GOING TO THE GUINEAS
Friday, March 1, 2013 
Click above to watch Love Struck winning the Breeders’ Cup Politician Stakes (Listed)
(Image : Gold Circle - Footage : Tellytrack)
GAUTENG GUINEAS DAY
Turffontein, 2 March 2013
Earlier in the week, we mentioned that twelve of the nominees for the Colts and Fillies Guineas had Summerhill connections. The final acceptances are now in, and seven of them have stood their ground, five in the colt’s version and two in the fillies. Topping the Summerhill assault for the R1million prize is Paul Lafferty’s debonair Love Struck, who took the laurels in the Politician Stakes over 1800m on J&B Met day in Cape Town, in his last racecourse appearance. He has the honour of carrying the No.1 saddlecloth as the highest-rated horse in the race, and while there will be those who will argue that he appears to be more effective over more ground, expect him to be troubling the judges when they get to the business end. That assumes, of course, that the aversion of most Cape Town conditioners against racing on the Rand fresh out of the Cape season, is more myth than reality. His biggest concerns are likely to come from War Horse, Fantastic Mr Fox and another Summerhill Ready To Run graduate, Killua Castle, though these early Classics are often capable of surprise, staged at a time when young horses are improving rapidly.
If Fantastic Mr Fox is part of your mix, you’d have to think that the aptly-named Cookie Monster (a R340,000 Summerhill Ready To Run graduate) comes right into it, having finished just 0.3 of a length behind this adversary last time, provided he gets a run. Beyond them, both Gitiano and No Worries have shown themselves to have special talents if the right horse pitches up on the day, so strap yourself in for an intriguing battle.
On the fillies side, we’re represented by the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup runner-up Negev, who is once again drawn in the sticks. That hasn’t deterred Piere Strydom from taking the ride, and her second place finish two weeks ago in her first outing in a while suggests she should be spot on for Saturday. The opposition is pretty formidable though, and while her contemporaries have closed the gap a little in recent times on Cherry On The Top, the turnaround in the weights could prove decisive. That applies to King’s Temptress and Fire Wheel as well, though Mike de Kock has the highly talented import, Espumanti going out with an unblemished record in Mary Slack’s black and scarlet colours. Fortitude makes up the Summerhill coupling, and anything can happen in a programme jammed with Black type racing.
The betting tells its own story.
Betting World Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2)
Turffontein, Turf, 1600m
2 March 2013
| # | Horse | Current |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | ALEXANDRA PALACE | 4/1 |
| 7 | FRANCOIS BERNARDUS | 4/1 |
| 2 | WAR HORSE | 6/1 |
| 1 | LOVE STRUCK | 7/1 |
| 16 | TELLINA | 10/1 |
| 3 | FANTASTIC MR FOX | 12/1 |
| 10 | SWIFT AND STRONG | 14/1 |
| 4 | KILLUA CASTLE (AUS) | 16/1 |
| 17 | CANNON | 16/1 |
| 6 | EMERALD APPROACH | 20/1 |
| 9 | ZESTFUL | 20/1 |
| 15 | NO WORRIES | 25/1 |
| 8 | GITIANO | 25/1 |
| 14 | DONNIE BRASCO | 25/1 |
| 5 | SABADELL | 25/1 |
| 12 | ROCK OF ARTS (AUS) | 25/1 |
| Reserve Runners | ||
| 18 | THE KING AND I | |
| 19 | COOKIE MONSTER |
Summerhill runners denoted by yellow
Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2)
Turffontein, Turf, 1600m
2 March 2013
| # | Horse | Kg |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | ESPUMANTI (GB) | 9/10 |
| 1 | CHERRY ON THE TOP | 7/1 |
| 3 | FIRE WHEEL | 7/1 |
| 2 | KING’S TEMPTRESS | 8/1 |
| 7 | SKY PIRATE | 12/1 |
| 4 | NEGEV | 16/1 |
| 12 | DO YOU REMEMBER | 20/1 |
| 10 | TAYBA | 25/1 |
| 17 | SECRET OBSESSION | 40/1 |
| 14 | JET BELLE | 50/1 |
| 5 | WOOD NYMPH | 50/1 |
| 6 | AL KINDI | 50/1 |
| 9 | AMBER ORCHID (AUS) | 50/1 |
| 8 | MARGOT ON STAGE | 50/1 |
| 13 | SHOW TIME | 66/1 |
| 15 | LUALA | 66/1 |
| Reserve Runners | ||
| 18 | FORTITUDE | |
| 19 | CAT’S GAME |
Summerhill runners denoted by yellow
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