It’s time to rethink the Triple Crown

The Joburg ‘sideshow’ diminishes a good marketing concept.

There will be no winners of the Triple Crown or Triple Tiara in 2023. It’s contrarian, but that might be a good thing – for a few reasons.

It is accepted wisdom that glory and champions are good for sport – an overload of cheering, screaming, tears of happiness and “lost for words” speeches is much to be desired, say the marketing people.

But pause and consider the Triple situation. The linked series are currently made up of the (male and female) Gauteng Guineas, the SA Classics, and the SA Derby and SA Oaks – all races run at Turffontein over 1600m, 1800m and 2450m respectively.

Not having winners this year – and not even a candidate going into a third leg on Derby day – is welcome respite for racing writers who won’t have to write out all the lengthy race titles, series conditions, multiple prize lists and gushing praise of previous winners.

Too frequent

That’s a joke. Yet there is a disconcerting sense that the Triples were being won a little too frequently to justify the oft-coined epithet of the ultimate test of a three-year-old racehorse.

The original Triple Crown was in the UK, comprising the 2000 Guineas (1609m), the Derby (2423m) and the St Leger (2937m) – at Newmarket, Epsom and Doncaster.

The last time it was won was in 1970 by Nijinsky. Few attempts have been made at completing the third leg in recent years – the most recent by Camelot in 2012.

The UK Fillies Triple Crown was last won in 1985 by Oh So Sharp, and before that in 1935 by Meld.

So, not a routine thing.

In the US, the Triple Crown is the Kentucky Derby (2000m), the Preakness (1900m) and the Belmont (2400m) – again, all at different venues. After the earliest editions, in the 1930s and ’40s, there was no coronation for 55 years until the great Secretariat broke the hoodoo in 1973.

Seattle Slew did the job in 1977 and Affirmed in 1978, before another long drought – of 37 years until American Pharoah in 2015.

Again, not run-of-the-mill.

Triple Tiara triumph

In South Africa, after Igugu’s inaugural Triple Tiara triumph in 2011, we’ve had Cherry On The Top (2013), Summer Pudding (2020), War Of Athena (2021) and Rain In Holland (2022). The Crown has been worn by Horse Chestnut (1999), Louis The King (2014), Abashiri (2016) and Malmoos (2021).

This “relative frequency” feeds a suspicion that the quality of the annual three-year-old thoroughbred crop is not particularly high and that these horses might not have been exceptional, just the best of a moderate bunch.

Also, importantly, the whole thing happens on one track on the Highveld and most runners are locally stabled, drawing inevitable criticism that it’s a bit of a regional sideshow. Indeed, several winners down the years have failed to frank a reputation as the top colt or filly of a national generation.

From time to time, it is suggested that the concept gets a shake-up and an upgrade. This is such a time.

Prominent trainer Mike de Kock has in the past advocated use of all three main racing centres, with the Cape Guineas in Kenilworth, the SA Classic in Joburg and the Daily News in Durban being the testing grounds. Others would prefer the Cape Guineas, the Daily News (on a changed date) and the SA Derby.

As is always the case in South Africa, travel logistics, health and altitude issues, and costs, make flitting about the country with horses a challenge for connections. It has been very successfully done by great trainers of past and present, but it is very tough. Of course, hefty financial reward would smooth the way and rub out some reticence.

Few raiders

There were few raiders from the coast at Turffontein on Saturday as the Triple hopes of Guineas winner Eye Of The Prophet and Fillies Guineas winner Lady Of Power were snuffed out in the Classics.

Paul Matchett-trained, Rachel Venniker-ridden Eye Of The Prophet ran an honest race to finish fourth, but had no answer for the finishing speed of Anfields Rocket – who looks to have plenty more to come in the months ahead.

Lady Of Power, who changed stables after her first leg triumph, was third this time – unable to join the ding-dong duel upfront between Bless My Stars and Feather Boa.

Two strikes and they are out!