GUINEAS Day at Turffontein on Saturday 2 March ushers in the 2013 SASCOC Triple Crown for three-year-olds and the SASCOC Triple Tiara for three-year-old fillies.

The first leg of the Triple Crown is the R1-million Gauteng Guineas over 1600m and as expected trainer Mike de Kock, with six, has nominated the highest number of runners for this Grade 2 race. Heading up the entries is Alexandra Palace (headline photo by JC Photos), winner of the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m last time out.

The son of Jet Master was an unlucky loser on debut when his saddle slipped badly but after that he has been an impressive winner of his next two starts. The good news for the De Kock yard is that he has drawn No 9 of the 31 entries.

Also entered are Dingaans fourth-placed Emerald Approach, who will love the longer run-in of the standside track, Cannon, Lehaaf, Rock Cocktail and Samhaan. Rock Cocktail and Samhaan have both been running in KwaZulu-Natal.

Sean Tarry, Weiho Marwing and Geoff Woodruff have three nominated three runners each. In the absence of injured The Hangman Tarry has entered Invierno, Swift And Strong and The King And I.

Woodruff has nominated Killua Castle, Sabadell and Tellina. The stable would not have been overjoyed with the performance of Sabadell in Saturday’s Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1450m on the inside track in which he finished 10th, although just four lengths off the winner, Fantastic Mr Fox. However, the bad news for his connections is that Sabadell has drawn at No 30. Tellina looks useful and he is nicely drawn at No 10.

Marwing has entered Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup winner Rock Of Arts, Royal Lance and Wylie Hall. KZN trainer Paul Lafferty has nominated Listed Politician Stakes winner Love Struck.

The R500,000 Fillies Guineas could see a replay of what should have happened in the Three Troikas Stakes on Saturday. All of Cherry On The Top, King’s Temptress and Espumanti have been entered but last Saturday’s curtain raiser had the gilt taken off it with the scratching of De Kock-trained Espumanti. The race went to Kom Naidoo’s charge, King’s Temptress, who beat the Ormond Ferraris-trained Cherry On The Top by 3.50 lengths but was in receipt of 5.5kg from the runner-up.

If they all accept for the Guineas they will race off level weights and that should make the contest a lot more intriguing.

It is also interesting to note the omission of Cape Fillies Guineas winner Rumya from the entries although De Kock could still bring her in as a supplementary entry before 11am on Monday 18 February. Final declarations are at 11am on Thursday 21 February. 

NOMINATIONS

GAUTENG GUINEAS (Grade 2) (1st leg of the SASCOC Triple Crown) R1-million 1600m

19 ADAMS ROCK (S J Gray); 9 ALEXANDRA PALACE (M F De Kock); 30 AMERICAN STORM (R P Lerena); 6 ANTARCTIC CALL (C E Erasmus); 29 CANNON (M F De Kock); 20 COOKIE MONSTER (R R Magner); 16 DONNIE BRASCO (P A Peter); 18 DOUBLE BIND (T Zackey); 21 EMERALD APPROACH (M F De Kock); 22 FANTASTIC MR FOX (P F Matchett); 14 FRANCOIS BERNARDUS (T Zackey); 11 GITIANO (A G Laird); 25 INVIERNO (S G Tarry); 3 KILLUA CASTLE (G V Woodruff); 27 LEHAAF (M F De Kock); 8 LOVE STRUCK (P V Lafferty); 5 NO WORRIES (G H Van Zyl); 2 ROCK COCKTAIL (M F De Kock); 23 ROCK OF ARTS (W H Marwing); 7 ROYAL LANCE (W H Marwing); 31 SABADELL (G V Woodruff); 26 SAMHAAN (M F De Kock); 13 SHADOW LINE (S W Kenny); 17 SPANDAU BALLET (A G Laird); 4 SWIFT AND STRONG (S G Tarry); 10 TELLINA (G V Woodruff); 12 THE KING AND I (S G Tarry); 24 VIKING HERO (G J Maroun); 28 WAR HORSE (C Spies); 15 WYLIE HALL (W H Marwing); 1 ZESTFUL (S T Pettigrew).

GAUTENG FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2) (1st Leg SA Triple Tiara) R500,000 1600m

25 AL KINDI (M F De Kock); 19 AMBER ORCHID (S G Tarry); 13 ANEEFA (M F De Kock); 27 BRAVE PRINCESS (S M Ferreira); 16 BURLESQUE (S W Kenny); 7 CAT’S GAME (S M Ferreira); 20 CHERRY ON THE TOP (O A Ferraris); 3 COUNTLESS (G M Alexander); 12 DIVINE GRACE (G M Alexander); 10 DO YOU REMEMBER (G V Woodruff); 4 ESPUMANTI (M F De Kock); 28 FESTIVAL OF FIRE (M F De Kock); 5 FIRE WHEEL (S G Tarry); 6 FORTITUDE (M N Houdalakis); 22 JET BELLE (R R Sage); 14 KING’S TEMPTRESS (K Naidoo); 15 LUALA (S Moffatt); 26 MAGIC APPROACH (G M Alexander); 11 MARGOT ON STAGE (R R Magner); 17 NEGEV (L W Goosen); 8 SECRET OBSESSION (G V Woodruff); 21 SHOW TIME (S Janse van Rensburg); 2 SKY PIRATE (W H Marwing); 23 SLIGHTLY BLONDE (R R Magner); 18 STRAIGHT SET (C Spies); 9 TAYBA (M F De Kock); 24 TOMORROW’S MISS (R R Magner); 1 WALKING ONTHE MOON (W H Marwing).