Gauteng Guineas 2026
by Mark van Deventer
Splittheeights s/s 102 took out the
Gauteng Guineas at Turffontein on Saturday. He finished too fast for
Grand Empire s/s 101 and the consistent,
Trust s/s 101 thereby confirming recent progress after winning the
Got the Greenlight Stakes with a figure of 99.
The victor is sired by
Vercingetorix (as indeed was the second horse) and trained by Mike and Mathew de Kock.
Other speed ratings for beaten rivals in the
Gauteng Guineas are:
One Eye on Vegas s/s 99; front-runner,
Yipee Kiyay s/s 98 and
Tin Pan Alley s/s 98. Historically, it takes a score of 100 + to meet the winning standard, which was realized in this 2026 vintage.
Hazy Dazy s/s 98 won the
Gauteng Fillies Guineas, chased home by Charge It who ran a few ticks below her previous best of 97. Corne Spies conditions the victorious
Act of War filly who drifted out to an S.P. of 25/1.
Odds on favourite
Golden Palm s/s 94 clocked in 3rd and has not improved upon her juvenile numbers where she was running in the mid 90’s.
It is expected, with natural improvement, that horses will get better figures as they mature in the 3rd and fourth year. It’s expected - but not inevitable, however. Some thoroughbreds just don’t train on. If remaining healthy, by the age of five most have reached their peak.
World Attraction is an exciting juvenile prospect. He romped in a sprint on debut, scoring a notable 86 ++ as befits his pedigree, being by
One World ex
Major Attraction.
A recent blog on combination strike rates for jockeys and trainers elicited a positive response from readers who have already found it useful when handicapping. Johannesburg and Durban stats were provided, showing how successful some duo’s can be when teaming up.
Here is an update for the Cape, highlighting some of the better combined percentages.
Richard Fourie & Peter Muscutt 47% Win 64% Place
Craig Zackey & Peter Muscutt 35% Win 53% Place
Richard Fourie & Justin Snaith 29% Win 52% Place
Richard Fourie & Vaughan Marshall 24% Win 49% Place
Aldo Domeyer & Candice Bass 21% Win 47% Place
Andrew Fortune & Andre Nel 18% Win 64% Place
Craig Zackey & James Crawford 17% Win 58% Place
If you see these people teaming up, you can be pretty sure the horse is “well meant” and you’ll be supporting a fit, competitive entry neatly teed up with expert assistance from the saddle.
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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