Quid Pro Quo heads up Guineas entries

 

Johannesburg, 21 January 2025 -

A strong entry of 28 runners have been nominated to run in the R1-million TAB Gauteng Guineas over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 1 February.

The race constitutes the first leg of the SA Triple Crown, the other two being the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m on 1 March and the Grade 1 SA Derby over 2450m on 29 March.

Also run on the day is the R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas over the same course and distance, and that has received an entry of 18.

That race is the opening leg of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara for fillies, the other two being the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m. There is an overlap as some fillies have also been entered to take on the colts so they have double entries and topping the list is Grade 2 Dingaans winning filly Quid Pro Quo.

The daughter of Lance will be having her last race in South Africa after having been purchased by Team Valor and will soon be jetting off for an international career. Right now, she is still in the care of trainer Barend Botes.    

Interestingly, the Guineas might be their option as she drew No 6 in that race but No 14 in the fillies’ event.

Of the colts, Mike de Kock-trained Greaterix is among the entries as if Alec Laird’s charge Fire Attack and Sean Tarry-trained Cosmic Speed.

While the connections of Fire Attack will be delighted with his No 1 draw, there will be groans in the Greaterix and Cosmic Speed camps as they have drawn No 15 and No 25 respectively.

Kommetjie Storm, a full sister of Kommetdieding, has also been entered in both races and Tony Peter’s charge has landed No 14 in the Guineas but No 2 in the Fillies Guineas.

There is a supplementary entry stage on Friday 24 January with declaration by 11am on Tuesday 28 January.

TAB GAUTENG GUINEAS (Grade 2) (1st Leg SA Triple Crown) R1-million over 1600m.

22 ARISTOTLE (A G Laird) 60.0
11 BACCHUS (F P Habib) 60.0
27 CATS PAJAMAS (F Robinson) 60.0
26 CHESTNUT BOMBER (J J van Vuuren) 60.0
13 CHOISAANADA (E Verdonese) 60.0
2 CONFEDERATE (F P Habib) 60.0
25 COSMIC SPEED (S G Tarry) 60.0
17 COUNT INVICTO (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
10 CYMRIC (J J van Vuuren) 60.0
18 DANTONFROMSANDTON (S G Tarry) 60.0
5 DIWALI ROCKET (L Karriem) 60.0
21 DON'T CRY FOR ME (S G Tarry) 60.0
1 FIRE ATTACK (A G Laird) 60.0
15 GREATERIX (M F De Kock) 60.0
9 GREY JET (W C Marwing) 60.0
7 LEGEND OF ARTHUR (S G Tarry) 60.0
12 MUSICAL SCORE (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
3 PARISIAN WALKWAY (A G Laird) 60.0
4 THE CANE TRAIN (R Klaasen) 60.0
24 THE SPECIALIST (S G Tarry) 60.0
8 WAHEED (M F De Kock) 60.0
16 WILD AT WAR (C Dawson) 60.0
19 BAKWENA (J J van Vuuren) 57.5
23 FROZEN FANTASY (R Klaasen) 57.5
14 KOMMETJIE STORM (A P Peter) 57.5
6 QUID PRO QUO (B D Botes) 57.5
28 SALENIO PENINSULA (J J van Vuuren) 57.5
20 VJ'S ANGEL (A P Peter) 57.5

WILGERBOSDRIFT GAUTENG FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2) (1st Leg Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara) R750,000 over 1600m

10 BAKWENA (J J van Vuuren) 60.0
13 COCOMELON (S G Tarry) 60.0
12 FIERY PEGASUS (J A Soma) 60.0
11 FROZEN FANTASY (R Klaasen) 60.0
2 KOMMETJIE STORM (A P Peter) 60.0
18 MISS LIA (P F Matchett) 60.0
6 OLIVIA'S WAY (R R Magner) 60.0
9 POBLANO (R R Sage) 60.0
14 QUID PRO QUO (B D Botes) 60.0
7 SALENIO PENINSULA (J J van Vuuren) 60.0
8 SONIC JET (C J Lensley) 60.0
3 SPUMANTE DOLCE (M F De Kock) 60.0
4 TOO LATE MY MATE (A G Laird) 60.0
16 VJ'S ANGEL (A P Peter) 60.0
1 VULCANITE (P F Matchett) 60.0
5 WARNING SOUND (S G Tarry) 60.0
17 WILLY MEET AGAIN (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
15 WORLD OF ALICE (S G Tarry) 60.0

Will be interesting to see where Botes elects to run Quid Pro Quo.

The colts race looks competitive so he might dodge that and go for the shoe-in in the Fillies race although one or two are suggesting Spumante Dolce could be anything? 

If one stripe is on his way overseas shortly, then surely quid pro quo is not far behind 

Craig Pienaar wrote:

If one stripe is on his way overseas shortly, then surely quid pro quo is not far behind 


The daughter of Lance will be having her last race in South Africa after having been purchased by Team Valor and will soon be jetting off for an international career. Right now, she is still in the care of trainer Barend Botes.    
 

Does anyone have any idea of what figure was involved? People in the horse racing industry cannot hold their own water so someone must know 😉

Botes has opted for the Fillies Guineas . Everyone else running for 2nd I would imagine. 

Colts race looks very competitive. De Kock has doubts about Greaterix MR when beating Guy Gibson over a mile so on paper Fire Attack looks the right one .I still believe Greaterix is the real deal and the fact that Matsanyane was jocked off confirms MDK was far from happy with Dingaans ride. 

GUINEAS DAY FINAL FIELDS

Quid Pro Quo to face fillies, Greaterix, Fire Attack to clash in Gauteng Guineas

Johannesburg, 29 January 2025 - The first leg of the SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara will be run at Turffontein on Saturday, 1 February with the staging of the R1-million Gauteng Guineas and the R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, both Grade 2 races over 1600m on the Standside track.

A number of fillies were nominated to contest both races but interestingly all those who are running were declared for the Wilgerbosdift Fillies Guineas.

Of course, that includes star filly Quid Pro Quo, who will be bidding farewell to South African racing fans as she prepares to continue her career overseas.

She was purchased by a syndicate for an undisclosed figure following her sensational victory in the Grade 2 Dingaans where she gave some of the best three-year-colts in the country an absolute hiding. What added to the quality of that win is that it was her first race in four months.

Barend Botes, who deserves all the accolades for her successes, is still taking care of her ahead of her departure and she will, once again, be ridden by Piere Strydom.
There are 14 runners carded to race in the Fillies Guineas and she will jump from draw No 11, not the greatest place to be over this course and distance.

But she appears to be a very easy filly to ride and based on her victories so far, she should be too good for her rivals at level weights.

Ironically, she is not the highest rated runner; that position goes to Tony Peter-trained VJ’s Angel but while she has Gavin Lerena in the irons, she is drawn even wider out at No 13 and was beaten three lengths by Quid Pro Quo in a Grade 2 event at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

World Of Alice and Fiery Pegasus, first and second in the Grade 3 Fillies Mile, represent Sean Tarry and Joe Soma respectively, but both did not perform as well as expected in their races after that and will need to regain their top form to feature.

As expected, Fire Attack and Greaterix will renew rivalry in the Guineas, with the score currently at 1-1. Greaterix, running for the first time under the official banner of the father and son team of Mike and Mathew de Kock, was strong favourite to win the Dingaans but was too quick in the early stages and was run out of it by both Quid Pro Quo and Fire Attack.

Last time, over 1400m in the Grade 3 Betway Got The Greenlight Stakes, Muzi Yeni was able to settle Greaterix a little better and got clear early in the straight, winning more comfortably than the 0.75-length may suggest from a fast-finishing Fire Attack.

The battle between the pair should be interesting but they can expect a challenge from the Sean Tarry pairing of Legend Of Arthur and Dantonfromsandton with Strydom and Ryan Munger the respective riders.

The second leg of the Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara, the Grade 1 SA Classic and Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m, will be run on 1 March with the third leg on Champions Day, 28 March, with the running of the Grade 1 SA Derby and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks, both over 2450m.

Final field for the R1-million Gauteng Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m
1 - 1 FIRE ATTACK (A G Laird) G Lerena 60.0 - 111
2 - 4 LEGEND OF ARTHUR (S G Tarry) P Strydom 60.0 - 111
3 - 9 GREATERIX (M/M de Kock) M Yeni 60.0 - 109
4 - 13 CHESTNUT BOMBER (J J van Vuuren) C Maujean 60.0 - 106
5 - 11 DANTONFROMSANDTON (S G Tarry) R Munger 60.0 - 106
6 - 5 WAHEED (M/M de Kock) R A Venniker 60.0 - 105
7 - 10 WILD AT WAR (C Dawson) P Mxoli 60.0 - 102
8 - 6 BACCHUS (F P Habib) D Schwarz 60.0 - 101
9 - 2 PARISIAN WALKWAY (A G Laird) D De Gouveia 60.0 - 101
10 - 7 MUSICAL SCORE (M N Houdalakis) C Zackey 60.0 - 100
11 - 8 CHOISAANADA (E Verdonese) R Danielson 60.0 - 98
12 - 12 ARISTOTLE (A G Laird) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 94
13 - 3 DIWALI ROCKET (M Pandaram) K A Brewer 60.0 - 91
Same Trainer: (1,9,12) (2,5) (3,6)

Final field for the R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas (Grade 2) over 1600m
1 - 13 VJ'S ANGEL (A P Peter) G Lerena 60.0 - 119
2 - 11 QUID PRO QUO (B D Botes) P Strydom 60.0 - 115
3 - 5 OLIVIA'S WAY (R R Magner) D De Gouveia 60.0 - 110
4 - 12 WORLD OF ALICE (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 108
5 - 10 FIERY PEGASUS (J A Soma) M Yeni 60.0 - 107
6 - 1 VULCANITE (P F Matchett) R Munger 60.0 - 104
7 - 2 KOMMETJIE STORM (A P Peter) R A Venniker 60.0 - 96
8 - 9 BAKWENA (J J van Vuuren) ............... 60.0 - 95
9 - 14 MISS LIA (P F Matchett) P Mxoli 60.0 - 95
10 - 6 SALENIO PENINSULA (J J van Vuuren) C Maujean 60.0 - 95
11 - 8 POBLANO (R R Sage) D Schwarz 60.0 - 93
12 - 7 SONIC JET (C J Lensley) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 91
13 - 3 SPUMANTE DOLCE (M/M de Kock) R Danielson 60.0 - 89
14 - 4 TOO LATE MY MATE (A G Laird) K A Brewer 60.0 - 83
Same Trainer: (1,7) (6,9) (8,10)

In the Gauteng Guineas, the value must lie with Fire Attack (WSB-4/1) to reverse the placings with Greaterix, better draw, 2.0kg pull at the weights and should appreciate the extra 200m.

You could be right. But if you watch that race. Greaterix puts the field to bed very easily and from a long way out. The jockey was they just keeping him at his work which is why I feel fire attack got nearer. 

in the dingaans I don’t think the right tactic was used. However this game is funny. On paper and form Fire attack should win. But I’m with MDK