First Entries Gold Cup Day

GOLD CUP

12 Ballymaine I S Moore/D W Moore 81
14 Cool Chardonnay Weiho Marwing 96
19 Crowd Pleaser J A Janse van Vuuren 105
7 Dark Moon Rising Paul Lafferty 101
28 Desert Wisdom Jacques Strydom 87
3 Eastern Pearl Tobie Spies 56
4 Epona Joey Ramsden 93
26 Flichity By Farr Alyson Wright 100
6 Frikkie Jacques Strydom 81
21 Haddington Louis Goosen 65
13 Hermoso Mundo Weiho Marwing 104
10 It's My Turn Dean Kannemeyer 106
18 Just Cruised In Chesney van Zyl 91
25 Kitty's Destiny Joe Soma 95
8 Let It Rain Ashley Fortune 106
15 Made To Conquer Justin Snaith 108
23 Master's Eye Justin Snaith 102
1 One Direction Justin Snaith 86
9 One Man Show Dean Kannemeyer 95
27 Pagoda Geoff Woodruff 95
11 Plano Tara Laing 83
24 Roy's Riviera (AUS) Frank Robinson 96
22 Royal Utopia Candice Dawson 85
16 Sheet Weaver Alec Laird 78
5 Strathdon Justin Snaith 102
17 Top Classman Frank Robinson 77
2 Wild Wicket Duncan Howells 97
20 Witchcraft Sean Tarry 102
(28)

CHAMPIONS CUP (Grade 1)
12 African Night Sky Justin Snaith 112
19 Bulleting Home Sean Tarry 113
16 Captain America Brett Crawford 123
8 Cascapedia (IRE) Mike de Kock 109
6 Crowd Pleaser J A Janse van Vuuren 105
11 Elusive Silva Justin Snaith 111
10 Eyes Wide Open Glen Kotzen 114
15 Gold Standard Glen Kotzen 115
2 Heavenly Blue (AUS) Mike de Kock 112
5 It's My Turn Dean Kannemeyer 106
17 Mambo Mime Dean Kannemeyer 103
14 Matador Man Sean Tarry 105
4 Pack Leader Glen Kotzen 106
21 Perovskia Harold Crawford 109
7 Rocket Countdown Candice Bass-Robinson 102
20 Roy Had Enough (AUS) Frank Robinson 106
18 Sabina's Dynasty Paul Peter 106
1 Sail South Brett Crawford 123
13 Surcharge Stuart Pettigrew 112
9 Tap O' Noth Vaughan Marshall 110
3 Undercover Agent Brett Crawford 125
(21)

THE MERCURY SPRINT (Grade 1)
18 Africa Rising Sean Tarry 103
8 Always In Charge Vaughan Marshall 106
10 Attenborough Joey Ramsden 114
13 Bishop's Bounty Justin Snaith 109
17 Black Cat Back Brett Crawford 103
6 Bold Respect Brett Crawford 118
1 Champagne Haze Gary Alexander 112
11 Chimichuri Run Sean Tarry 103
4 Copper Force Justin Snaith 106
20 Dutch Philip Candice Bass-Robinson 114
7 Hard To play Wendy Whitehead 94
16 Lloyd's Legacy (AUS) Louis Goosen 102
15 London Call Mark Dixon 113
12 Pinnacle Peak Dorrie Sham 115
2 Rocky Valley Candice Dawson 107
9 Sniper Shot Paul Lafferty 106
5 Speedpoint Joey Ramsden 106
3 Sunset Eyes Brett Crawford 103
14 Trip To Heaven Sean Tarry 110
19 Vision To Kill Paul Gadsby 109
(20)

PREMIERS CHAMPION STAKES (Grade 1)
13 Barahin Mike de Kock 0
9 Basilius Tobie Spies 0
22 Bold Eagle Chesney van Zyl 0
24 Checkpoint Charlie Robbie Hill 0
21 Cirillo Sean Tarry 0
23 Clifton Crusher Dean Kannemeyer 0
4 Confessional Gavin van Zyl 0
6 Crown Guardian Glen Kotzen 0
3 Cyber Special Tobie Spies 0
14 Euphoric Dennis Drier 0
28 Gift For The Gap Tyrone Zackey 0
27 Green Haze Alec Laird 0
30 Holy Land Dennis Drier 0
15 Inauguration Alyson Wright 0
25 Louis The Seventh Tyrone Zackey 0
17 Marchingontogether Gavin van Zyl 0
7 Master Thief Garth Puller 0
19 Merlin From Berlin Ivan Van Wyk 0
5 Mr Bombastic Gavin van Zyl 0
11 Ovation Award Gareth van Zyl 0
12 Perpetual Flame Nathan Kotzen 0
18 Play Another Tune Gavin van Zyl 0
26 Podcast Gavin van Zyl 0
1 Soqrat (AUS) Mike de Kock 0
20 Stream Ahead Gavin van Zyl 0
16 Sulka J A Janse van Vuuren 0
8 The Irishman Paul Peter 0
10 Twist Of Fate Joey Ramsden 0
29 Victor Forth Joe Soma 0
2 Whitehaven M G Azzie/A A Azzie 0
(30)

Where’s Oh Susanna? Thought she would be in the Champions?

A Grade 1 Sprint dictated by the “luck” of a draw.. no thanks

oscar wrote: A Grade 1 Sprint dictated by the “luck” of a draw.. no thanks

I think its a massive issue that the only open G1 wfa 1200m race is run at a course with well known track bias, to the point of connections wondering if there is a point in running, even with a top horse.

This Race often determines the season champion sprinter . There are at least 6 horses, that if they win, could arguably be crowned champion so lets hope its not the draw that beats them

Barahin will get better every run .. :woohoo:

eLAN GOLD CUP ENTRIES

A fantastic entry of 28 powerful stayers, including the first six horses past the post in the R500 000, Grade 3 DStv Gold Vase that was one of the highlights of last Saturday’s Vodacom Durban July meeting, have been entered for South Africa’s most famous thoroughbred marathon event, the R1.25-million, Grade 3 eLAN Gold Cup, to be run over 3 200m at Greyville on Saturday, July 28.

Together with the R1-million, Grade 1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup, the R1-million Grade 1 Mercury Sprint and the two Grade 1 races for juveniles over 1 600m, the Premiers Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes that each offer a purse of R750 000, the eLAN Gold Cup will form the core of the Festival of Racing that brings the curtain down on Champions Season 2018.

Having been rejected as a contender for the Vodacom Durban July, the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn ran out a comfortable winner of the DStv Gold Vase to follow up on an equally easy win in the Track & Ball Derby at Scottsville two weeks previously. He is now aiming to complete the staying treble and if successful, possible the title of Champion Stayer of the country.

The result of the DStv Gold Vase saw just 1.6 lengths covering the first five horses across the line with the Alyson Wright-trained three-year-old Go Deputy filly Flichity By Farr at 16-1 surprising many punters when running an outstanding race to fill second place to It’s My Turn by 1.25 lengths. Behind her came Alec Laird’s Ideal World gelding Sheet Weaver at 30-1, One Direction from the Justin Snaith stable at 14-1 and Kannemeyer’s lesser fancied runner One Man Show at 28-1.

All five have been nominated to face each other again in the eLAN Gold Cup where they could well meet the star stayer Hermoso Mundo that won the race last year and a host of other top stayers that together will make the famous marathon event one of the most competitive in many decades.

They include Lonsdale Stirrup Cup winner Made To Conquer that finished second to Do It Again in the Vodacom Durban July and runner-up in the Lonsdale, Strathdon. Let It Rain won the Gold Bowl at Turffontein and Frikkie was second to Plano in the 3 600m PE Gold Cup at Fairview and both are entered for the Greyville 3 200m event.

Just Cruised In won the Caradoc Gold Cup ahead of Kitty’s Destiny before running second to Let It Rain in the Gold Bowl where he again just finished ahead of Kitty’s Destiny. The three are among the entries for the eLAN Gold Cup along with Track & Ball Oaks winner Witchcraft.

The eLAN Gold Cup meeting is expected to attract another huge crowd with the festive atmosphere and competitive racing throughout the day encouraging strong punter support resulting in massive betting pools, particularly for the popular exotic bets. Journalist: Richard McMillan.

If the false rail was set correctly for the Mercury Sprint it would nullify to an extent the wide draws...... but like July day a 2m false rail generally benefitted the horses with low draws....

Few mistakes in the press release but I’ll post it

WORLD SPORTS BETTING CHAMPIONS CUP ENTRIES

The Vodacom Durban July winner Do It Again will not be doing it again in the R1-million, Grade 1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup at Greyville in Durban on July 28 but the big race winning trainer Justin Snaith will be looking to complete the coveted Grade 1 double with Elusive Silver and African Night Sky, third and fifth respectively in Africa’s greatest race last Saturday.

Do It Again gave jockey Anton Marcus his fifth win in the premier event, denying jockey Jeff Lloyd the July victory he desperately sought after so many unsuccessful attempts and which brought him back to South African from his adopted home in Australia for a final try before retiring from the saddled at the end of the season.

But the non-appearance of Do It Again will not detract from the status of the famous weight-for-age race that on the quality of the 21 entries, has all the making of being another thriller with last year’s winner Sail South, runner-up Captain America as well as the Rising Sun Gold Challenge winner Undercover Agent, all from the Brett Crawford stable, out to give the popular Cape trainer the race double.
Sail South and Captain America finished third and fourth behind Undercover Agent in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and, just as Snaith runners completed the trifecta in the Vodacom Durban July, the Crawford trio on form could replicate the achievement in this tough 1 800m clash.

However, the Crawford runners will not have it all their own way and apart from the Snaith pair of top-class performers, they could have to deal with Dean Kannemeyer’s five-year-old Dynasty gelding It’s My Turn that has regained his talent and enthusiasm and has run off two very good wins in the Track & Ball Derby and the DStv Gold Vase. He has also been nominated for the eLAN Gold Cup and one would have to wait for final acceptances to see which race he will contest.

But, also among the entries for this race is the three-year-old Captain Al colt Pack Leader that is highly rated by the Glen Kotzen stable. He finished fourth in the Betting World 2200 last Saturday and could do better here.

Johan Janse van Vuuren has entered his Captain Al colt Crowd Pleaser that missed a July run but finished second in the Betting World 2200 after being runner-up in the Cup Trial before that and Mike de Kock has nominated his Irish-bred filly Cascapedia that won the London News at Turffontein at the beginning of the year.

This race is likely to strip down to a high-quality competitive field which could also include the Winter Guineas and Winter Classic winner Rocket Countdown, Gerald Rosenberg winner Sabina’s Dynasty, Investec Cape Derby winner Eyes Wide Open and Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes winner Perovskia.

What a cracking race this is likely to be. Journalist: Richard McMillan.

Additional entries have been received for two of the major feature events on the card for the Gold Circle Festival Of Racing at Greyville Racecourse in Durban at the end of the month that will bring the South African Champions Season to a close.

The Festival, on Saturday, July 28, features South Africa’s premier and most famous marathon event, the R1.25-million eLAN Gold Cup and four Grade 1 events that will play major roles in the selection of the country’s award-winning horses and personalities at the annual racing awards ceremony in August.

In addition to the 3 200m marathon event, the meeting will see the country’s top horses fight it out over 1 800m in the R1-million, Grade 1 World Sports Betting Champions Cup as well as in South Africa’s most prestigious weight-for-age sprint race, the R1-million, Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1 200m. There will also be the final challenges of the season for the exciting juveniles that will compete in the Premiers Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes, both over 1 600m at Grade 1 level and each carrying a stake of R750 000.

For the Mercury Sprint, the Mike and Adam Azzie stable has nominated their six-year-old Imperial Stride gelding Will Pays as a supplementary entry. The gelding has recorded 11 wins and 12 places from his 34 starts and comes off a win in a pinnacle stakes race in June after having previously won the Hawaii Stakes and finished third in the Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes.

The other supplementary entry for the meeting was from the stable of Mike de Kock with the nomination of the Australian-bred two-year-old Alyaasaat for the Premiers Champion Stakes. The Dawn Approach colt has raced twice finishing fourth on debut over 1 160m and then last time out winning by nearly five lengths from Limberado over 1 400m at Turffontein.

The Festival Of Racing is the annual meeting when Gold Circle also gives back to the community in its support of charity organizations while for the loyal support of punters attending the meeting, a R30 betting voucher gift for every R80 entrance ticket that is purchased. The eLAN property group that sponsors the R1.25-million Gold Cup is providing a R1-million plot of land at the Blythedale Coastal Estate as a prize for a competition related to the meeting on Saturday, July 28.

The “Gold Cup” has for many decades been the ultimate challenge for stayers in the country and traditionally one of the most popular race meetings staged in the country.

Final acceptance for the meeting will close at 11am on Thursday, July 19. Journalist: Richard McMillan.