After a great start to ‘The Championships Season’, racing fans are eagerly anticipating the second leg of the season, Classic Day, taking place on Saturday 2 March, at Turffontein Racecourse.
Classic Day will feature three Grade 1 races, namely the R1.5 million TAB Gauteng Classic, the R1.25 million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic, and lastly, the R1.5 million H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, named in honor of the legendary Horse Chestnut, South Africa’s Triple Crown winner in 1999 and his part-owner and breeder, Mr. H F Oppenheimer.
The season began with Guineas Day on 3 February and saw Sandringham Summit – a 3-year-old colt by Gimmethegreenlight, bred by Varsfontein Stud and trained by the Turffontein-based trainer David Nieuwenhuizen, clinch the win in the 1st leg of the SA Triple Crown, the Grade 2 TAB Guineas. Gimme A Nother – a 3-year-old filly from the Mike de Kock yard, bred by Wilgerbosdrift and Mauritzfontein also emerged victorious in the 1st leg of the SA Triple Tiara, the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas.
Currently, Sandringham Summit holds dual entries to the Grade 1 H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and the Grade 1 TAB Gauteng Classic.
The final declaration will take place on Tuesday 27 February at 11h00 and racing fans will be hopeful to see him continue his SA Triple Crown trail.
“The season kicked off with notable performances all around, one such was the Fabian Habib-trained Zeus scoring his 10th career victory with all 10 wins achieved with Gavin Lerena in the saddle, which was also a personal record for the jockey.
After this record, we saw Lerena riding Sandringham Summit, a horse that has had 8 career starts to date, including winning the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes, the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe and becoming Equus Champion two-year-old colt.
With TAB set to once again return as the sponsor for the second leg of the SA Triple Crown, Classic Day can only level-up from the incredible kick-off, and we look forward to seeing the next chapter unfold in the SA Triple Crown and SA Triple Tiara series where we will hopefully witness the emergence of new champions,” said Fundi Sithebe, 4Racing CEO.
Bottom of Form
In keeping with the big purses on the day, TAB4Racing’s ‘Champions of The Championships’ competition continues, with one punter currently topping the leader board and, in the running, to secure the R100 000 cash prize if they maintain their lead after Classic Day.
Should the current log leader lose their top spot-on Classic Day, the R100,000 grand prize falls away, however that will create an opportunity for two other lucky punters to win a share of the impressive cash prizes. The first-place winner with the highest competition balance at the end of the season will walk away with a R10 000 cash prize, while second place walks away with R5 000, and third place with R2 500.
To enter this competition simply click here.
The upcoming Classic Day will also welcome the first ever “Parade Ring Party” at Turffontein racecourse. Mr Saxx and Vin Deysel will transform the Turffontein Parade Ring and treat racegoers to a musical journey by spinning old-school classic hits from the 80s, 90s and 2000s.
Entertainment will run from 17h30 – 19h30 and patrons will be able to purchase a ticket for just R50, while hospitality clients will receive complimentary access. There will also be plenty of activities on course for the entire family with kids’ entertainment, as well as food and drinks vendors to create a truly Classic day out at Turffontein.
Make sure to follow 4Racing social pages on Instagram, X and Facebook: @4Racingza to find out more about Classic Day 2024.
For more information on 4Racing’s hospitality offerings, please contact 011 681 1796 or email Penny Morsner PennyM@4Racing.com
Race day details are as follows:
Day 2: Classic Day, 2 March:
• Grade 1: H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (1600m)
• Grade 1: TAB SA Classic (1800m)
• Grade 1: Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (1800m)
• Grade 3: JJ The Jet Plane Stakes (1000m)
• Listed Races: Acacia Stakes (1600m) | Storm Bird Stakes(1000m) | Ruffian Stakes (1000m)
This article was provided by Vuma Reputation Management on behalf of 4Racing.
