Category Archives: Derby/Oaks

cape speed

Speed stamped with stamina

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Trainer Dean Kannemeyer, jockey Anthony Delpech and owner Lady Christine Laidlaw of Khaya Stables added a fourth Graded success to their tally this SA Champions Season when the progressive Mauritzfontein Stud-bred Cape Speed won the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville yesterday in cosy fashion.

Delpech,

Cape Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

who has now had an amazing seven Graded winners this Champions Season, rode an enterprising race from a tricky draw, taking his mount around runners to be handy. However, the progressive Ideal World three-year-old was still easily able to repel the challenge of runner up Deputy Jud and win by 0,25 lengths.  Three Balloons, Kitty’s Destiny and Storm Warning were next best.

This was Cape Speed’s third win in three outings since gelding.

Earlier, the Sean Tarry-trained Summerhill-bred Kahal filly Witchcraft had proved a point when winning the Gr 3 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m by 1,5 lengths under S’Manga Khumalo from the Neil Bruss pair Flying Ice and Deputy Ryder. Witchcraft dictated in front and the odds-on favourite Nightingale was too far back but managed to finish fourth. Patchit Up Baby claimed the fifth place cheque.

The Vodacom Durban July supplementary entry The Centenary finished unplaced and her chances of making the final field look to be gone. Tarry had always regarded Witchcraft as an Oaks filly but in her chief target for the season, the Gr 1 SA Oaks, the race just did not pan out well and she finished unplaced.

David Thiselton

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain has the speed

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Dean Kannemeyer said Capfain Alfredo’s run in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint was only “slightly below himself”, despite a 4,1 length beating, and he believed the four-year-old Captain Al gelding could find the frame in Friday night’s Gr 2 Post Merchants over the same 1200m trip around the turn at Greyville.

Kannemeyer was also positive about the chances of Cape Speed in the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday.

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Captain Alfredo (Nkosi Hlophe)

He said, “I didn’t think Captain Alfredo had an easy task at Scottsville as he had been given the eight point raise. He is a very tough horse and took the race well. We have kept him fresh for this race. Greyville is not a problem for him, he as run well there before. It’s quite competitive, but if he puts his best foot forward he can finish in the first four.”

Kannemeyer mentioned only Red Ray of the other horses in the field, so must have a lot of respect for this much touted horse.

Captain Alfredo is relatively well weighted under the merit-rated bands conditions, being only 0,5kg under sufferance with the best treated horse, the mare Fly By Night.

Furthermore, he has a plum draw of three, perfect for his style in which he uses his natural speed to lie handy before kicking for home.

Anthony Delpech will attempt to make it a seventh Graded race victory of this SA Champions Season and a fourth for Kannemeyer.

Kannemeyer and Delpech combine again on Sunday in the Track and Ball Derby with the three-year-old Ideal World gelding Cape Speed.

Dean Kannemeyer

Dean Kannemeyer

This gelding looked very promising as a two-year-old, but after starting off his three-year-old season well in Cape Town he went a bit off the boil. However, he was a rig and has won both of his starts since gelding and both of them have been in KZN.

He has therefore won his last three starts in KZN, all of them at Greyville between 1800m and 1900m. However, one of his most eye catching performances was at Scottsville, when making up a tremendous amount of ground in his second career start over the too sharp 1600m and finishing just 1,25 lengths behind the decent Celtic Captain in a maiden.

Kannemeyer said, “I haven’t pushed him but he is doing very, very well. It is not an easy task as a three-year-old, but he is on the up and improving continually.”

Kannemeyer confirmed Cape Speed thrived in KZN. It is no surprise he is improving as most progeny of Ideal World do and this top class sire should also impart enough stamina in him to stay the trip.

He jumps from draw nine and off a 96 merit rating is 2,5kg under sufferance with the officially best treated horse, the three-year-old Listed Derby Trial winner Bankable Teddy.

By David Thiselton

Hot Ticket (Nkosi Hlophe)

Competitive lineups for Derby & Oaks

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Highly competitive fields have been received for the two Grade 3 feature events over 2 400m on Derby Day at Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg this coming Sunday where close and exciting finishes could be the order of the day.

The Track & Ball Derby and Track & Ball Oaks, both carrying stakes of R300 000, have replaced the former “classic” events at level weights for three-year-olds and are now run as open weight-for-age events over the classic distance and will be run on the inside track at the Pietermaritzburg venue.

The Track & Ball Oaks includes many well-performed runners including the first three across the line in the East Coast Handicap – Deputy Ryder, Gathering Fame and Ma Choix – and weight differentials in Sunday’s race could see a change in their finishing positions among.

The Centenary and Patchit Up Baby, second and third in the Gerald Rosenberg at Turffontein are also among the runners as well at the winner of the Scarlet Lady, Gallica Rose, where Deputy Ryder ran a close second.

The runner that will likely draw the most attention, however, is the Silvano filly Nightingale from the Mike Bass stable than ran second to Bela-Bela in the Daisy Fillies Guineas then finished third behind her again in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.

The difficulty with the runners in the Track & Ball Derby is that few of the 14 contestants have recent inspirational form although most have shown top class ability in their careers.

The field includes the six-year-old Captain Al gelding Disco Al that set the class record for 2 400m at Scottsville when winning this race last year but his recent form is less than encouraging while an interesting development in rider selection is that Anton Marcus, regular pilot of the Joey Ramsden-trained Coltrane that has featured in the first three in his last three races, has taken the ride on Disco Al instead.

With no runner from the Sean Tarry stable in the field, S’manga Khumalo has been engaged to ride the British-bred Kingston Mines for the Mike de Kock stable. The five-year-old failed to feature in the recent Lonsdale Stirrup Cup but he had finished in the first three in his two previous feature events in the Cape.

Storm Warning from the Johan Janse van Vuuren stable never featured in the Lonsdale either but had finished third in the Gold Bowl before that while the three-year-olds Cape Speed and Kitty’s Destiny are two of those with the most consistent recent form. There good recent form was, however, established on the polytrack at Greyville over 1 800m and 1 900m.

Two very competitive races appear to be on the cards and close finishes are likely.

Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

Will Abashiri run?

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Public hero Abashiri is “getting better everyday” in the aftermath of his ultra tough SA Derby run, which saw him hard driven to win narrowly, thus becoming the third horse in history to land the SA Triple Crown.

However, trainer Mike Azzie said it was still too early to say whether the Go Deputy gelding would participate in the Vodacom Durban July.

He added, “If he gets topweight I don’t think he will run.”

A condition of the July is three-year-old males being limited at the publications of the weights to carry a maximum of 57kg.

However, if the current highest rated horse among the entries, Legal Eagle, is scratched after the publications of the weights, the weights will then be dragged upward.

In that case French Navy would be dragged up from 57,5kg to 60kg and Abashiri would go from 56,5kg up to 59kg, which would be the highest weight a three-year-old has ever been asked to carry in the July.

Azzie has a good back up horse in Gr 1-winner Rabada.

He felt this Brave Tin Soldier colt was unlucky in Friday night’s Gr 2 Canon Guineas. He pointed out Rabada had to be used up to find a handy position from a wide draw and the pace up front had then been a blistering one. He added Black Arthur had consequently had the run of the race coming from a good draw. Black Arthur was soon relaxed at the back on the rail and was able to stride out throughout, due to the fast pace. In fact he had to be scrubbed along by Anthony Delpech to keep up.

Azzie said, “He only beat us by half-a-length, but I think it could be a different story in the Daily News, provided we get a good draw.”

Azzie has a high regard for the four-year-old Black Minnaloushe gelding Greek Legend, who won a good race over 1600m at Turffontein in his second run after a layoff for a suspensory injury, prevailing over the previously unbeaten Chepardo. He added Greek Legend had been doing “very, very well” at Summerveld. He has drawn well in seven among the long list of Gr 2 Betting World 1900 nominations, although off just a 91 merit rating it remains to be seen whether he will get into the race or not.

Azzie will aim former SA Derby runner up and Supreme Cup winner Deputy Jud at the Gr 3 Track And Ball Derby at Scottsville on June 19. He said his last run could have a line drawn through it, because this horse needed cover to be affective.

He reckoned his sprinter Splendid Garden, who finished a fine fifth in the Gr 1 WSB Computafirm Sprint considering he jumped from an unfavourable low draw, would be in the “shake up” in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville on June 4 and added he would appreciate the step up to 1200m.

Azzie also has three nice two-year-old campaigners in colts Rivarine and Aussie Austin and filly Announcing Rain.

Meanwhile, Shatoosh, who finished 7,25 lengths back in the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas on Friday night will be put away until next season as Azzie believes time given for her to mature will be beneficial.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Abashiri (Nkosi Hlophe)

disco al nh

Disco Al in a thriller

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Yesterday’s Gr 2 Track And Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville saw the most thrilling finish of the Champions Season as five horses drove down to the line as one and it was the deserving Joey Ramsden-trained Disco Al who prevailed under Anton Marcus.

Earlier, Justin Snaith and his stable jockey Richard had capped a fine weekend by winning the Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks over 2400m at Scottsville with the three-year-old Black Minnaloushe filly Ash Cloud, having won the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville on Friday night with the Dynasty gelding Daring Dave.

The five-year-old Captain Al gelding Disco Al had proven class, having won the Gr 3 Algoa Cup over 2000m at Fairview two years in succession and had also shown his ability to stay yesterday’s trip when finishing second to the well handicapped Solid Speed in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup at Greyville three weeks ago. Off a merit rating of 101, he was the second best weighted horse in yesterday’s race behind the odds-on favourite Hot Ticket, who ran off a 112, and he started joint-second favourite at 9/2 with the dual Graded-winning stayer Kingston Mines.

Kingston Mines and Hot Ticket both carried 1kg penalties as winners of Gr 2 races.

Kingston Mines took up his favourite front-running role in the small eight horse field and was followed by Master James and Savage Wind, while Hot Ticket sat about six lengths off the pace in sixth place, just ahead of Disco Al.

There was a cavalry charge in the straight and Hot Ticket, running down the centre, was battling to catch Kingston Mines and Master James, while Savage Wind, who was 14,5kg under sufferance on official merit ratings, was running a blinder down the inside. However, just as Hot Ticket got his nose in front, Marcus swooped on Disco Al on his outside to snatch the verdict by a short-head. Kingston Mines and Savage Wind dead-heated for third, a neck behind the winner, and Master James was a head behind them fifth. Double Clutch and Krambambuli were next best ahead of the detached French Revolution.

Hot Ticket, Kingston Mines and Double Clutch are still in the running for a Vodacom Durban July berth, but might have had to win yesterday’s race to make sure of their places.

Disco Al was bred by Drakenstein Stud and is owned by Vanashree and Anant Singh in partnership with Markus and Ingrid Jooste.

Ash Cloud was the only horse in the Gold Circle Oaks carrying a penalty, a 2kg one for her win in last season’s Gr 1 SA Oaks when trained by Wieho Marwing, so this was a commendable victory and she will be an interesting contender in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville on Super Saturday. The Carl and Amanda de Vos-bred filly was bought by Drakenstein Stud earlier this season. Snaith had named her his best runner of the weekend and she duly bounced back to her best.

She broke well and going through the 1000m mark was relaxed three lengths back in third behind Saint Sophia and Gathering Fame. The Ramsden-trained favourite Gallica Rose was poised behind her on the rail, while the fancied Vino Veritas was also in a perfect position to strike. Ash Cloud burst through to the hit front half-way down the straight with Vino Veritas also challenging strongly, but  Gallica Rose then went past them, having produced a resolute finish down the inside. However, just as the latter looked to have it won, Ash Cloud fought back and got up in the last stride to win by a long-head. Vino Veritas was half-a-length further back in third and Patchit Up Baby and Gathering Fame were next best.

Lezeanne Forbes had a double on the card, both of them winning at double figure odds.

Mike de Kock and Anthony Delpech combined for a double.

Gavin Lerena rode one winner to stretch his lead over S’Manga Khumalo in the race for the National Jockey’s Championships to 12.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Disco AL (Nkosi Hlophe)

Dream alive for Double Clutch

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The “miracle horse” Double Clutch is being given “a good chance” of winning Sunday’s Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m at Scottsville by the Paul Lafferty yard, “provided he stays the trip”.

The four-year-old Stronghold gelding will be making a last minute bid to book a place in the Vodacom Durban July as the final field for the big race will be announced two days later on June 23.

Lafferty’s assistant trainer Roy Waugh said the courageous bay gelding had wrenched his back after being knocked sideways in the Listed Easter Handicap on April 10. He had still gone on to win the race, but he had subsequently required physiotherapy and had missed about a week of full work.

He was consequently not fully stripped before his unplaced run in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900.

Before that he had won three races in succession, all over 2000m, and leapt 20 points in the merit ratings to 99.

He had won most of those races from the front, but this was chiefly due to a lack of pace in the races, as he has shown before that he is capable of coming from last.

His dam by Northern Guest was unplaced but is a full-sister to a horse that won over 2400m and his second dam also won over the Derby distance.

Waugh was confident Double Clutch would stay the 2200m July trip, but still felt there would be a question mark over this 2400m distance.

Double Clutch has a tough task on Sunday receiving only 1kg from 112 merit rated Equus Champion Stayer Hot Ticket, meaning he is 5,5kg under sufferance. However, he is the third best weighted horse in the eight horse race on official merit ratings so has a chance of winning if Hot Ticket fluffs his lines.

Double Clutch has run three times at Scottsville and finished second in two of them, so appears to handle the track.

Furthermore, he will be ridden by the very much in-form championship chasing jockey Gavin Lerena from a plum draw of two.

Double Clutch was diagnosed with West Nile  disease in the first half of last season. This is the same disease that was believed to have killed the mighty Jet Master.

Double Clutch weighed 100kg less than he does now and was close to being euthanized. The veterinarian had also advised that even if he did recover he would never race again. On one occasion the yard were unable to help him walk from his stable across a strip of concrete onto a grass patch. He was simply too weak.

He eventually managed to  achieve this short trip after being fitted with special foam shoes. It is quite incredible that he has won five races since making a full recovery from his illness and is an entry in the country’s premier race the Vodacom Durban July.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Double Clutch (Nkosi Hlophe)

Hot Ticket (Liesl King)

Media Release: Track & Ball Derby & Gold Circle Oaks Final Fields

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Only eight of the 26 entries for the R400 000, Grade 2 Track & Ball Derby, to be run over 2 400m at Scottsville on Sunday, have stood their ground making it a lot easier for last year’s winner of the race, Hot Ticket, to complete the double.

By comparison, 15 fillies will compete for the R187 500 first place cheque in the R300 000, Grade 2 Gold Circle Oaks making this race far more competitive.

The two races will be run at weight-for-age plus penalties related to previous successes and that has resulted in the weights looking way out of kilter related to those that would apply in a straight handicap. Merit ratings are given by the handicappers on their assessment of the runners’ ability and are applied in straight handicap events.

With a merit rating of 112, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Silvano gelding Hot Ticket is thrown in the race and, on paper and barring any unforeseen circumstances, appears one of the biggest certainties in recent South African racing.

Kingston Mines from the Mike de Kock stable, rated at 100, will carry joint top weight of 60kg with Hot Ticket with the balance of the runners also all well out at the weights. On straight handicap, Kingston Mines should be receiving 6kg from Hot Ticket while Disco Al, that receives 1kg from the top two, should be receiving 5.5kg from Hot Ticket.

The two three-year-olds, Krambambuli from the Justin Snaith stable and Hot Ticket’s stable companion, Master James, enjoy the 3kg weight-for-age allowance but still have a mammoth task ahead of them if their ratings are correct.

The Snaith-trained Black Minnaloushe filly Ash Cloud is set to carry top weight of 60kg in the Gold Circle Oaks, giving 2kg to the highest-rated filly in the race, Vino Veritas, from the Gavin van Zyl yard that should, on straight handicap, be giving Ash Cloud 3.5kg.

Ash Cloud should also be receiving weight on merit ratings from Gallica Rose, Shingwedzi and Supercede but has to concede 2kg to each of them.

The three-year-old fillies Patchit Up Baby and Olma, are well in at the weights on handicap which sets the scene for a very competitive contest and the possibility of a close finish.

Picture: Hot Ticket (Liesl King)

Hot Ticket (Nkosi Hlophe)

Derby double could be on

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Dean Kannemeyer will send out his Equus Champion Stayer Hot Ticket to defend his Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby crown over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday and he runs the improving three-year-old Master James in the same race.

Hot Ticket was unlucky not to win this race as a three-year-year old over 2400m at Clairwood when baulked for a run. However, he made amends in no uncertain terms last year, also at Clairwood but over 2500m, when cruising unextended to a 3,75 length win over the useful sort Tribal Dance. He went on to win the Gr 2 Nokia Gold Vase over 3000m on Vodacom Durban July day and then ran a cracking fourth with a welter 60kg in the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville. Since then he has had to have a wind operation due to an infection. Kannemeyer revealed that the surgeon had done an outstanding job because, whereas a horse would normally still make a breathing noise after such an operation, in his case it could hardly be heard.

Kannemeyer said, “He badly needed his first Durban run this season over a mile at Greyville but ran a very good race. I then put him in another mile at Greyville, which is far too sharp for him, against Futura and he was doing nice work late. He has never been a great worker, he just goes through the motions, so he needs races to get him fit, but I now have him ready. He is an old tough campaigner, he knows what to do, and if he runs to his rating he is the horse to beat. He enjoyed Clairwood and Greyville, now we will see if he enjoys Scottsville too.”

The five-year-old Silvano gelding has actually run once over the course and distance, as a still maturing three-year-old, and finished a close up second. He will jump from draw six in the eight horse field on Sunday and his regular pilot, Karl Neisius, will ride him for the first time this season.

Master James three career wins have all been over a mile, although he did finish close to the fair sort Warcraft over 1900m on the Greyville polytrack.

Kannemeyer said, “He is coming on nicely and improving. He was a big backward Jet Master who is only now coming into himself. His mother (Park Lane by Elliodor) was a good race horse (won a Gr 2 over 1400m) but didn’t stay further than a mile. Nevertheless I have always thought that Master James would stay but only the race will tell. This Derby is now an open race and is not so easy for three-year-olds, but he has improved since coming to Durban. The penny has dropped and we will see how good he is.”

Master James will be ridden by Luyola Mxothwa, who has ridden him once before, and jumps from draw four.

He said that both horses were “fit and well.”

Kannemeyer runs the two-year-old Noordhoek Flyer colt Shap Shap over 1300m on the turf in a Juvenile Plate at Greyville on Friday night. He had always thought this horse would stay a mile, so was  disappointed when he didn’t seem to go through with it over 1400m last time having travelled well throughout, so is now in two minds and wonders whether he might be a 1200m horse. His only win was in a weak 1000m race on the Greyville polytrack and he could fare better over this slight drop in trip on Friday from a good draw under Bernard Fayd’Herbe.

On Sunday he also expects plenty of improvement from the Ideal World colt Cape Speed, who runs over a much more suitable trip of 1600m in a Maiden Juvenile Plate. He said this horse had been “hopelessly left and was then completely lost” over 1200m on the polytrack at Greyville on debut. Anthony Delpech was seen to be pushing him along throughout as he raced very green. Ideal World’s often surprise when stepped up in trip and find a place at big prices. However, Kannemeyer did conclude by saying that he was the type that might still need one more run to have him exactly where he would like him to be.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Hot Ticket (Nkosi Hlophe)

snaith site

Cloud ready to burst

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Champion trainer Justin Snaith will have runners in all three of the Champions Season features this weekend and rates his Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks contender Ash Cloud the best of them.

He said about the four-year-old daughter of Black Minnaloushe, who will jump from a plum draw of two and be ridden by stable jockey Richard Fourie in the 2400m event at Scottsville on Sunday: “Months and months of effort have gone into her run, this is the one we have been waiting for.”

The former Gr 1 SA Oaks winner is only merit rated 95 and has to carry a 2kg Gr 1 penalty, meaning she is officially a whopping 5,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse Vino Veritas, but Snaith feels she is up to it.

Snaith also runs the Kahal filly Bountiful Harvest. She finished third in the East Cape Oaks over 2000m and has landed a nice draw with Donovan Dillon aboard, but Snaith said, “It will be very hard for her at the weights as a three-year-old.”

Snaith runs French Revolution and Krambambuli in the Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby, also over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday.

He sounded more bullish about the chances of Krambambuli and said, “He stays all day but it is a pity they have opened this race to older horses because it is not easy for three-year-olds and I will be impressed if he can do it. But he is very well.” This Black Minnaloushe colt has been working up a storm at Summerveld and Fourie rides from the widest draw of all in the eight horse field.

At the beginning of the Champions Season Snaith was touting French Revolution as a strong Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup contender, but this attractive New Zealand-bred four-year-old grey colt is currently merit rated only 92 and has his work cut out to still qualify for the big race. Snaith said, “This will be his prep to see if he stays, although I’ve always viewed him as a staying type. He has put on a bit of condition, like we all do in Durban, and has gone a little bit heavy on me although I hope I am wrong.” Sean Cormack rides from a good draw of three.

On Friday night the yard will defend their crown in the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville, having won the race with Varikate last year.

Snaith said about their contender Daring Dave, who jumps from a plum draw of four under Fourie, “You will see a big improvement and I think this will be his best run in Durban. In the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint last time he had to stand for four-and-a-half minutes in the pens, which affected his gate speed, and then his eyes were closed for two days afterwards because he was hit by clods. He actually had to be treated as it caused him to have a temperature.” Snaith had also not been too happy with the four-year-old Dynasty gelding’s preparation leading into the Tsogo Sun Sprint, but said that this time “he has had a proper prep.”

By David Thiselton

Picture: Justin Snaith

Solid Speed (Nkosi Hlophe)

Track & Ball Derby and Oaks

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Strong entries have been received for the two former “classic” events, the Track & Ball Derby and the Gold Circle Oaks to be run over 2 400m at Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, June 21.

The two races, formerly run under classic conditions for three-year-olds at level weights at Clairwood, are now open to all horses at weight-for-age plus penalties and have drawn competitive-looking entries for both events.

The Track And Ball Derby has attracted 25 entries including Vodacom Durban July entry and KRA Guineas winner The Conglomerate and Lonsdale Stirrup Cup winner Solid Speed that also won the Highland Night Cup. Disco Al, second in the Lonsdale, is also among the entries along with last year’s Gold Vase winner Hot Ticket and the winner of the East Cape Derby, St Tropez

Wild One, winner of the Lonsdale last year and third and second respectively in the Gold Vase and eLan Property Group Gold Cup has been nominated along with the Caradoc Gold Cup winner, Kingston Mines

Among the 22 entries for the Gold Circle Oaks, there are 13 four-year-olds and one five-year-old with the Duncan Howells-trained Ideal World filly Patchit Up Baby one of the leading three-year-olds having run third to Pine Princess and Siren’s Call in the SA Oaks at Turffontein.

Mike Bass has entered the Trippi filly Shingwedzi that finished third in each of the J&B Stayers and Chairman’s races at Kenilworth and the Neil Bruss-trained Zante finished fourth behind Smart Call in the Woolavington 2000.

Supplementary entries will be accepted on Friday June 12 with declarations due on Monday, June 15.