The Championships season kicked off with a bang at Turffontein Racecourse this Saturday, 4 February, as 4Racing hosted the first race day of the season, Gauteng Guineas Day.
The highly-anticipated race day lived up to expectations, with a number of close races that had punters and racegoers on their feet throughout the day of exhilarating races. Guineas Day was the first of a series of five big race days set to take place as part of The Championships inaugural season over the next three months.
“What an amazing way to kick off the highly anticipated Gauteng Summer Season and The Championships. This competitive, exciting start to The Championships gives a good sense of the thrilling racing punters can expect over the next three months. The day met our expectations and I would like to again thank World Sports Betting for their sponsorship of the Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift for their sponsorship of the Triple Tiara. Congratulations to all the winning connections on the day and a special word of congratulations to veteran Piere Strydom for his Gauteng Fillies Guineas win on Lady of Power and Rachel Venniker for her first Group 2 win in the World Sports Betting Guineas on Eye Of the Prophet,” said Fundi Sithebe, CEO of 4Racing.
Day 1 of The Championships Season produced some spectacular finishes in the two main feature races. The Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas Grade 2 race, the first leg of the Triple Tiara, was sensationally won by Joey Soma’s Lady of Power and ridden beautifully home by veteran champion jockey Piere Strydom, who clinched a thriller in this highly anticipated race.
Race 7, which was the second feature race, the Grade 2 World Sports Betting Gauteng Guineas – the first leg of the Triple Crown – was won in incredible fashion by apprentice jockey, Rachel Venniker, riding outsider Eye of the Prophet for trainer Paul Matchett to hold off S’manga Khumalo at the post on Royal Victory, to give the Durban-based jockey her first Grade 2 win.
Venniker sealed a memorable double on the day when she also won the last race of the day, riding Gimmealight for trainer Paul Matchett.
Here’s a full list of the winners for the exhilarating races:
Race 1: ILHA BELA MAIDEN PLATE (F & M)
Horse: Winter Mouse
Jockey: S’manga Khumalo
Race 2: WSB SPINA WINA MAIDEN PLATE
Horse: Back in Business
Jockey: S’manga Khumalo
Race 3:NIGHTINGALE PINNACLE STAKES
Horse: Shangani
Jockey: Keagan De Melo
Race 4:ATHINA MR 80 HANDICAP
Horse: Good Queen Beds
Jockey: Richard Fourie
Race 5:WORLD SPORTS BETTING TOMMY HOTSPUR STAKES (GRADE 3)
Horse: Rollwiththepunches
Jockey: D Schwartz
Race 6:WILGERBOSDRIFT GAUTENG FILLIES GUINEAS (GRADE 2) (3YO FILLIES)
Horse: Lady of Power
Jockey: Piere Strydom
Race 7:WORLD SPORTS BETTING GAUTENG GUINEAS (GRADE 2) (3 YEAR-OLDS)
Horse: Eye of the Prophet
Jockey: Rachael Venniker
Race 8: VELVET GREEN FM 96 DIVIDED HANDICAP (F & M)
Horse: Sister Light
Jockey: Kabelo Mutsunyane
Race 9:WSB SUPPORTERS OF SOUTH AFRICAN RACING FM 79 DIVIDED HANDICAP (F & M)
Horse: Gimmealight
Jockey: Rachel Venniker
The next race day for The Championships Season will be Classic Day on 4 March, which will also take place at the Turffontein racecourse.
Upcoming races in The Championships series are as follows:
Day 2: Classic Day, 4 March:
• World Sports Betting SA Classic (Grade 1) (Second leg of the Triple Crown)
• Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1) (Second leg of the Triple Tiara)
Day 3: Derby Day, 1 April:
• World Sports Betting SA Derby (Grade 1) (Third leg of the Triple Crown)
• Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks (Grade 2) (Third leg of the Triple Tiara)
• H F Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1)
Day 4: Ladies Day, 15 April:
• HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes (Grade 1)
Day 5: Championships Finale, Champions Day, 29 April:
• Premier’s Champions Challenge (Grade 1)
• Computaform Sprint (Grade 1)
• SA Nursery (Grade 2)
• SA Filles Nursey (Grade 2)
• Gerald Rosenberg Stakes (Grade 2)
• Camellia Stakes (Grade 2)
• Gold Bowl (Grade 3)
Entrance to the Turffontein Racecourse is free throughout The Championships season.
Piere Strydom – WINNER OF THE WILGERBOSDRIFT GAUTENG FILLIES GUINEAS (GRADE 2) (3YO FILLIES)
Rachel Venniker – WINNER OF THE WORLD SPORTS BETTING GAUTENG GUINEAS (GRADE 2) (3 YEAR-OLDS)