Jack Milner
Champion trainer Justin Snaith has nominated a talented trio for his raiding party to the Highveld for Champions Day on 4 April with the entries for See It Again, Okavango and Double Grand Slam
Topping the 12-race card is the R2-million World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m and the respective first and second in last year’s race – Fire Attack and Royal Victory (who won in 2024) – are among the early entries.
However, Snaith has entered See It Again and Okavango, who finished first and fourth in the WSB Cape Town Met.
See It Again made his comeback in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes on 7 March, finish second, while Okavango made his return with a hard-fought victory over King Pelles in the Listed King’s Cup at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday.
Royal Victory has a good record over 2000m at Turffontein and has now moved from KwaZulu-Natal to Weichong Marwing’s yard on the Highveld
However, while he is delighted to have received the horse, Marwing is concerned that the race could come too soon for the six-year-old Pathfork gelding.
“He started having behaviour issues at the gates in Durban and he arrived with an embargo that he had to be passed through past from the pens again. That’s been done and he is sound and well, but that race might just come a bit too soon,” said Marwing yesterday.
“He’s a nice horse to have in the stable and so far I have had no problems with him, he’s doing everything correctly, but I can’t do much in four weeks.
“But I remain positive and will assess the situation closer to the time, and if I’m happy, we will proceed and go for it.”
Double Grand Slam, arguably the country’s best-performed mare in the country, has been nominated for the Grade 1 TAB Empress Club Stakes over 1600m.
The five-year-old daughter of Vercingetorix has won 10 of her 21 starts, three of them Grade 1s, and comes of a victory in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes over 1600m.
However, Candice Bass has entered a couple of runners for the meeting and one of them is Rainbow Lorikeet for the Empress Club Stakes. She was beaten just 0.30 lengths by Double Grand Slam so that is likely to set up an intriguing rematch.
Alan Greeff’s Grade 1 winning filly, three-year-old Golden Palm, is also entered, along with Gareth van Zyl-trained Past Is Prologue, a lightly raced four-year-old who was an impressive winner at Scottsville on Sunday.
Of course, most eyes will be on the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks over 2450m where Hazy Dazy will be attempting to claim the Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara.
The Corne Spies-trained runner has already won the Grade 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas and the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic and the yard are confident the three-year-old daughter of Act Of War will see out the distance.
The entries include a few fillies who she has beaten in the first two legs in Golden Palm, Charge It and Daisy Jones.
Also among the entries is Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Curious Girl, a runaway winner of the Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday.
Buffalo Storm Cody, the highest rated runner in the country, heads up the field for the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m.
He might have failed in Cape Town but he showed his true ability when retuning to the Highveld last time.
However, it is also worth noting that Dean Smith has entered Cape Flying Championship winner Kingdundee in an attempt to grab a Grade 1 double.
Bass has nominated Future Variety who three runs back contested the Gauteng Merchants and finished fifth behind Buffalo Storm Cody.
Supplementary Entries close : 09:00 Monday 23 March 2026
Declarations by : 11:00 Wednesday 25 March 2026
ENTRIES FOR CHAMPIONS DAY
WORLD POOL PREMIER’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1)(For all horses at Weight for Age) R2,000,000 2000m
WORLD POOL PREMIER’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1)(For all horses at Weight for Age) R2000000 2000m
ATTICUS FINCH (A G Laird) 60.0
FIRE ATTACK (A G Laird) 60.0
JIMMY DON (J A Soma) 60.0
MADISON VALLEY (N Kotzen) 60.0
OKAVANGO (J S Snaith) 60.0
ROYAL VICTORY (W C Marwing) 60.0
SEE IT AGAIN (J S Snaith) 60.0
THE EQUATOR (A P Peter) 60.0
THE ULTIMATE KING (A P Peter) 60.0
OLIVIA’S WAY (R R Magner) 57.5
COPPER EAGLE (R Klaasen) 56.5
GRAND EMPIRE (S G Tarry) 56.5
TRUST (C/T Dawson) 56.5
TAB EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (Grade 1)(For Fillies and Mares at Weight-for-Age) R1000000 1600m
ALMOND SEA (A P Peter) 60.0
CALLMEGETRIX (S G Tarry) 60.0
DOUBLE GRAND SLAM (J S Snaith) 60.0
FAMOUS LADY (D Nieuwenhuizen) 60.0
KISSHOTEN (A P Peter) 60.0
MINOGUE (C/T Dawson) 60.0
PAST IS PROLOGUE (G van Zyl (Jnr)) 60.0
RAINBOW LORIKEET (C Bass) 60.0
RODEO DRIVE (S G Tarry) 60.0
GOLDEN PALM (A C Greeff) 57.5
SCARLETT HEART (F Bronkhorst) 57.5
TAB COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1)(For all horses at Weight for Age) R1000000 1000m
ARCTIC WIZARD (G W Ennion) 60.0
BUFFALO STORM CODY (A P Peter) 60.0
CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (C Spies) 60.0
FUTURE VARIETY (C Bass) 60.0
KINGDUNDEE (D G Smith) 60.0
LUHAMBA PHAMBILI (G van Zyl (Jnr)) 60.0
MOVER AND SHAKER (F P Habib) 60.0
QUANTUM THEORY (S G Tarry) 60.0
TAXI TO THE MOON (A P Peter) 60.0
TRUTH (C/T Dawson) 60.0
WILLIAM ROBERTSON (C Spies) 60.0
WINDS OF CHANGE (M G Azzie) 60.0
ZIYASHA (C Binda) 60.0
CHAPBOOK (C Binda) 58.0
CONSTELLATION (M/M de Kock) 58.0
ALMOND SEA (A P Peter) 57.5
MIA MOO (S G Tarry) 57.5
RODEO DRIVE (S G Tarry) 57.5
WHISTLE THE TUNE (C/T Dawson) 57.5
GREEN DIAMOND (S G Tarry) 55.5
TAB SA DERBY (Grade 2)(3 year olds (3rd Leg SA Triple Crown)) R1250000 2450m
4 BELLEROPHON (F P Habib) 60.0
15 COPPER EAGLE (R Klaasen) 60.0
7 CULTURATI (G J Maroun) 60.0
10 DIOGENES (W C Marwing) 60.0
16 MASTER SPY (S G Tarry) 60.0
13 RADIO STAR (M G Azzie) 60.0
11 REIGN ON IMPACT (F Greyling) 60.0
14 SALANI KAHLE (G van Zyl (Jnr)) 60.0
2 SWORD SPEED (A Wright) 60.0
5 TEXAS MISSILE (A G Laird) 60.0
6 TITANS OF WAR (R R Magner) 60.0
9 TOMMY SHELBY (F P Habib) 60.0
8 WORLD OF ROYALTY (W C Marwing) 60.0
12 CHARGE IT (A Wright) 57.5
3 CURIOUS GIRL (M/M de Kock) 57.5
1 DRUMNADROCHIT (M/M de Kock) 57.5
1 ETHICAL (C/T Dawson) 0.0
WILGERBOSDRIFT BRIDGET OPPENHEIMER SA OAKS (Grade 2)(For 3 year-old Fillies (3rd Leg of SA Triple Tiara)) R750000 2450m
12 ALTA CAPITANA (S G Tarry) 60.0
11 AMAZON QUEEN (M Pandaram) 60.0
4 CHARGE IT (A Wright) 60.0
1 CLOUDS CLEARING (W/W Marwing) 60.0
6 CURIOUS GIRL (M/M de Kock) 60.0
3 DAISY JONES (M G Azzie) 60.0
2 DRUMNADROCHIT (M/M de Kock) 60.0
14 ETHICAL (C/T Dawson) 60.0
7 GOLDEN PALM (A C Greeff) 60.0
13 HAZY DAZY (C Spies) 60.0
5 LITTLEMISSMILLION (T Zackey) 60.0
10 SHADOWLINE (S T Pettigrew) 60.0
9 STAMPEDE AHEAD (A A Azzie) 60.0
8 TOP SHELF TEDDY (S G Tarry) 60.0
TAB HAWAII STAKES (Grade 2)(Open) R500000 1400m
18 COSMIC SPEED (S G Tarry) 60.0
7 MAIN DEFENDER (A P Peter) 59.0
8 ANFIELDS ROCKET (G J Maroun) 58.0
6 BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW (G J Maroun) 58.0
1 CATS PAJAMAS (N Kotzen) 58.0
11 MONEY HEIST (A P Peter) 58.0
15 MUSICAL SCORE (M N Houdalakis) 58.0
12 ROYAL VICTORY (W C Marwing) 58.0
17 TEXAS RED (R Klaasen) 58.0
4 WINDS OF CHANGE (M G Azzie) 58.0
9 JAN VAN GOYEN (M/M de Kock) 57.5
13 ALMOND SEA (A P Peter) 55.5
3 FAMOUS LADY (D Nieuwenhuizen) 55.5
16 GOT THE FEELING (F Bronkhorst) 55.5
2 I’M A FIREBALL (M/M de Kock) 55.5
5 MINOGUE (C/T Dawson) 55.5
14 ONE EYE ON VEGAS (M/M de Kock) 55.5
10 SPEEDMAN (S G Tarry) 55.5
TAB SA NURSERY (Grade 2)(For 2yo R100 000 Win BSA / CRS Bonus) R500000 1160m
12 BETTER NEVER ENDS (S S Ngcobo) 60.0
4 GIMME A VODKA (S G Tarry) 60.0
11 GONE COLD (A G Laird) 60.0
13 KINGS MOUNTAIN (M/M de Kock) 60.0
3 KUDIKARAN (M Pandaram) 60.0
7 NIGHTSHINE (A Ndzilana) 60.0
5 SPIRIT OF GABZ (C Spies) 60.0
1 STATUS SYMBOL (S G Tarry) 60.0
10 THE BRONX BULL (A P Peter) 60.0
8 TURN IT UP (S G Tarry) 60.0
6 GOOD DAY SUNSHINE (M/M de Kock) 57.5
2 RUBY WHISPER (F Bronkhorst) 57.5
9 TWILIGHT (M G Azzie) 57.5
SA FILLIES NURSERY (Grade 2)(For 2yo fillies R100 000 Win BSA / CRS Bonus) R350000 1160m
5 CUSTODIAN (R Klaasen) 60.0
9 ELUSIVE DRAGON (P F Matchett) 60.0
7 FATEFUL LOVE (A C Greeff) 60.0
4 GET UP (S G Tarry) 60.0
3 GOOD DAY SUNSHINE (M/M de Kock) 60.0
8 GRANDE HAWAII (S G Tarry) 60.0
1 GRISELDA (S G Tarry) 60.0
12 KAVADY (M Pandaram) 60.0
2 OCEAN MISTRESS (S G Tarry) 60.0
14 QUEEN LEILA (P F Matchett) 60.0
11 RUBY WHISPER (F Bronkhorst) 60.0
10 SECRETARY BIRD (S G Tarry) 60.0
13 TWILIGHT (M G Azzie) 60.0
6 VOLCANIC HEAT (R Klaasen) 60.0
This article was originally published on TAB and is reposted here with permission.
