What defines most champions is their enthusiasm for the cause – and racing’s pre-eminent trainer Justin Snaith is a good example.
The maestro’s first go at the Highveld Championships season didn’t quite work out as planned, but he hasn’t given up and slunk back to the comfort of Cape Town. Not a bit of it.
He has nominated a powerful team of three horses for Champions Day at Turffontein on 4 April.
Cape Town Met champion See It Again spearheads the Snaith challenge in the Grade 1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m – hoping to go one better than his runner-up finish in the recent Horse Chestnut Stakes at the Joburg track, when he ran on stoutly after finding himself out of his ground from a wide draw.
Stable back-up comes in the form of Okavango, who was fourth in the 2026 Met and popped up unexpectedly to win the King’s Cup at Scottsville at the weekend – in what Snaith admitted was a prep race for his Joburg jaunt. The trainer describes this fellow as “a real fighter” with the gumption to do well at Turffontein.
The travelling companion for these two combatants is none other than Double Grand Slam, arguably the best female galloper in South Africa, who will start as a hot favourite for the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes on the Champs Day card.
Already a triple Grade 1 winner, Gary Player-owned Double Grand Slam really has little left to prove – other than to travel north to demonstrate her trainer’s Viking raider instincts.
Other out-of-towners contemplating trying their luck in the City of Gold include Candice Bass and Greg Ennion from Cape Town, Dean Smith and Alan Greeff from Gqberha and a handful of conditioners from KwaZulu-Natal.
Champions Day declarations are due on Wednesday 25 March after which fields will be finalised and Grade 1 race draws made at a special event still to be announced.
ENTRIES
[name, (age&sex), weight, MR, equip., trainer; draws for Grade 1 races still to be made]:
WORLD POOL PREMIER’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1) 2000m, R2m, WFA
See It Again (6G) 60 130 A Justin Snaith
Atticus Finch (6G) 60 127 BAT Alec Laird
Fire Attack (4C) 60 124 A Alec Laird
Royal Victory (6G) 60 124 BA Weichong Marwing
Okavango (4G) 60 123 A Justin Snaith
The Equator (IRE) (5H) 60 117 BAT Tony Peter
The Ultimate King (4G) 60 117 A Tony Peter
Madison Valley (5G) 60 116 BA Nathan Kotzen
Jimmy Don (6G) 60 114 AT Joe Soma
Olivia’s Way (4F) 57.5 114 CA Roy Magner
Grand Empire (3G) 56.5 120 AT Sean Tarry
Trust (3C) 56.5 119 A Candice / Tammy Dawson
Copper Eagle (3G) 56.5 100 A Robyn Klaasen
TAB EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (Grade 1) 1600m, R1m, F&M WFA
Double Grand Slam (5M) 60 122 A Justin Snaith
Almond Sea (4F) 60 119 A Tony Peter
Rainbow Lorikeet (5M) 60 115 A Candice Bass
Callmegetrix (5M) 60 113 BAT Sean Tarry
Rodeo Drive (4F) 60 113 A Sean Tarry
Minogue (5M) 60 112 A Candice / Tammy Dawson
Kisshoten (5M) 60 107 A Tony Peter
Famous Lady (4F) 60 103 HAT David Nieuwenhuizen
Past Is Prologue (4F) 60 81 A Gareth van Zyl
Golden Palm (3F) 57.5 115 A Alan Greeff
Scarlett Heart (3F) 57.5 108 BA Fanie Bronkhorst
TAB COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1), 1000m, R1m, WFA
Buffalo Storm Cody (4G) 60 132 A Tony Peter
Kingdundee (4G) 60 127 AT Dean Smith
William Robertson (7G) 60 124 JA Corne Spies
Truth (4G) 60 120 A Candice / Tammy Dawson
Taxi To The Moon (4G) 60 119 A Tony Peter
Ziyasha (5G) 60 117 T Clinton Binda
Future Variety (5G) 60 116 A Candice Bass
Luhamba Phambili (4G) 60 112 A Gareth van Zyl
Quantum Theory (6G) 60 112 CAT Sean Tarry
Arctic Wizard (4G) 60 110 BA Greg Ennion
Mover And Shaker (6G) 60 109 A Fabian Habib
Chocolate Soldier (4G) 60 108 JA e Corne Spies
Winds Of Change (4G) 60 102 A Mike Azzie
Constellation (3C) 58 114 AT Mike / Mathew de Kock
Chapbook (3C) 58 106 B T Clinton Binda
Almond Sea (4F) 57.5 119 A Tony Peter
Mia Moo (5M) 57.5 119 A Sean Tarry
Whistle The Tune (4F) 57.5 116 CA Candice / Tammy Dawson
Rodeo Drive (4F) 57.5 113 A Sean Tarry
Green Diamond (3F) 55.5 111 AT Sean Tarry
WILGERBOSDRIFT BRIDGET OPPENHEIMER SA OAKS (Grade 2) 2450m, R750,000, 3YO fillies – 3rd leg Triple Tiara
13 Hazy Dazy (3F) 60 117 HA Corne Spies
7 Golden Palm (3F) 60 115 A Alan Greeff
4 Charge It (3F) 60 113 A Alyson Wright
3 Daisy Jones (3F) 60 108 AT Mike Azzie
5 Littlemissmillion (3F) 60 107 A Tyrone Zackey
2 Drumnadrochit (3F) 60 105 BA Mike / Mathew de Kock
6 Curious Girl (3F) 60 92 A Mike / Mathew de Kock
14 Ethical (3F) 60 85 A Candice / Tammy Dawson
11 Amazon Queen (3F) 60 81 BA Mano Pandaram
12 Alta Capitana (3F) 60 80 BA Sean Tarry
8 Top Shelf Teddy (3F) 60 80 HAT Sean Tarry
10 Shadowline (3F) 60 78 A Stuart Pettigrew
9 Stampede Ahead (3F) 60 76 AT Adam Azzie
1 Clouds Clearing (3F) 60 74 HAT W O Marwing/W H Marwing
TAB SA DERBY (Grade 2), 2450m, R1.25m, 3YO
0 $Ethical (3F) 0 85 A Candice / Tammy Dawson
13 Radio Star (3G) 60 107 A Mike Azzie
9 Tommy Shelby (3C) 60 101 Ha Fabian Habib
15 Copper Eagle (3G) 60 100 A Robyn Klaasen
14 Salani Kahle (3C) 60 97 A Gareth van Zyl
5 Texas Missile (3C) 60 94 A Alec Laird
6 Titans Of War (3G) 60 91 A Roy Magner
4 Bellerophon (3G) 60 89 A Fabian Habib
16 Master Spy (3G) 60 88 A Sean Tarry
2 Sword Speed (3G) 60 87 A Alyson Wright
10 Diogenes (3G) 60 86 A Weichong Marwing
7 Culturati (3G) 60 85 A Grant Maroun
8 World Of Royalty (3G) 60 78 A Weichong Marwing
11 Reign On Impact (3G) 60 74 A Frikkie Greyling
12 Charge It (3F) 57.5 113 A Alyson Wright
1 Drumnadrochit (3F) 57.5 105 BA Mike / Mathew de Kock
3 Curious Girl (3F) 57.5 92 A Mike / Mathew de Kock
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