Interbet Preview Gauteng Guineas 2026 - Mark van Deventer
Punters looking for quality horses to bet on are shifting focus from the Cape to the Highveld where both the
Fillies and
Colt’s Guineas’ are being run at Turffontein on Saturday.
Golden Palm s/s 97 has a point to prove after duffing it at odds on in the
Cape Fillies Guineas. Her previous sojourn up to Jozi resulted in a romp in the Nursery. She has shortened in ante-post wagering to about 5/2.
Lowveld Lily s/s 98 was a length ahead of
Golden Palm in the
Fillies Guineas. Justin Snaith trucks her up from Cape Town for a Highveld raid. Her tactical versatility is an advantage.
Elegantrix s/s 97 stretches out to a mile after earning her stripes racing handy in sprints. She was reported as making breathing noises when winning last time over six furlongs and getting a career top speed score. She must now try sustaining her effort over further.
Charge It s/s 97 + is the each way spec bet for fixed odds merchants at around 10/1 as she has competitive figures and is proven over the trip.
On a line through her,
Hazy Dazy is a contender, too. However, Charge It finished much the better when they met in November, and was returning from a layoff.
Warm Reception s/s 96 is right in the mix. She can be difficult and over-race, but should she settle comfortably and not get placed under too much pressure racing handy then she could be dangerous under Muzi Yeni.
Valentina Balducci s/s 97 (Gavin Lerena/Robbie Sage),
Pretty Persuasive (Keagan de Melo/JJ van Vuuren) and
Drumnadrochit (Richard Fourie/MM de Kock) are ridden by senior jockeys for razor sharp stables yet have wide draws to overcome. They are priced between 16’s and 20/1 and cannot be left off tickets in an open race.
As tricky as the
Fillies’ version is to just narrow down to a workable short list, never mind find the winner with confidence, the contention in the
Gauteng Guineas can be trimmed down to a few principal players.
The winner will most likely come from a group comprising
Trust s/s 103,
Tin Pan Alley s/s 102,
Grand Empire s/s 96 ++,
One Eye on Vegas s/s 97++ and
Splittheeights s/s 103.
Trust was hugely impressive in defeat behind
Tin Pan Alley in early November when rushing home quickly. He confirmed the merit of that performance when toppling subsequent
Cape Guineas victor
Jan van Goyen in the
Dingaans.
However, he was put in his place by the MM de Kock trained,
Splittheeights in January, beaten by 2.5 lengths at odds on with even de Kock’s stable companion,
One Eye On Vegas finishing ahead of him.
Trust could be worth another chance, but early quotes of 2/1 seem a bit “unders”.
Maybe wait until the market takes shape then try get the best available price about your fancy on the Interbet Exchange.
Those supporting
Splittheeights to confirm the form, and indeed the strength of all four races he’s contested, are looking at a price around 4/1.
To
Grand Empire’s credit, he has run well against older horses. Notably, Sean Tarry’s entry has received heavy support at each of four starts, so he must be impressing with his track work.
Unlike
One Eye on Vegas and Tin Pan Alley who both must deal with double digit draws,
Grand Empire is gated comfortably at 6 which gives Craig Zackey positional options on the 8/1 shot.
Radio Star s/s 95 will need to improve on his bare figures but that is quite likely as gelding clearly has helped. And Gavin Lerena, a 22% strike rate jockey, sticks solid on MG Azzie’s progressive 3YO.
A suggestion for exotic bettors is an Exacta: 1 3 12 x 1 2 3 5 12 13 (R15) and a Trifecta: 1 3 12 x Field x 1 2 3 5 12 (R132).
Bio: Mark van Deventer has been refining his speed figures for thoroughbred racehorses over three decades. A full-time racing journalist since 2013, he’s known for his integrity and imaginative handicapping, adapting the principles of Andrew Beyer’s figures to South African racecourses.
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