Justin Snaith lines up a strong team for Turffontein

2026-03-17 - 13:50

What defines most champions is their enthusiasm for the cause – and racing’s pre-eminent trainer Justin Snaith is a good example. The maestro’s first go at the Highveld Championships season didn’t quite work out as planned, but he hasn’t given up and slunk back to the comfort of Cape Town. Not a bit of it. He has nominated a powerful team of three horses for Champions Day at Turffontein on 4 April. Cape Town Met champion See It Again spearheads the Snaith challenge in the Grade 1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m – hoping to go one better than his runner-up finish in the recent Horse Chestnut Stakes at the Joburg track, when he ran on stoutly after finding himself out of his ground from a wide draw. Stable back-up comes in the form of Okavango, who was fourth in the 2026 Met and popped up unexpectedly to win the King’s Cup at Scottsville at the weekend – in what Snaith admitted was a prep race for his Joburg jaunt. The trainer describes this fellow as “a real fighter” with the gumption to do well at Turffontein. The travelling companion for these two combatants is none other than Double Grand Slam, arguably the best female galloper in South Africa, who will start as a hot favourite for the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes on the Champs Day card. Already a triple Grade 1 winner, Gary Player-owned Double Grand Slam really has little left to prove – other than to travel north to demonstrate her trainer’s Viking raider instincts. Other out-of-towners contemplating trying their luck in the City of Gold include Candice Bass and Greg Ennion from Cape Town, Dean Smith and Alan Greeff from Gqberha and a handful of conditioners from KwaZulu-Natal. Champions Day declarations are due on Wednesday 25 March after which fields will be finalised and Grade 1 race draws made at a special event still to be announced. ENTRIES [name, (age&sex), weight, MR, equip., trainer; draws for Grade 1 races still to be made]: WORLD POOL PREMIER’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1) 2000m, R2m, WFA See It Again (6G) 60 130 A Justin Snaith Atticus Finch (6G) 60 127 BAT Alec Laird Fire Attack (4C) 60 124 A Alec Laird Royal Victory (6G) 60 124 BA Weichong Marwing Okavango (4G) 60 123 A Justin Snaith The Equator (IRE) (5H) 60 117 BAT Tony Peter The Ultimate King (4G) 60 117 A Tony Peter Madison Valley (5G) 60 116 BA Nathan Kotzen Jimmy Don (6G) 60 114 AT Joe Soma Olivia’s Way (4F) 57.5 114 CA Roy Magner Grand Empire (3G) 56.5 120 AT Sean Tarry Trust (3C) 56.5 119 A Candice / Tammy Dawson Copper Eagle (3G) 56.5 100 A Robyn Klaasen TAB EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (Grade 1) 1600m, R1m, F&M WFA Double Grand Slam (5M) 60 122 A Justin Snaith Almond Sea (4F) 60 119 A Tony Peter Rainbow Lorikeet (5M) 60 115 A Candice Bass Callmegetrix (5M) 60 113 BAT Sean Tarry Rodeo Drive (4F) 60 113 A Sean Tarry Minogue (5M) 60 112 A Candice / Tammy Dawson Kisshoten (5M) 60 107 A Tony Peter Famous Lady (4F) 60 103 HAT David Nieuwenhuizen Past Is Prologue (4F) 60 81 A Gareth van Zyl Golden Palm (3F) 57.5 115 A Alan Greeff Scarlett Heart (3F) 57.5 108 BA Fanie Bronkhorst TAB COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1), 1000m, R1m, WFA Buffalo Storm Cody (4G) 60 132 A Tony Peter Kingdundee (4G) 60 127 AT Dean Smith William Robertson (7G) 60 124 JA Corne Spies Truth (4G) 60 120 A Candice / Tammy Dawson Taxi To The Moon (4G) 60 119 A Tony Peter Ziyasha (5G) 60 117 T Clinton Binda Future Variety (5G) 60 116 A Candice Bass Luhamba Phambili (4G) 60 112 A Gareth van Zyl Quantum Theory (6G) 60 112 CAT Sean Tarry Arctic Wizard (4G) 60 110 BA Greg Ennion Mover And Shaker (6G) 60 109 A Fabian Habib Chocolate Soldier (4G) 60 108 JA e Corne Spies Winds Of Change (4G) 60 102 A Mike Azzie Constellation (3C) 58 114 AT Mike / Mathew de Kock Chapbook (3C) 58 106 B T Clinton Binda Almond Sea (4F) 57.5 119 A Tony Peter Mia Moo (5M) 57.5 119 A Sean Tarry Whistle The Tune (4F) 57.5 116 CA Candice / Tammy Dawson Rodeo Drive (4F) 57.5 113 A Sean Tarry Green Diamond (3F) 55.5 111 AT Sean Tarry WILGERBOSDRIFT BRIDGET OPPENHEIMER SA OAKS (Grade 2) 2450m, R750,000, 3YO fillies – 3rd leg Triple Tiara 13 Hazy Dazy (3F) 60 117 HA Corne Spies 7 Golden Palm (3F) 60 115 A Alan Greeff 4 Charge It (3F) 60 113 A Alyson Wright 3 Daisy Jones (3F) 60 108 AT Mike Azzie 5 Littlemissmillion (3F) 60 107 A Tyrone Zackey 2 Drumnadrochit (3F) 60 105 BA Mike / Mathew de Kock 6 Curious Girl (3F) 60 92 A Mike / Mathew de Kock 14 Ethical (3F) 60 85 A Candice / Tammy Dawson 11 Amazon Queen (3F) 60 81 BA Mano Pandaram 12 Alta Capitana (3F) 60 80 BA Sean Tarry 8 Top Shelf Teddy (3F) 60 80 HAT Sean Tarry 10 Shadowline (3F) 60 78 A Stuart Pettigrew 9 Stampede Ahead (3F) 60 76 AT Adam Azzie 1 Clouds Clearing (3F) 60 74 HAT W O Marwing/W H Marwing TAB SA DERBY (Grade 2), 2450m, R1.25m, 3YO 0 $Ethical (3F) 0 85 A Candice / Tammy Dawson 13 Radio Star (3G) 60 107 A Mike Azzie 9 Tommy Shelby (3C) 60 101 Ha Fabian Habib 15 Copper Eagle (3G) 60 100 A Robyn Klaasen 14 Salani Kahle (3C) 60 97 A Gareth van Zyl 5 Texas Missile (3C) 60 94 A Alec Laird 6 Titans Of War (3G) 60 91 A Roy Magner 4 Bellerophon (3G) 60 89 A Fabian Habib 16 Master Spy (3G) 60 88 A Sean Tarry 2 Sword Speed (3G) 60 87 A Alyson Wright 10 Diogenes (3G) 60 86 A Weichong Marwing 7 Culturati (3G) 60 85 A Grant Maroun 8 World Of Royalty (3G) 60 78 A Weichong Marwing 11 Reign On Impact (3G) 60 74 A Frikkie Greyling 12 Charge It (3F) 57.5 113 A Alyson Wright 1 Drumnadrochit (3F) 57.5 105 BA Mike / Mathew de Kock 3 Curious Girl (3F) 57.5 92 A Mike / Mathew de Kock