Splitheeights wins more cosily than the 0,60 length margin suggests under big race stalwart Raymond Danielson (Picture: 4Racing)
Mike and Mathew de Kock will likely have the two favourites for the G1 1 SA Classic on March 7, Saturday’s Gr 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas winner Splittheeights and the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Jan Van Goyen, but Splittheeights is the only remaining SA Triple Crown candidate and he will not be entered in the last leg of the series.
The Cape Guineas used to be an alternate first leg of the Triple Crown, but that is no longer the case and thus Jan Van Goyen does not qualify as a Triple Crown contender.
The legendary Mike de Kock-trained Horse Chestnut was the first ever SA Triple Crown winner and the three legs he completed actually began with the Cape Guineas.
The SA Classic over 1800m and the SA Derby over 2450m are the last two legs of the Triple Crown.
All three legs take place at Turffontein Standside.
However, De Kock has said Splittheeights would not go for the last leg.
He said, “He is not a Derby horse, so even if he wins the SA Classic he won’t go for the last leg.”
Mike said both Splittheeights and Jan van Goyen would go for the SA Classic and One Eye On Vegas would also probably run in the Gr 1 1800m classic on March 7.
He said about Splittheeights’ stamina capacity, “Vercingetorix has a lot of quick runners, but he is a super sire, he throws two-milers and he throws five furlong horses. Raymond Danielson felt that he still had more at the line, but I recognise the fact that he is a half-brother to William Robertson, so the extra 200m is not guaranteed for us. We are well aware of that, so it is going to be interesting.”
Asked on how confident they were before the race of Splittheeights winning, Mike said, “We were pretty confident, but we were nervous of our other horse One Eye On Vegas. I think One Eye On Vegas drawn three of four would have given him a little bit more cheek.”
One Eye On Vegas ran on well from last on Saturday after being dropped out from a wide draw and he crossed the line 0,90 lengths behind the winner in third place, before being demoted to fourth after an objection against him on behalf of the favourite Trust was upheld.
The De Kocks actually knew nothing about the objection inquiry until it was over, as is described in the following Sporting Post article (Click here to read the article).
Mike said about One Eye On Vegas’ SA Classic participation, “I have always been a little bit wary of the extra 200m for One Eye On Vegas, but based on Saturday we will have to try. He is fast more than he’s got stamina, he’s a pretty quick horse and he’s by Buffalo Bill Cody, so one has to say his top end is probably a mile, but given Saturday’s performance, finishing like he did, I would say we have to run him in the 1800m.”
He can not have any such qualms about Jan van Goyen, because asked on whether he viewed him as a Hollywoodbets Durban July horse, he replied, “Most definitely.”
He said a line could be drawn through Jan Van Goyen’s Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas run and explained that just a glance at the sectional timing of the race was enough to confirm that the jockeys of the De Kock coupling Dave The King and Jan van Goyen had had no idea how fast they were actually going. Dave The King had set a ridiculous pace, and Jan Van Goyen had chased it a few lengths behind him.
However, he said Jan Van Goyen was fine and would be running in the SA Classic.
