Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Pierre Jourdan draws wide in Classic

PIERRE Jourdan will be looking to boost his chances of collecting the
R2-million SASCOC Triple Crown bonus when he lines up for the second leg, the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1 800m at Turffontein on Saturday 27 March.
Gary Alexander’s three-year-old gelding won the Gauteng Guineas last month, and if he can pull off this R2-million race and the SA Derby on Saturday 24 April, he will become only the second horse in South African history to win the lucrative SASCOC Triple Crown. The great Horse Chestnut achieved the feat in 1999.
Unfortunately Pierre Jourdan has drawn at No 19 of the 26 entries so he will have to overcome a wide barrier position.
However, with six entries, runners from the Mike de Kock yard will be mounting a massive challenge. Heading his list of nominations is Guineas runner-up Havasha. He will be joined by Boylan Blaze and two less experienced horses in Happy Valley and Imperial Palace.
Most interesting are two runners who have moved up from Cape Town who will be having their first runs for the yard - Ancestral Fore and Irish Flame.
Ancestral Fore was purchased by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum just before the Investec Cape Derby. He did not perform well in that race but this will be his first run since joining the De Kock stable - and he does come with a big reputation.
Flying Tristram
Irish Flame was with Dean Kannemeyer and has won three of his five starts, included the Listed Politician Stakes over 1 800m at Kenilworth.
Champion trainer Charles Laird was entered Guineas third and fourth Galileo’s Galaxy and Flying Tristram respectively.
De Kock runners dominated the Gauteng Fillies Guineas and they are likely to repeat that feat in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic where he has 10 entries. Included in that are Fillies Guineas winner Fisani, third-placed Alderry and Here To Win, who ran fourth.
Sidera, who started favourite but ran unplaced, should be a lot fitter and must also be a lively contender, although she is drawn at No 22 of the 23 nominations. De Kock ran Gluwein against the colts in the Guineas last time but on this occasion he has entered her to run against her own sex.
Laird has nominated Generous Anna, who was just touched off by Fisani in the Guineas, as well as Quality Alone.
The HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes is the third Grade 1 race on the day and although only 13 runners have been entered, it is a quality field.
Smart Banker will be looking to notch up a double in this R1-million race but Laird has also put in Dan De Lago, Oracy, Imperial Gesture and Eight Street.
De Kock has nominated Rudra, Mother Russia and Braggadacio while Sean Tarry has submitted Buy And Sell. Another interesting entry is Captain Scott, who ran well in a sprint warm-up at Turffontein.

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