A lot at stake for Guineas runners
There is a lot at stake for the runners in both the R1 million Betting World Gauteng Guineas and the R500 000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
FAVOURITE. Mister Cricket, pictured with Samantha Preen at trainer Alec Laird’s Randjesfontein stables yesterday, tops betting boards at 2/1 for the R1 million Betting World Gauteng Guineas. Picture: Supplied.
These two races are the start of the Sascoc Triple Crown and the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara, which carry bonuses of R2 million and R1 million respectively.
To earn the Triple Crown bonus a horse will need to win the Guineas tomorrow over 1 600m, the R2-million SA Classic on March 29 over 1 800m, and the R1.5 million SA Derby over 2 450m at the end of April. How difficult that is, can be seen in the fact that only one horse in South African history has managed to pull off: Horse Chestnut in 1999.
The Triple Tiara is open to three-year-old fillies and they need to win the Fillies Guineas, the SA Fillies Classic and the SA Oaks all over the same distances and days of the Triple Crown events. Remarkably, two fillies have managed to win the R1 million Triple Tiara bonus: Igugu in 2011 and Cherry On The Top last year.
