It takes about 24 hours to travel the 1400km from Cape Town to Joburg in a racehorse carrier. Two horses are doing the trip this week in order to compete against each other at Turffontein racecourse.
What’s the point of all that time, money and effort? The two are favourites for the race and could simply settle the argument a lot closer to home, cynics might say.
But having the right horse in the right race can make the Great Trek north worthwhile. Trainers Justin Snaith and Dean Kannemeyer have both successfully raided upcountry with star gallopers in years gone by. The former landed the Empress Club Stakes with Dancer’s Daughter and the latter the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes with Free My Heart.
This Saturday it’s the 1600m Horse Chestnut – and its Grade 1 status and R1.5-million purse – the two great men have in their sights.
Challengers
Their respective protagonists are Cape Town Met victor See It Again (2.70) and Durban July and King’s Plate champ The Real Prince (R3.00).
Punters are not rushing to support the Highveld opposition, with the appropriately named Main Defender (7.50) heading the local contingent after recently showing a return to health after nearly a year on the sidelines.
But the likes of Atticus Finch, Tin Pan Alley and Fire Attack have all shown a distinct liking for their home track and if the perils of the N1 and the sudden sharp rise in altitude adversely affect the visitors from the coast, one of the local heroes will strike.
The Horse Chestnut heads a feature-packed 12-race card that carries Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool status – meaning South African racing will be the centre of international attention.
Another big drawcard at Turffontein is the running of the second legs of the Triple Crown and Triple Tiara.
The 1800m Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic appears to be at the mercy of Corne Spies-trained Hazy Dazy, who doddled Leg 1 of the Tiara, the 1600m Gauteng Fillies Guineas, and is reputed to be looking for extra distance as she matures.
The Grade 1 HKJC World Pool SA Classic looks a lot more competitive, with the De Kock yard’s emphatic Cape Guineas winner Jan Van Goyen bumping heads with up-and-coming stablemates Splittheeights, One Eye On Vegas and Yippee Kiyay.
Also likely to be in the Classic mix are fellow Randjesfontein-based runners Trust (Candice Dawson) and Grand Empire (Sean Tarry).
A civil war, with no “Kaapse uitlander” in sight?
BETTING (WSB)
HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, R1.5m, 1600m, Race 8:
2.70 See It Again
3.00 The Real Prince
7.50 Main Defender
9.50 Atticus Finch
10.00 Tin Pan Alley
12.00 Fire Attack
23.00 and upwards others
HKJC World Pool SA Classic, Grade 1, R1.5m, 1800m, Race 7:
3.80 Jan Van Goyen
4.30 Trust
4.50 Splittheeights
6.50 Grand Empire
7.00 Errol Flynn
8.50 One Eye On Vegas
17.00 and upwards others
Wilgerbosdift SA Fillies Classic, Grade 1, R1.25m, 1800m, Race 6:
2.50 Hazy Dazy
3.50 Charge It
5.50 Golden Palm
11.00 Littlemissmillion, Drumnadrochit
13.00 Lowveld Lily
21.00 and upwards others
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