Strong claims for Cape Town in Turffontein Classic

CLASSIC Day, the second leg of 4Racing’s ‘The Championships’ 2024 series, will be staged on Saturday, March 2, at Turffontein.

The Championships, a four-legged festival, is a showcase of timeless horse racing excellence, and the biggest summer series on the South African horse racing calendar.

Earlier this month, the first leg, Guineas Day, had a spectacular unfolding at Turffontein with two Grade 2 races. The star on the day was Johannesburg jockey Gavin Lerena, who won a whopping four races.

This time, come March 2, the star of the show could well be from Cape Town, since four horses from the Mother City have strong claims in the feature race, the Grade 1 Horse Chestnut Stakes, to be run over 1600m.

Cape Town trainer Candice Bass-Robinson will send out Sugar Mountain in the 21-horse field. She knows the way to the winners’ enclosure at Turffontein. She won the Horse Chestnut Stakes last year with Trip Of Fortune, in what was a rare win for a Cape Town trainer in that event.

Another Capetonian Justin Snaith, South Africa’s leading racehorse trainer, will have Without Question challenging for honours.

Without Question placed third at the 2024 WSB Cape Town Met at Kenilworth, with South Africa’s sole female jockey, Rachel Venniker, on board.

Snaith will also have Hluhluwe hoping to capture the Horse Chestnut Stakes crown.

Accomplished Cape Town-based trainer Brett Crawford will have Khaya Stables runner At My Command up for the challenge. Crawford has been enjoying a rich vein of form in recent weeks and has made his way to the upper echelons of the national championship log.

The Cape trainer contingent will be completed by Dean Kannemeyer. He has entered the stand-out Cosmic Highway, who will have a hit out at Kenilworth today (Saturday) before leaving for the Highveld.

Fundi Sithebe, 4Racing CEO, said ‘The Championships’ made “a spectacular start” to the four-legged series.

“It has been a spectacular start to ‘The Championships’, paving the way for more exhilarating races ahead,” said Sithebe.

“With the success of the first leg, this year’s ‘The Championships’ promises to surpass the previous one and, one never knows, we could crown a series winner by the end of day 3 on 6 April – a World Pool event.

“The spotlight now turns to day 2 of the four-part season, Classic Day, scheduled for Saturday, 2 March, at the Turffontein racecourse, building excitement for the climax of the season, Champions Day, when 28 countries will bet on Joburg racing on 6 April.”