Snaith aims Sky at Classic

African Night Sky,raised five points for his win in the Winter Guineas last Saturday, will have to give 1kg all round in the Highlands Stud Winter Classic over 1800m at Kenilworth on Sunday 21 May.

The Justin Snaith-trained gelding is the only Graded winner among the 16 entries for the three year- old Grade 3 and is second only to Newlands on official merit ratings. He is not well drawn at No 12 but the draw should not be of that much significance over this distance.

Eleven of the 14 who ran in the Winter Guineas have been nominated again including second placed Our Mate Art, Loadshedder (third) and Perovskia (fourth). Turbulent Air, who started favourite but only managed fifth, may also try again. He was not striding out freely according to rider Anton Marcus although the veterinary examination ordered by the stipes failed to show anything wrong.

Elevated is also to go again despite disappointing badly and trailing in 11th. Trainer Riaan van Reenen said that nothing went right and he is hoping for rain in the next fortnight.

Three of the last four Winter Guineas winners went on to take the Classic and two of them started favourite. It is generally in the Winter Derby where the upsets occur, largely because of the significantly extra distance. As in the Guineas it is the Bass stable which has the best record, winning three of the last six runnings and six of the last 14.

The winner of all three legs will collect a R250,000 bonus and Jonathan Snaith is talking of a possible tilt at next year’s Sun Met with African Night Sky. Those horses who run in both the Winter Guineas and Classic will not have to pay any entry or declaration fees for the Winter Derby.

There is a supplementary entry stage tomorrow with declarations on Monday. Entries and weights for the R250,000

Winter Classic (Grade 3) over 1800m

12 AFRICAN NIGHT SKY (S J Snaith)

58.0

15 ARABIAN DYNASTY (B Crawford)

57.0

8 COMMANDER BOND (A E Sands) 57.0

6 DORSET NOBLE (C L Bass-Robinson)

57.0

4 ELEVATED (C/R Burger/van Reenen)

57.0

11 I TRAVEL LIGHT (J Ramsden) 57.0

5 LOADSHEDDER (W A Nel) 57.0

7 NEWLANDS (J Ramsden) 57.0

3 NIGHTINGALE LANE (C L Bass-Robinson)

57.0

2 OLLIVANDER (C L Bass-Robinson)

57.0

10 OUR MATE ART (C L Bass-Robinson)

57.0

9 PEROVSKIA (H W Crawford) 57.0

16 RINJANI (C L Bass-Robinson) 57.0

1 TURBULENT AIR (S J Snaith) 57.0

13 TWILIGHT TRIP (C L Bass-Robinson)

57.0

14 VERDIER (A N Marcus) 57.0

Entries for the R150,000 Olympic Duel Stakes (Listed) (F&M) over 1200m

14 SILVER MOUNTAIN (C L Bass-Robinson)

62.0

10 IMPALA LILY (D Kannemeyer) 60.0

18 HARLEM SHAKE (G R Puller) 59.5

12 SUPERCILIOUS (J Ramsden) 59.0

1 CHAMPERY (S J Snaith) 58.0

11 FELICITY FLYER (C L Bass-Robinson)

57.0

19 MISS MARKER (C L Bass-Robinson)

56.0

9 COME FLY WITH ME (C L Bass-Robinson)

55.5

8 SOUTH SIDE (G S Kotzen) 54.5

20 VARUMBA (V H Marshall) 54.5

16 TWINKLE TOES (S J Snaith) 54.0

7 ACACIAWOOD (S J Snaith) 53.5

4 EXTRADITE (C L Bass-Robinson) 53.5

2 MIRANDA FROST (J Ramsden) 53.5

3 CHINA PEARL (B Crawford) 52.0

15 LOVE TO BOOGIE (W A Nel) 52.0

17 HANABI (A E Sands) 51.5

6 CALIFORNIA GIRL (G V Woodruff)

49.0

13 SAILS SET (B Crawford) 46.5

5 WESTON (D Kannemeyer) 45.0

Entries for the R150,000 Stormsvlei Mile (Listed) (Three-year-old Fillies) over 1600m

3 FORTISSIMUS (S J Snaith) 57.0

10 WHOSE THAT GIRL (C L Bass-Robinson)

57.0

7 ANNELINE (G S Kotzen) 56.0

13 BARONESS MARY (B Crawford) 56.0

17 BIG BANG THEORY (B Crawford) 56.0

16 CAVALLERIA (P P Kruyer) 56.0

6 EXTRADITE (C L Bass-Robinson) 56.0

2 FELICITY FLYER (C L Bass-Robinson)

56.0

14 FLASH FIRE (V H Marshall) 56.0

1 NGAGA (W A Nel) 56.0

5 PRANCING (G V Woodruff) 56.0

9 RED GRANITE (J Ramsden) 56.0

12 ROCK ON WOOD (V H Marshall) 56.0

15 SEATTLE GOLD (B Crawford) 56.0

8 SILVER CAPTAIN (J Ramsden) 56.0

4 SYLVANITE (G S Kotzen) 56.0

11 WHITE ROSE (G S Kotzen) 56.0