ONLY 11 rivals seemed prepared to take on Igugu in her quest to become the first filly to win the Triple Tiara.

Mike de Kock’s runner has already claimed the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic and all she needs to do now is capture the Grade 2 SA Oaks on Saturday 30 April and she will bank the R1-million bonus.

Igugu: The feared one. (JC Photos).

The Highveld racing season builds to a crescendo at this Champions Day meeting to take place at Turffontein on Saturday 30 April where more than R7-million in stake money is up for grabs.

Heading up that meeting are three Grade 1 events – the R2-million President’s Champion Challenge over 2000m, the R1.5-million SA Derby over 2450m for three-year-olds, and South Africa’s premier sprint event, the R1-million Computaform Sprint.

Also being run on the day are six Grade 2 races headed up by the R750,000 SA Oaks for three-year-old fillies over 2450m. The others are the Gold Bowl and the SA Nursery with a purse of R500,000 each, the R400,000 SA Fillies Nursery, the R300,000 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes and the R200,000 Camellia Stakes.

The manner of her 10.25-length win in the Classic makes Igugu almost impossible to oppose in the SA Oaks but it is a tough ask for any horse to win three races in the space of eight weeks. De Kock has two other runners in the form of Checcetti and Oaks Trial winner Ilha Grande to back up his filly and perhaps ensure there will be a decent pace.

Mike Bass had his first win on the Highveld when English Garden won the R2-million SA Classic and the son of Camden Park is also among the entries for the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m.    

However, there will be no shortage of challengers as Investec Cape Derby winner and SA Classic runner-up Top Seller will be a lot fitter this time and should go close. Galileo’s Destiny from the Charles Laird stable has been crying out for further and he showed his class by finishing third in both the Gauteng Guineas and the SA Classic.
It is not often one finds a true stayer in the Derby but Ormond Ferraris has put in Ice Flag, who is at his best over 2400m and upwards.    

Most exciting race on the day could be the Grade1 Computaform Sprint where all the best sprinters in the country are among the entries. Bass has nominated three runners, including Cape Flying Championship (Grade 1) winner What A Winter. His other two are Gaultier and Blue Tiger.

Top sprinting three-year-olds Magico and Shea Shea are among the nominations as is brilliant four-year-old filly Val De Ra, who made a winning come back following a nine-month layoff at Clairwood on Sunday.

Supplementary entries close at 11am on Wednesday 13 April after which the weights will be published. Declarations close at 11am on Wednesday 20 April.

NOMINATIONS

SA DERBY (Grade 1) R1.5-million 2450m
4 BELMONTE (S Mohideen)
9 DARK WIND (M F De Kock)
11 ENGLISH GARDEN (M W Bass)
8 GALILEO’S DESTINY (C Laird)
14 GAME OVER (R R Magner)
2 ICE FLAG (O A Ferraris)
6 MASAI WARRIOR (M G Azzie)
5 MERLION (B O Wiid)
1 MONEY GRUBBER (G H Van Zyl)
7 NOT LIABLE (C Laird)
12 PERANA (M F De Kock)
3 SEAL (G H Van Zyl)
13 SHERE KHAN (K Naidoo)
10 TOP SELLER (V H Marshall)

COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1) R1-million 1000m
18 ARABIAN MIST (G M Alexander)
23 AUGUST RUSH (N L Bruss)
3 BLUE TIGER (M W Bass)
7 CAPTAIN’S GAL (S G Tarry)
21 FURIOUS DANCER (K Naidoo)
14 GAULTIER (M W Bass)
13 INTELLECTUAL (H J Brown)
22 JINZO (H J Brown)
11 KAYHALADIN (G J Maroun)
20 MAGICO (P A Peter)
9 MANA MOU (S G Tarry)
16 MOROCCAN (W H Marwing)
5 MR BLACK TOM (B O Wiid)
12 MYTHICAL FLIGHT (S G Tarry)
17 REBEL KNIGHT (G M Alexander)
19 SHEA SHEA (G V Woodruff)
8 SOUTH COUNTRY (J A Soma)
15 STING OPERATION (C Laird)
2 TRIBAL (G J Maroun)
1 VAL DE RA (D R Drier)
10 WHAT A WINTER (M W Bass)
6 WINKING JACK (L Wiid)
4 WISHFUL EYE (A Wright)

SA OAKS (Grade 2) R750,000 2450m
1 CHECCETTI (M F De Kock)
10 CHERRY ON THE CAKE (G H Van Zyl)
3 IGUGU (M F De Kock)
7 ILHA GRANDE (M F De Kock)
11 JUSTTHEWAYYOUARE (G V Woodruff)
8 KEEP ON DREAMING (K Naidoo)
2 MAR LODGE (R R Sage)
6 MICRO JET (S T Pettigrew)
4 NAUTICAL (B O Wiid)
9 PRINCESS OF LIGHT (G V Woodruff)
5 RUNNING RIVULET (W H Marwing)
12 STORMY COAST (G B Scott)

GOLD BOWL (Grade 2) R500,000 3200m
7 ARCOLA (W H Marwing)
2 ASLAN (S G Tarry)
1 CAMPO DE SANTANA (C Spies)
11 CHICO AZUL (G V Woodruff)
10 DESERT OIL (N A Van Der Merwe)
5 GOLD ON GOLD (O A Ferraris)
12 HEROD THE GREAT (O A Ferraris)
8 ILSANPIETRO (M F De Kock)
3 MIRAGE DRIVE (T Zackey)
6 POWER LORD (D Rahilly)
9 SHERE KHAN (K Naidoo)
4 WINNING LEAP (D Zaki)

SA NURSERY (Grade 2) R500,000 1160m
3 ASTRO NEWS (P F Matchett)
8 CARNABY STREET (R P Lerena)
10 DELAGO DELUXE (C Laird)
2 HAVANA BEAT (R P Lerena)
11 JAMAL (H J Brown)
12 MIDNIGHT SERENADE (D N Stenger)
13 MOON OF RANGOON (S W Kenny)
6 NINE TAIL CAT (H J Brown)
1 PLATOON (R R Magner)
4 ROYAL RIDGE (M F De Kock)
9 STAR DANCE (P F Matchett)
7 TENNESSEE STRATEGY (C Laird)
5 WINTER’S SONG (P A Peter)

S A FILLIES NURSERY (Grade 2)(For 2 year old fillies) R400000 1160m
5 ALPHABET (H E Adamson)
9 AMUR AFFAIR (M F De Kock)
8 ANNE BONNY (C Laird)
7 EXTRAORDINAIRE (P F Matchett)
17 HIDDEN BEAUTY (P F Matchett)
13 INDIGO PRINCESS (J M Goodman)
12 KINEMATIC COUNTESS (R R Magner)
1 MAGGIE THATCH (P F Matchett)
16 MARKOFDISTINCTION (O A Ferraris)
4 MIDNIGHT DRAGON (L W Goosen)
11 NEW WAVE (R P Lerena)
10 ROSEHIP (C Spies)
14 SARASINI (G V Woodruff)
6 SHEZTHECLUBQUEEN (T Lowe)
2 SOLARIUM (M G Azzie)
15 STAR FACTOR (W H Marwing)
3 UP FRONT (B D Botes)

GERALD ROSENBERG STAKES (Grade 2)(Fillies & Mares) R300000 2000m
6 AFRICA’S TOUCH (J L Van Heerden)
11 ALDERRY (M F De Kock)
7 ALL AFIRE (A G Laird)
13 BEDLOE’S ISLAND (S G Tarry)
2 BERRY BLAZE (M F De Kock)
3 FILLY BUSHWACKER (G H Van Zyl)
14 FISANI (M F De Kock)
9 FLIRTATION (M F De Kock)
12 GLUWEIN (M F De Kock)
5 IDLER (G H Van Zyl)
10 MAIKO MAGIC (S Moffatt)
4 QUEEN’S BAY (M G Azzie)
1 QUICK SINGLE (G V Woodruff)
15 RAISE THE BAR (P F Matchett)
8 RECONCILE (J Vos)

CAMELLIA STAKES (Grade 2)(Fillies & Mares) R200000 1160m
19 APPLE PRINCESS (S J Gray)
16 AUTUMN GOLD (S G Tarry)
5 BLING DANCER (O A Ferraris)
7 CANDY TUFT (G V Woodruff)
14 CAPTAIN’S GAL (S G Tarry)
18 CAREY’S QUI (A G Laird)
3 DELIGHTFULL DIVA (B D Botes)
6 ESSENTIAL OIL (S W Kenny)
20 FAIR ROSALIND (P F Matchett)
17 GIBRALTAR BLUE (M F De Kock)
10 GIVE ME FIVE (S G Tarry)
2 MADRISA (V H Marshall)
21 MANA MOU (S G Tarry)
15 MANNEQUIN (P F Matchett)
1 MARY LOU (P F Matchett)
9 ONEHUNDREDACREWOOD (G H Van Zyl)
12 OOCHEE AGENT (P F Matchett)
8 PARAMO (G V Woodruff)
13 STING OPERATION (C Laird)
11 VARIETY (M G Azzie)
4 WOROOD (M F De Kock)