Sandringham Summit needs to set the record straight on Guineas Day

After a series of star-studded events laid-on by Cape Racing during their summer season, horseracing looks northward as we turn to Turffontein on Saturday for Guineas Day.

The TAB Gauteng Guineas for the colts looks like a good race.

Sandringham Summit might well be the top rated horse in the race but he’s only had two starts as a three-year-old and he’s been beaten in both. He needs to set the record straight this weekend and whilst there’s in no rematch with Main Defender he will have to prove that he wasn’t at his best when suffering a course and distance defeat in the Dingaans at the hands of Purple Pitcher.

If you believe the handicapper’s assessment of both colts then the son of Gimmethegreenlight, who now races in the silks of the stud farm that bred him, should do just that. He is rated seven points higher than Robyn Klaasen’s five-time winning son of New Predator who also has a wide barrier draw to negotiate whilst Gavin Lerena is perfectly drawn at three aboard the Varsfontein colt.

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Given his name and based on some of his exposed form with the aforementioned principles, Mike de Kock’s runner can’t be completely discounted.

Gimmeanotherchance is much better than he showed in his return to the track after being gelded. His running style will benefit from a handy draw of 2 and only a week ago Craig Zackey booted home a couple of Met-day winners in Lady Laidlaw’s Khaya Stables silks.

The fly in the ointment might be the unexposed William Iron Man. Rated 27 merit points, the equivalent of 13.5 lengths, inferior to the summits Sandringham has scaled, the son of William Longsword (out of a Galileo mare) hasn’t been on the track for over 200 days and was last seen winning a MR 68 handicap whist receiving weight.

Strictly speaking he’s an optimistic entry but the Tony Peter trained colt has been smashed in the betting market.
Jason Zoghby from Soccershop confirmed the avalanche of support for him. The opening odds of 14-1 were quickly snapped up. So too was the adjusted price of 10-1 and subsequently all the 7-1.
It’s a proper plunge and perhaps, just perhaps the Peter yard have established an ability-comparison between William Iron Man and his stable companion Main Defender who, like the odds-on race favourite Sandringham Summit, is rated 121.

As watchable as the colts Guineas is going to be it’s the Wilgerbosdrift Fillies Guineas that truly catches the eye. What a treat this will be for Gauteng racegoers.

Mike de Kock sends out a veritable bevy of beauties that in all likelihood probably include the equine-equivalent of at least one future Miss South Africa and perhaps even a future Miss World.

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Saturday’s Guineas is the first leg of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara and should we be fortunate to witness a coronation after the Fillies Classic and the subsequent Oaks then this has to be a successful first step for our would-be Queen.

Gimme A Nother is a warm order favourite for the Fillies Guineas and unlike the betting market for the colts equivalent, the fact that Jason Zoghby reports no significant support for any of her adversaries demonstrates that she is a worthy favourite.

While it’s a cornball cliche to say “she could be anything” this unbeaten Mauritzfontein owned and bred daughter of Gimmethegreenlight truly does have the world at her feet.

Beyond the favourite it will be interesting to see how the form of the Cape Fillies Guineas holds up. Silver Sanctuary ran second to Beach Bomb in that race and the winner has subsequently won the Paddock Stakes although she then blotted her copybook with a head scratching no-show in the Majorca Stakes last weekend.

On form there isn’t much to choose between Egyptian Mau and White Pearl and either could pop-up if others don’t deliver but the filly I will be keeping tabs on the most is the sister to Durban July winner Sparkling Water.

Owned by the race sponsor, Champagne Cocktail returns to same-sex company on Saturday and although the mile-trip may prove a trifle short for her, I fully expect the daughter of Silvano to make her presence felt when stamina comes into play in the later legs of the Triple Tiara.

Speaking of brand Wilgerbosdrift and their iconic Black with a Scarlet Cap silks, you can be sure of one thing in South African racing, wherever you see the name Mary Slack you can be assured of class, clout and commitment.

In acknowledging that any attempt by myself to do justice to what Mrs Slack has contributed to the sport of thoroughbred racing would be an epic fail, let me just limit myself to praising the consistently stylish manner in which they promote their brand messaging and identity.

Take the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara for example. The on-point usage of what I believe to be an Arabian Proverb “The fountain of all wealth is the mare that foals a filly” encapsulates the very essence of what the Triple Crown for fillies is all about.

To that end I hope that one of the fillies that Mary has bred wins on Saturday and if it happens to be one that she also owns then let that filly go on to win the Triple Tiara and prove herself “Three Times A Lady” just like her owner-breeder.