Another pleasing announcement was that 17 runners will start the race. Silver Mountain, a diminutive daughter of Silvano, looks to have it all including a relaxed temperament and an electric turn of foot. She will attempt to become the first filly to win this race since the David Payne-trained Little Ballerina did it in 1993.
She will also attempt to become only the second filly in history to have won both the Gr 1 Cape Fillies Guineas (sponsored these days by World Sports Betting) and the Cape Guineas, a feat achieved by the great Geoff Woodruff-trained Star Effort in 1991.
Other fillies to have won the Cape Guineas are the great Tony Millard-trained “the galloping goldmine”, Empress Club (1992) as well as Renounce (1965) and Response (1957).
Silver Mountain, who won the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas by five lengths, landed a perfect draw of 2 for the race last week, so was widely expected to take her place. Her regular rider Aldo Domeyer remains aboard.
She faces a classy field of colts and gelding. The line up includes a number of out of province contenders. Heading this list is the Mike de Kock-trained Investec Dingaans winner Noah From Goa and also the impressive winner of the R2,5 million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes, the Gavin van
Zyl-trained Budapest.
Other out of province runners include the Mike Azzie-trained Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes winner Rabada and the narrow runner up from that race, the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Brazuca, while the Sean Tarry-trained Liege is highly regarded and is better than his tenth place finish in the Lanzerac.
The local challenge is headed by the Joey Ramsden-trained Selangor Cup winner Hard Day’s Night and the Greg Ennion-trained Magnum Cape Classic winner Eighth Wonder. The close up horses in the Selangor, the Vaughan Marshall-trained Victorious Jay, the Brett Crawford-trained Nassa and the Glen Puller-trained pair Illuminator and Purple Mountains will also have their supporters.
The Snaith trio Baritone, Ready To Attack and Star Chestnut look to have plenty of class and stable jockey Brenard Fayd’Herbe is aboard the former from pole position. However, Silver Mountain is the stand out and looks sure to start a hot favourite.
The Grand Parade Cape Guineas meeting has become known not only as the first and arguably most prestigious Grade 1 classic test for colts and gelding of the South African racing season, but also for its family fun day atmosphere and its spirit of giving.
This year the theme will be “Grand Paradiso”, which lends itself to mystery, magic and surprise acts you don’t want to miss and as usual there will be entertainment aplenty for all ranges of ages and tastes.
For those wishing to relax within an immaculately elegant setting, the Grand West Paradiso Lounge boasts mystical décor, live entertainment and a comfortable lounge area with a front row view of the races for a bargain R50 per person.
The Cape Guineas happens at the height of the world class Cape Summer Of Champions Season and is regarded by many as the most prestigious classic race in the country. The winners’ list reads like a “who’s who” of the equine greats of the South African turf and it also has a reputation as a sire-producing race.
The horse who is popularly regarded as the country’s greatest ever, Horse Chestnut, won it in 1999 and the season before that it was won by Jet Master, who went on to become the country’s most successful ever sire. Two immortals, In Full Flight and Sentinel, dead-heated for first in 1972.
Other famous names which echo through the portals of Cape Guineas history are Colorado King (1963), the filly Renounce (1965), Hawaii (1968), Jamaican Music (1974), Gatecrasher (1975), Politician (1977), Bold Tropic (1979), the fillies Star Effort and Empress Club (1991 and 1992 respectively), the current National Champion Sire Captain Al (2000), Rabiya (2005), the country’s highest ever stakes earner, Jay Peg (2007) and Variety Club (2011).
Source: African News Agency (ANA)
