The sole 3YO in the 2025 Met, Eight on Eighteen snuck through on the rail to outstay a posse of older rivals in an exciting finish where the first nine past the post were covered by just three lengths. The finishing fraction was quite slow (26.1 seconds for the final 400m, which, expressed as
Vaughan Marshall, trainer of King’s Plate victor, One Stripe describes him as “phenomenal.” The trainer, who can now add this historic WFA mile race to his storied resume, confirmed that One Stripe’s key attributes are the gears of increasing speed he can work through to win important races. Those qualities were evident on Saturday
Pistol Pete (speed score 103) was fancied to win the Lebelo Sprint – a G3 at Turffontein on Saturday. He got the job done – but only just as Netttleton (s/s 102) nearly dived past the Tony Peter trained favourite. The winner pressed the pace, was ridden hard to take the lead, and was
Piere Strydom delivered one of his patented masterclasses, riding Fatal Flaw to win the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas. He slid across from a wide draw, set easy fractions up front, then quickened up when needed to run out a comfortable winner over the chasing, Scarlet Macaw. There was nothing special about the final figure –
7/10 favourite, One Stripe (s/s 99+) was widely expected to win the Cape Guineas and duly did so from Eight On Eighteen (s/s 98) and Great Plains. The race went off fast early, then slowed in the middling sections, before the closers launched their stretch runs. One Stripe has fantastic acceleration and that proved
The Cape Summer season is getting into full swing and there were some fine performances clocked at Kenilworth on Saturday. Visiting Highveld trainer Clinton Binda won the Bantry Bay Stakes with Ziyasha (s/s 106) under an opportunistic ride by “Sting-Ray” Danielson. He took the free-striding sprinter to the lead, opened a decisive break on
Mon Petit Cherie (s/s 100) received an inspired ride from Richard Fourie to sneak through down the inner and pip Beware the Bomb in the G2 Western Cape Fillies Championships. In a blanket finish, Symphony in White ran third with Gimmie’s Countess another neck back in fourth. The early pace seemed honest enough and
This is an exciting time of the year in SA horse racing as the better horses get underway with their summer campaigns on the Highveld and in the Cape. These horses are apt to run improved numbers which portend strong showings as the season progresses. It can pay to make note of notable early
King Regent took out the three-legged Poly Challenge in the Eastern Cape on Friday, as the 4/10, odds- on favourite. Glen Kotzen’s entry again predictably proved much too strong for the locals having run 106’s on a couple of occasions. It was a strategic piece of race planning by Kotzen to select the Poly Challenge
Gimmie’s Countess (s/s 97 +++) stole the show at Durbanville on Saturday, winning the Diana Stakes (G3) with a performance of rare quality. Trainer Dean Kannemeyer rates her highly on her aptitude at work; did not have much to fear from the older fillies, so expected her to run well despite not being fully