THE annual Joburg Prawn Festival takes place at Turffontein Racecourse on Saturday, February 28. The event is in its third year and has enjoyed enormous success, having sold over a ton and a half of prawns at last year’s event!
The event coincides with the first leg of the South African Triple Crown, which brings together a combination of fabulous thoroughbred racing along with an outdoor family event.
The Prawn festival also marks the first of the three legs of the SA Triple Crown which is run over 1 600m. Dingaans winner Unparalleled is among the 31 entries for the R1-million Betting World Gauteng Guineas over 1600m. The Grade 2 race will be run on the Turffontein Standside track on Saturday. Run on the same day is the R500 000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
What adds great interest to these two events is that they are the first legs of the SA Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara respectively. The other two legs are the SA Classic and the SA Fillies Classic on March 27 and the SA Derby and SA Oaks on April 25. Any horse that can win all three legs of the Triple Crown will earn a bonus of R2 million, while any filly capable of claiming all three legs of the Triple Tiara will garner an additional R1 million.
The Grade 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas and the Avontuur Estate Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth in December also count for the first leg of the Triple Crown and Triple Tiara and as a result both winners – Act Of War and Majmu respectively – can give this race a miss and go for the final two legs.
The Guineas has attracted some of the best three-year-olds in the country and the horse to beat could be Unparalleled, who looked a very unlucky loser recently of the Grade 3 Tony Ruffel Stakes over 1 450m, when he lost ground at the start and then flew up late to finish a 0.50-length third behind stablemate Belong To Me.
Both have been nominated for the Guineas, while trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren has also entered Gasoline and The Big Easy.
Three of the first four past the post in last season’s Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1 600m at Greyville are among the entries. Harry’s Son, trained by Paul Lafferty, Mljet and Anjaal finished first, third and fourth respectively in that event and could square up against one another again.
Harry’s Son was beaten 4.25 lengths by Unparalleled in the Dingaans, and that might not bode well for Vaughan Marshall-trained Mljet, who is highly regarded by the yard.
Anjaal is one of three horses from the Mike de Kock yard, the others being Mutamakkin and Tabreek. Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal is not among the nominations, but De Kock has said his charge will go for the SA Classic and the SA Derby.
Sean Tarry has four runners entered, headed up by Zambezi River. His other entrants are Captain Clipper, French Navy and Imperial Gold.
Heading up the entries for the Fillies Guineas is Same Jurisdiction from the Duncan Howells stable. Although beaten 1.50 lengths by Banbury on debut, the daughter of Mambo In Seattle has gone on to win her next four starts, including a victory in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes at Greyville, where she touched off Carry On Alice.
They could meet again as Carry On Alice is one of four entries from the Tarry yard. The others are Bichett, Siren’s Call and Tamaanee.
Supplementary entries closed on Monday February 16 with declarations by 11:00 on Thursday February 19.
