Publications
Partners
The mighty stables of trainers Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith are ready to tackle Derby Day on Friday.
The derby meeting is one of the biggest of the year in the Eastern Cape. Nine races will take place at the Fairview Turf track.
Greeff and Smith will be happy that their stables are firing on all cylinders going into the big day.
This past Friday at the Polytrack meeting, Greeff won an incredible five of the eight races. Smith won two.
The prestigious East Cape Derby is the main race on Friday. This race, for three-year-old horses, over the challenging distance of 2 400m, will be run for the 63rd time.
The runners will be competing for a total prize money of R350 000.
It is also the third and final leg of the East Cape Sophomore Challenge. All eyes will be on the Greeff-trained Fairy Knight that won the first two legs, the Ibhayi Stakes and the Guineas.
If Fairy Knight wins the derby, his connections will get a bonus of R250 000. The big question is if Fairy Knight has the stamina for 2 400m, a distance he hasn’t tried before. This should make for fascinating racing.
The other big race is the R175 000 Dahlia Plate, a contest for two-year-olds over 1 200m.
Greeff has an excellent record in the big East Cape races this season. Many of his horses will be in the running for awards when the local season comes to an end with the meeting on July 29.
The filly, Splicethemainbrace, recently won the Nursery for two-year-olds. She is unbeaten after four starts.
Earlier in the season Joy and Peace caught the eye, when she won the Oaks for three-year-old fillies.
She is one of three three-year-old fillies that have been performing brilliantly for the Greeff stable this season.
Good luck to the judges who have to decide who will be the East Cape Champion three-year-old filly, because Joy and Peace, Three Rocks and Luna Halo all have claims.
With his five winners at the last meeting, Greeff has taken the lead in the trainers’ title race.
Greeff is now on 105 winners, to the 102 of Smith. Although the five winners were a great training feat by Greeff, it was one of the Smith winners who was the equine star on a very hot afternoon.
The sprinter, Cruise Control, produced another sensational performance when he won a Pinnacle Stakes.
He has now won 11 of his 17 starts, and the Smith stable must be commended for keeping this star producing one eye-catching performance after another.
There was also a birthday star at the meeting, former champion jockey, Gavin Venter, who these days fulfils a huge role at the Tara Laing stable. Venter celebrated his 65th birthday in the Bold Silvano Room.
The Fairview celebrations will resume on Derby Day, and today is the last to book a place for the buffet lunch in the Bold Silvano Room.
To book, send a mail to marilyns@4racing.com.
