARD (C Laird); IGUGU (M F De Kock); JUSTTHEWAYYOUARE (G V Woodruff); LAS RAMBLAS (J M Goodman); LOUVRE (W H Marwing); NATIONAL EXECUTIVE (P F Matchett); PRINCESS OF LIGHT (G V Woodruff); RED DELICIOUS (S G Tarry); RUNNING RIVULET (W H Marwing); STORMY COAST (G B Scott); WELWITSCHIA (M F De Kock);
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HORSE CHESTNUT STAKES (Grade 1) (Weight  for Age)  R1-million 1600m
ALDERRY (M F De Kock); ARABIAN MIST (G M Alexander); BULSARA (G H Van Zyl); BUY AND SELL (S G Tarry); CALL TO COMBAT (S J Gray); CAPTAIN’S SECRET (M W Bass); CAPTAIN’S WILD (M F De Kock); EARL OF SURREY (G V Woodruff); ENGLISH GARDEN (M W Bass); FORT VOGUE (M W Bass); GALILEO’S GALAXY (C Laird); GOAT (P V Lafferty); KAVANAGH (M F De Kock); LINK MAN (M F De Kock); OZYMANDIAS (W H Marwing); REBEL KNIGHT (G M Alexander); REGAL RANSOM (S G Tarry); TALES OF BRAVERY (V H Marshall);
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CARADOC GOLD CUP (Grade 3) R200,000 2850m
ARCOLA (W H Marwing); CHICO AZUL (G V Woodruff); CRACKER JACK (G V Woodruff); ILSANPIETRO (M F De Kock); INDIGO AMIGO (B O Wiid); LION’S BLOOD (M F De Kock); MIRAGE DRIVE (T Zackey); POWER LORD (D Rahilly); RAPID FLOW (D J Nieuwenhuizen); SANTA (O A Ferraris); SPEED FOR GOLD (S G Tarry); VERTICAL TAKEOFF (S G Tarry); WINNING LEAP (D Zaki);
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MAN O’ WAR SPRINT (Grade 3) R200,000 1100m
BERMUDA WINTER (D N Stenger); CAPTAIN’S KEY (M G Azzie); COUNT EXPRESS (O A Ferraris); CRISSY SANCHEZ (S G Tarry); ELUSIVE RIVER (C Laird); JANNU (F C De Beer); SEPTEMBER WIND (G M Alexander); SHEA SHEA (G V Woodruff); THE MOUSEKETEER (S G Tarry); TIMEOFRECKONING (C Laird); UMFUTHO (A G Laird); UMKOMAAS (P F Matchett);
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PROTEA  STAKES (Grade 3); (two-year-olds)  R200,000 1100m
AEGIS-FANG (S G Tarry); CAPTAIN HADDOCK (O A Ferraris); DARK KNIGHT (S G Tarry); DAWN LIGHT (C E Erasmus); DELAGO DELUXE (C Laird); FORT WILLIAM (R R Magner); JUMBO (H E Adamson); KUJA (V H Marshall); MARBLE DRUM (P F Matchett); MIDNIGHT SERENADE (D N Stenger); TAKE A GAMBIT (C E Erasmus); TENNESSEE STRATEGY (C Laird); TONY’S TIPPLE (L W Goosen);
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PRETTY POLLY STAKES (Grade 3); (two-year-old fillies)  R165,000 1100m
ANNE BONNY (C Laird); EXTRAORDINAIRE (P F Matchett); FLYING CLOUD (D Little); GEORGIA BROWN (L Lotz); KINEMATIC COUNTESS (R R Magner); LA VOLTA (D Rahilly); MAGGIE THATCH (P F Matchett); MALAGA-BELLE (D Zaki); MIDNIGHT DRAGON (L W Goosen); PINNAQUIN (L Lotz); SHEZTHECLUBQUEEN (T Lowe); SOLARIUM (M G Azzie); STERN LINE (C Laird); VARIOMETER (L W Goosen); VERBATIM (M G Azzie);
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JACARANDA HANDICAP (Grade 3) (Fillies and Mares)  R165,000 1800m
AFRICA’S TOUCH (J L van Heerden); ALDERRY (M F De Kock); ALL AFIRE (A G Laird); ARIZA (M F De Kock); BEDLOE’S ISLAND (S G Tarry); CANDY SINGER (M F De Kock); DREAM STREET (G/K Anthony); END OF SEASON (S J Gray); FILLY BUSHWACKER (G H Van Zyl); FISANI (M F De Kock); GIVE ME FIVE (S G Tarry); GLUWEIN (M F De Kock); LAVERNA (M F De Kock); MAGIC PENNY (A G Laird); QUEEN MIRA (G V Woodruff); QUICK SINGLE (G V Woodruff); RED DELICIOUS (S G Tarry); SALTWATER GIRL (D J Nieuwenhuizen); SALUTATION (S T Pettigrew); SCARLETINA (D Little); STELLA MIA (A G Laird); WICKET MAIDEN (C Laird);