THE CHAMPIONSHIP season kicked off with a bang at Turffontein Racecourse on 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.
Entrance to the Turffontein Racecourse is free throughout The Championships season.
