Full fields of 16 runners have been carded to contest the two top three-year-old races of the Champions Season, the R1-million, Grade 1 Daily News 2 000 and the R500 000, Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 to be run at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday, 7 June 2008.
Kings Gambit, winner for trainer Lance Wiid of the SA Classic and the SA Derby at Turffontein in his last two starts and rated the best three-year-old in the country, heads the field in the Daily News 2000 and, although drawn towards the outside of the field, is likely to start the very short-priced favourite for the event.
He will meet Cape Town’s favourite three-year-old son, Russian Sage, for the first time with the Fieldspring Racing colt from the Justin Snaith yard having a huge advantage at the start being drawn one off the inside rail.
Lion’s Blood, winner of the Dingaans and now with Herman Brown with a Dubai programme in mind, has also drawn well at three as has the SA Derby runner-up, Classic Oasis, who will break from the fourth barrier position for trainer Stuart Pettigrew.
The Woolavington 2000 field is headed by the SA Fillies Classic winner and Gauteng Fillies Guineas runner-up, Urabamba, and she has drawn pole position for Robbie Sage with Piere Strydom in the irons.
Front Of House, who was second in the SA Oaks heads the three-horse team from the Mike de Kock yard with Gilded Minaret and Ladonna completing the trio. With neither Charles Laird nor Alec Laird having a runner in the race, their stable riders will be doing duty for the De Kock yard - Anton Marcus on Ladonna and Johnny Geroudis on Gilded Minaret.
Dennis Drier will saddle Sahara who ran a gutsy second to Rei Rei in the KwaZulu-Natal Fillies Guineas while the Marwing brothers team up again with the Silvano filly Happy Spirit who beat Front Of House to the line in the SA Oaks.
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