The chasm in distances and that the three races are run within two months means that it takes a most remarkable individual to win the Triple Crown (or the females’ equivalent, the Triple Tiara) and the R2-million bonus for accomplishing the feat. Two have won both the SA Classic and SA Derby but did not have a shot at the Triple Crown because they finished unplaced in the Gauteng Guineas – in 2004 Greys Inn, trained by Mike de Kock and now a successful stallion, and in 2008 Lance Wiid-trained King’s Gambit, who was subsequently sold to England where he won two races including a Grade 3 event.

Hunting Tower won both the Gauteng Guineas and the SA Classic, but did not run in the 2450m SA Derby of his year. This well-performed eight-time winning son of Fort Wood is still in training as a nine-year-old and is currently campaigning with De Kock in Dubai.

Pierre Jourdan, who will be running for trainer Gary Alexander in the Hawaii Stakes, one of the supporting features on Gauteng Guineas day this Saturday, repeated Hunting Tower’s feat of winning the Gauteng Guineas and the SA Classic. His connections did not shy away from a Triple Crown attempt, but Pierre Jourdan did not relish the combination of muddy conditions and the 2450m distance on Champions Day in 2010 and had to settle for second to De Kock’s Irish Flame. In England geldings cannot run in the “Classics” (the 2000 Guineas, Epsom Derby and St Leger Stakes) – they are races set aside for horses to prove themselves for stud.

That is not the case in South Africa and just one other Gauteng Guineas winner in the last decade has gone on to become a stallion. Oracy, who won the Gauteng Guineas in 2009, is currently standing at Klawervlei Stud in the Western Cape and enthusiastic reports have come from the farm about his first foals, which were born late last year.

De Kock has won the Gauteng Guineas twice in recent years, with Imbongi (2008) and last year with Link Man, who is being given a long rest after his downfield run in the Queen’s Plate last month. Imbongi also won the KZN Guineas before going on to enjoy a successful international campaign. He has returned to South Africa and is being ridden by Mike Fleisher at Joburg Country Base. De Kock has played a hand in the subsequent careers of three other Gauteng Guineas winners – Surveyor went on to win the Jebel Hatta Stakes (G3) for the champion trainer, 2004 winner Grand Emporium gave him his only victory to date in the Godolphin Mile (2005) and 2007 Guineas hero Biarritz, subsequently bought by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, enjoyed a relatively successful campaign in the desert in 2009 and 2010.

With a six-out-of-10 record with Gauteng Guineas winners, will this year’s hero take the fancy of the “Three Wise Men’’ (De Kock, bloodstock expert Jehan Malherbe and veterinary surgeon John McVey) – assuming one of his four runners does not win the race? De Kock, who will send out three runners for the Gauteng Fillies Guineas, has had a virtual stranglehold on the race in recent years, winning it four times since 2006.

He is the only trainer to have won the Triple Tiara and the R1-million bonus with his charge Igugu winning the Gauteng Fillies Guineas (1600m), the SA Fillies Classic (1800m) and the SA Oaks (2450m) last year. His other Gauteng Fillies Guineas’ winners were Rememberance (who became a broodmare at Mauritzfontein Stud), Zirconeum (who went on to race in Dubai) and recently retired Fisani. Although this year he is not bullishly confident about his chances in either race, nobody will be too surprised if he repeats last year’s clean sweep. Whatever the outcome, the winners look assured of a bright future!

Photo:  Horse Chestnut and Igugu.

The legacy of this grandson of Sadler’s Wells (and half-brother to Rakeen), lives on around the world after he was euthanized following a bout of lamanitis in 2010 – Global Strike and Atlantic Oak putting his name on the board at the Johannesburg track.

Global Strike (Anthony Delpech), on his 1400m debut, defeated the favourite Western Way by a nose in Race 2 and assistant trainer John Buckler said: “We’ll be looking for good improvement from him, he’s a horse that needs more ground and to have won on his first outing was a good achievement.”

Larry Nestadt, who owned Rakeen and is in partnership in Global Strike with Bernard Kantor and Allan Bott, bred this bay colt from the mare Almah, herself an accomplished winner up to 2800m.

Gavin Lerena, in top form, booted home Atlantic Oak (headline photo) for Mike, Dr John McVeigh and Noelline Malherbe. The mare, now five, is going from strength to strength and Buckler said: “She was penalised six points in the boardroom after winning on objection last time so this was a big run. She won’t stop here. She will win again.”

Global Strike (obscured), got his nose in front on the line. (JC Photos).

The Gauteng Guineas forms the first leg of the SASCOC Triple Crown. The other two races are the Grade 1 SA Classic to be run over 1800m on Saturday 31 March and the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m on Saturday 28 April. There is a R2-million bonus up for grabs for any horse capable of winning all three events.

Also run on the day is the Grade 2 Betting World Fillies Guineas which carries a stakes of R500,000. This race is the first leg of the SA Triple Tiara with the others being the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic and the Grade 2 SA Oaks. The Triple Tiara carries a bonus of R1-million.

Silver Flyer has a lot going for him but there are two unbeaten runners in the field – Gavin van Zyl-trained Slumdogmillionaire and Red Barrel from the De Kock yard – and they might be a lot better than their merit ratings suggest.

While De Kock has engaged stable jockey Anthony Delpech to ride Silver Flyer, champion jockey Anton Marcus will be aboard Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup winner Red Barrel.

De Kock and Sean Tarry have four runners apiece in the line-up and each has one reserve runner.  Tarry’s stable jockey Robbie Fradd rides Dingaans runner up Whiteline Fever while Sean Cormack is booked for E-Jet. Tarry is still to finalise riding arrangements for Pomodoro and Heavy Metal.

Zimbabwean entry Control Freak and Tarry’s Hidden Beauty top the ratings for the R500,000 Betting World Gauteng Fillies Guineas but the runners are rated a lot closer than in the Guineas. Tyrone Zackey’s Katy’s Lane won the Grade 3 Fillies Mile last time out but jockey Piere Strydom will have to jump her from draw No 17.    

R1-million BETTING WORLD GAUTENG GUINEAS (Grade 2, Leg 1 SA Triple Crown) 1600m
1 – 4 SILVER FLYER (M F De Kock) A Delpech 58.0 – 112
2 – 18 POTALA PALACE (M G Azzie) G Lerena 58.0 – 105
3 – 1 WHITELINE FEVER (S G Tarry) R Fradd 58.0 – 105
4 – 6 STRAW MARKET (O A Ferraris) R Fourie 58.0 – 103
5 – 12 POMODORO (S G Tarry)  …………… 58.0 – 102
6 – 10 SLUMDOGMILLIONAIRE (G H Van Zyl) M Mienie 58.0 – 100
7 – 5 BROOKS-CLUB (G H Van Zyl) R Simons 58.0 – 97
8 – 11 BEACON FLARE (W H Marwing) W Marwing 58.0 – 96
9 – 17 RED BARREL (M F De Kock) A Marcus 58.0 – 96
10 – 7 TANDRAGEE (G H Van Zyl) P Strydom 58.0 – 96
11 – 15 E-JET (S G Tarry) S Cormack 58.0 – 93
12 – 3 GOLDEN CHATEAU (M F De Kock) D David 58.0 – 93
13 – 16 GOVERNOR GENERAL (M F De Kock) J Geroudis 58.0 – 92
14 – 14 ZAMBUCCA (S Mohideen) S Khumalo 58.0 – 92
15 – 2 HEAVY METAL (S G Tarry)  …………… 58.0 – 89
16 – 8 WAGNER (J A Soma) M Yeni 58.0 – 89
Reserve Runners
17 – 13 BARACAH (S G Tarry)  Reserve 1 58.0 – 90
18 – 9 FRONTINO GOLD (M F De Kock)  Reserve 2 58.0 – 92
Coupled for Pick 6 ONLY: (1, 9, 12, 13, 18); (3, 5, 11, 15, 17); (6, 7, 10).
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R300,000 BETTING WORLD GAUTENG FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2, Leg 1 Leg SA Triple Tiara) 1600m
1 – 4 CONTROL FREAK (A I Harris) G Lerena 58.0 – 101
2 – 7 HIDDEN BEAUTY (S G Tarry) R Fradd 58.0 – 101
3 – 17 KATY’S LANE (T Zackey) P Strydom 58.0 – 99
4 – 15 GO INDIGO (L J Erasmus) S Brown 58.0 – 98
5 – 16 UPTOTHEMOON (W H Marwing) W Marwing 58.0 – 95
6 – 3 BLUROUTE (M F De Kock) A Delpech 58.0 – 94
7 – 14 EXTRA ZERO (S G Tarry) S Cormack 58.0 – 94
8 – 5 AWESOME BEAUTY (K Naidoo) N Juglall 58.0 – 90
9 – 9 SHADOWS IN THE SUN (G H Van Zyl) M Mienie 58.0 – 89
10 – 2 ILHA BELA (M F De Kock) A Marcus 58.0 – 88
11 – 8 MOUNT CARMEL (R R Sage) G Wrogemann 58.0 – 87
12 – 11 MARY’S PRIDE (O A Ferraris) R Fourie 58.0 – 86
13 – 10 SOLARIUM (M G Azzie) F Herholdt 58.0 – 86
14 – 18 KALAMI (R R Sage) S Chambers 58.0 – 85
15 – 12 SALSABEEL (M F De Kock) J Geroudis 58.0 – 85
16 – 13 ROSE GARDEN (D N Stenger) R Simons 58.0 – 81
17 – 1 TRESCO (S G Tarry)  Reserve 1 58.0 – 83
18 – 6 SCHOONER (S G Tarry)  Reserve 2 58.0 – 82
Coupled for Pick 6 ONLY: (2, 7, 17, 18); (6, 10, 15); (11, 14).

Christophe Soumillon was in the saddle on the winner, as he had been on stable companion River Jetez who won the race last year from another stablemate Reem who was third this year. They were divided by First City who made a brave attempt to follow up her defeat of Mahbooba in the 1600m Cape Verdi, a victory for which she was penalised.

Soumillon’s mount looked in trouble 400m out but stayed on dourly to lead 100m out to the delight of her trainer who said: “We knew the 1600m in the Cape Verdi was going to be on the short side and she has needed the 1800m here.

“She won over further in the UK last year and I think we will try the 2400m of the Dubai City Of Gold on Super Saturday with a view to aiming her at the Dubai Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night.”

Mahbooba wins the Ballanchine. (Andrew Watkins).

Headline photo: Mahbooba’s owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, receiving the winner’s trophy with Christophe Soumillon and Mike de Kock at his side.

Mike announced on Friday that Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum has purchased a 50% share of The Apache while the other half will be retained by the colt’s original owner, Winston Chow.

The Apache, by Mogok from Apache Rose, by Dolpour, has won six of 15 starts including the Gr1 Daily News and the Gr 1 Champion Stakes, and he finished fourth in the 2011 Durban July to Igugu and sixth in the 2012 J&B Met, beaten under two lengths by the star mare. He has won 1,9 million in stakes.

Mike said: “The Apache comes to us with good form, thanks to his trainer Gavin van Zyl and welcome to owner Mr Chow. He will have a couple of runs in South Africa for us but the long-term mission is next year’s Carnival.”

Shea has been associated with a number of illustrious names from years gone by, having won this race on the likes of Ipi Tombe, Linngari and Archipenko, but this win was pretty much as sweet if not sweeter for Mike de Kock’s long-serving stable rider.

Shea, who was racing near the back of the field Viscount Nelson, coaxed a well-timed finish from the five-year-old by Giant’s Causeway to snatch victory from Albaasil in the last 50m. He only showed Viscount Nelson the stick in the closing stages and this was an eye-catching success.

Kevin loved this win! Viscount Nelson, post-race. (Andrew Watkins).

An 8-1 chance in the international market, Viscount Nelson had suffered a bruised sole in the run-up to the Al Fahidi Fort which put him out of work for a few days, underlining the merit of this win.

“We haven’t got to the bottom of him yet,” said Shea, a comment echoed by Mike de Kock. “Viscount Nelson is a good horse and he is up to Group 1 quality. He’s the type of horse that will be able to pick up a Gr 1 race in Singapore or Hong Kong, where the fields are not as strong as they are in the UK.”

He added: “Viscount Nelson had good form coming into the race, the form from his run to Mutahadee stood up. And this was not a weak field.”

Mike praised his Dubai training team and said: “This was a massive effort by my team. Viscount Nelson is not an easy horse to train. We spend several hours with him every morning. He’s a Dubai Duty Free contender.”

Viscount Nelson is leased from Coolmore Stud’s John Magnier and breeders Mr and Mrs Gary Nagle – by the partnership of Katrina Partridge, Chris Haynes and Gary Grant, Jehan Malherbe, Dr John McVeigh and Mike himself. “We are grateful to Messers Magnier and Nagle and well done to the partners,” said Mike.

He said about Master Of Hounds: “I am happy with this turf run.  He was bumped and bumped again and if you watch the replay you can argue he was unlucky not to have won.”

Zanzamar (Richard Hills), raced to an impressive win in the Range Rover Trophy.

Mike had said pre-race that Zanzamar was a “big runner” in the Range Rover Trophy over 2000m on turf, but Sheikh Hamdan’s four-year-old South African-bred by Fort Wood was easy to support still, starting around 18-1 in the betting market with bookmakers.

Richard Hills kept Zanzamar at the end of the first bunch runners – the field had split in two as they started racing for home – but Zanzamar made up the ground effortlessly when Hills asked him to go, racing in easy style in the jockey’s hands to win going away by 1.5-lengths.

“Zanzamar had fetlock joint surgery after last year’s Carnival,” Mike commented. “He was placed at Gr 1 level on turf in South Africa and we’ll step him up to Group level in Dubai now with a view to a race like the Dubai City Of Gold. We expect him to improve more. We’ve always thought a bit of him.”

They are:

Meydan Thursday:

Race 2: All-Weather Handicap 1900m:

Anaerobio (Christophe Soumillon):
He’s in good form and should run well. He switches to the all-weather after a disappointing debut on the surface, but he did need the run badly that evening so we don’t foresee any problems tonight.

Jardim (Kevin Shea):
He made a fair debut for us and is a horse that’s showing ability at home, he should have a strong chance despite his bad draw and is expected to improve.

Mahbooba: Best weekend runner.

Race 3: Turf Handicap, 1400m:

Rerouted (Soumillon):
He ran on well on a good 1200m debut for us, has come on with the run. He switches to turf and that is his preferred surface. He’s a big runner.

Race 4: All-weather Handicap, 1200m:

Warsaw (Shea):
Genuine sort, returning from a rest and will improve with the outing.

Casual Glimpse (Soumillon):
First start for us, a horse we need to learn more about as he is not showing us a lot yet. Will improve with the run.

Race 5: Al Fahidi Fort on turf, 1600m:

Master Of Hounds (Soumillon):
He switches to turf but won on the surface as a two-year-old. He’s a big, strong horse and has needed racing to get fit. He moves well on turf, he has a chance tonight.

Viscount Nelson (Shea):
We had a little setback with Viscount Nelson, but he’s a smart sort. He likes it further but should run a decent race.

Race 6: Turf Handicap, 2000m:

Zanzamar:
He didn’t run to expectations in his first start after a rest last time, but we think a lot of him. He will improve and is a big runner.

Meydan Friday:

Race 6: The Ballanchine, 2000m on turf:

Mahbooba and Reem represent us here, both are very well. Mahbooba is better over this distance and is probably our best runner for the weekend, she’s a huge runner.

John is not overly keen on being interviewed – he is one of those individuals who believes that actions speak louder than words – but three different jockeys paid tribute to him on Tellytrack during the course of the meeting.

Soft Falling Rain (Tshwaro Appie) wins for Sheikh Hamdan. (JC Photos)

Tshwaro Appie, who rode highly promising two-year-old Soft Falling Rain to victory for Sheikh Hamdan in Race 2 over 1000m, said: “(John) turned this horse out beautifully. Soft Falling Rain is top class, he was the best horse in the race and I could ride him confidently.”

Soft Falling Rain (1-3), by National Assembly, looked mature beyond his years as he raced to a 4.75 length win and Appie added: “He loves it down the straight.”

Markus and Ingrid Jooste’s Second Tycoon (5-1, headline photo), who’d dead-heated with up-and-coming sprint star Unannounced in July, posted a similarly impressive win in Race 5 over 1000m, clocking 56,32s.

Jockey Gavin Lerena said: “I think when Second Tycoon matures he will be effective over further. He gave me a good feel. Thanks to John Buckler and the team for turning him out so well.”

Derrick David booted Jet Legend (5-2) to a smart win in Race MR94 Handicap over 1600m and expressed similar sentiments towards Buckler and his Randjesfontein team.

This was a second winner for Sheikh Hamdan and Jet Legend never looked in a any danger of defeat, confirming the stable’s high opinion of him. “He pulled hard during the race but when I asked him to go there was more to come,” said David.

Owner Ray Koedyk with Reign As Kings (Anthony Delpech up).

Owner Raymond Koedyk’s Reign As Kings (13-10), won his second race from three starts, cruising home over five lengths ahead in a 1100m sprint at Scottsville under Anthony Delpech.

“I am happy for Ray, who is an old friend of mine and has started to invest again in the game,” Mike said from Dubai.

Last week Summerhill’s Ready To Run supremo, Tarryn Liebenberg, suggested that the catalogue was up there with the best Ready To Run publications of the past, and that is very quickly evident at a glance. There are close relatives to champions Icy Air and Bridal Paths, millionaires Catmandu and Amphitheatre, and Stakes performers Salutation, Ecole Militaire, Nondweni, Coastal Waltz, Similitude, Dignify, J&B Met hero, Angus, Ice Axe, Cape Tango and Poppy, and a number of smart updates from siblings to several of the candidates.

Tarryn Liebenberg. (www.summerhill.co.za).

According to Liebenberg “there’s a lot of talk from the training yards of the first runners by Mullins Bay and Stronghold, which reinforces the presence in the catalogue of Kahal, presently the nation’s fourth leading stallion, and the perennial top-flight performer, Muhtafal. We’ve already witnessed a winner, as well as a sparkling debut performance from a Joey Ramsden first-timer from the progeny of Stronghold, and if anything, our expectations for Mullins Bay’s stock were slightly ahead”. Michael Holmes, who convenes the sale as part of his Horses In Training show, tells us “there’s already solid interest in the Ready To Run, so word of the gallops is already out. There are some exciting prospects in the line-up, and if last year’s sale is anything to go by, there will be real value for those looking for it. Ever since the catalogue hit the street, there’s been a noticeable increase in the bookings of tables at the sale”.

While the Summerhill management are understandably reluctant to single out any individuals, the grapevine is banging a bongo drum with strains that include fillies by Kahal (Lots 26, 36 and 49;) Mullins Bay’s daughters (lot 20,  a three quarter sister to last week’s impressive Gary Alexander winner, Classic Ilusion and lots 34 and 39), two by Muhtafal (lots 11 and 21) and two very well related Stronghold fillies (lot 22 and 44). The appropriately named Kahal colts, Fly First Class (lot 18) and No Worries (lot 31,) and the Ravishing filly (lot 45) look particularly smart on the Summerhill website (www.summerhill.co.za) and click the Sales tab and then Ready To Run. 

The truth though, lies in their performances at the gallops, and for our money, there’s plenty more to this draft that the grapevine can cope with.

Please contact Michael Holmes Bloodstock and ask for Edwina (031 309 5522) or Megan Romeyn on 083 601 5242. Table bookings on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bold Silvano was favourite for the Firebreak Stakes over 1600m on the all-weather and finished fifth behind Sandagiyr, beaten only 1.75 lengths by the winner.

Said Mike: “He found the race too sharp for him and he never really had a clear run down the straight at all. But he pulled up extremely well and will take his place in the Al Maktoum Challenge (Round 3) over 2000m on the all-weather on Super Saturday (10 March). And then the Dubai World Cup (31 March).”

Stable-elect Master Of Hounds had to be switched at a crucial stage and finished third behind Mendip in the Al Maktoum Challenge (Round 2) over 1900m. Hunting Tower led for much of the journey before compounding.

“Master Of Hounds had every chance,” said Mike bluntly before conceding: “He’s a delicate horse, so I haven’t been hard on him in training and I don’t think he’s at peak fitness yet. But we’re getting there.”

He added that Master Of Hounds would be switched to the turf track for a race in a fortnight. “I have a feeling he’ll be better on the turf.”

Mike was impressed with Mickdaam’s effort in the UAE 2000 Guineas. His charge carried 0.5kg overweight and was balked for a clear run 300m out before running on well to finish a neck second to Kinglet.

“That was an exceptional run,” he enthused. “And the further he goes, the better he’ll get. He’s still progressive and we have a nice future with him.”

Mickdaam’s immediate programme will see him taking in the Al Bastakiya over 1900m on Super Saturday and then the UAE Derby on World Cup night.

The final race of the evening, the Dubal Trophy over 1800m on the turf, was a triumph for the stable on a night dominated by Godolphin. Mike’s charge, Mutahadee, brought right to race along the outside rail, led a good 300m from the wire and kept rolling strongly to beat his stable companion Anaerobio by 1.50 lengths.

“Mutahadee was super-impressive. I still don’t know how good he is and he’s a very exciting horse. He will take his place in the Jebel Hatta over 1800m on the turf on Super Saturday and then the Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night.

“That was another genuine effort from Anaerobia. He’ll win a race very soon, in the right field.”

Quite of a few of Mike’s fans were a bit disappointed with Irish Flame’s fifth-place finish in the Potlines Trophy, but Mike was not unhappy with the run, saying: “He was blowing very hard afterwards. He really needed the run after being held up in quarantine for more than three weeks. He pulled up extremely well and will come on with the run.”

Mr Brock, he said, “just didn’t put it in, but he’s eight now and old horses do these things. He’ll be retired at the end of the carnival.”