Happy New Year and a Million Dollars

The CTS Million Dollar is set to become South Africa’s ultimate “dream
race” and connections of contenders have been anxiously referring to the
log whenever it appears because to be a part of the inaugural running of
this event over 1400m at Kenilworth on January 23 will be an adrenalin
charged experience like no other.
The superstar filly Silver Mountain from the Mike Bass yard showed how
tough she will be to beat when romping home in the Gr 1 WSB Fillies
Guineas. She then went close in the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas against
the boys, despite not enjoying the best of luck, and duly retains her
position on top of the CTS Million Dollar log.
Tears will likely flow in the winner’s enclosure if either of the highest
male racehorses on the log, Seventh Plain and Exit Here, win the race as
their respective KZN-based trainers, cousins Dennis Drier and Charles
Laird, hail from a famous racing clan who have referred to themselves
before as the “sob mob” because “When we win we cry and when we lose we
smile.”
The Justin Snaith-trained filly Jo’s Bond is in joint 3rd position with
Exit Here, but the question is whether she will see out the distance,
having never raced beyond 1000m to date.
Another KZN-based horse Redcarpet Captain is in joint 5th place and will
attempt to give the combination of trainer Gavin van Zyl and owner Brian
“Buffalo Bill” Burnard a big sales race double, as they won the R2,5
million Lanzerac Ready To Run Stakes with Budapest in November.
The Selangor Cup runner up Victorious Jay from the Vaughan Marshall yard
went on to finish a narrow fifth in the Cape Guineas, which saw him rise to
joint 5th on the log.
The Joey Ramsden-trained Selangor Cup winner Hard Day’s Night disappointed
in the Guineas and has dropped to joint 12thon the log, but that was partly
due to an outstanding performance by his stablemate Tar Heel last Saturday.
Tar Heel annihilated a good field in the Racing Association Need For Speed
Sprint over 1000m at Kenilworth and this saw him soaring to 7th place on
the log.
The consistent Bass-trained Ernie is in joint 8th with the Duncan
Howells-trained Gr 1-winning KZN filly Lauderdale.
Two promising fillies share 10th place, the Snaith-trained A Time To Dream,
who has a lot to do to reverse form with Silver Mountain from the Cape
Fillies Guineas , and the Marshall-trained Varumba, who acquitted herself
well against older horses in her first try at 1400m last time out.
Three Gauteng fillies share 12th place with Hard Day’s Night, the Mike de
Kock-trained Perfumed Lady, whose only defeat in four races has been to
older horses and she is unexposed at this trip, the aptly named Louis
Goosen-trained three-time winner A Million Dreams, who is also unexposed
at this trip, and the speedy Sean Tarry-trained Swift Sarah, whose unplaced
run in the Gr 3 Starling Stakes over this trip last time out can be ignored
as she burst through the gates and had to be reloaded.
The connections of the next few on the log will really be chewing their
finger nails as they will be borderline cases to get in. Three horses share
joint 16th position, the Mike de Kock-trained filly Captain’s Song, the
Paul Reeves-trained Forward Drive and the Charles Laird-trained Main
Submission, while there are two in joint 19th, the Glen Puller-trained pair
Illuminator and Western Storm.