South Africa Preview: What chance Triple Tiara, Triple Crown remain alive?

Two horses will try to keep their chances at sophomore glory alive when they race for Classic prizes at Turffontein in South Africa on Saturday.

Eye Of The Prophet is aiming to keep the Triple Crown alive when he contests the South African Classic (G1), while on the same day, Lady Of Power is trying to maintain her chance of winning the Triple Tiara for fillies when she takes on the South African Fillies Classic (G1).

We will have a look at their respective chances of doing so below.

Turffontein, Race 6, 7:30 a.m. ET: South African Fillies Classic (G1), 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles), 3yo fillies

South African Fillies Classic Selections

• #2 Feather Boa
• #6 None Other
• #1 Lady Of Power
• #3 Reny

South African Fillies Classic Wagers

• $10 win/$30 show: #2 Feather Boa
• $1 trifecta: 2, 6 with 1, 2, 6 with 1, 2, 3, 6

#1 Lady Of Power sprung a 25-1 shock in the first leg of the Triple Tiara, the Gauteng Fillies Guineas (G2), being left alone in front and hanging on to beat #2 Feather Boa. Whether she can stay the extra furlong here isn’t the only question mark; she’s had the disruption of being moved to another stable in the interim, and is surely not going to be left alone in front again.

Underestimate Lady of Power at your peril, but Feather Boa looks a good chance to turn the tables with the extra furlong and a kinder barrier draw. Her toughest opponent may be #6 None Other, who didn’t contest the Gauteng Guineas but who did finish second to the colts in the Sea Cottage (G3) Jan. 23. Fillies Guineas third #3 Reny looks the best of the others.

Turffontein, Race 7, 8:05 a.m. ET: South African Classic (G1), 1,800 meters, 3yos

South African Classic Selections

• #4 Royal Victory
• #2 Eye Of The Prophet
• #7 Billy Bowlegs
• #8 Electric Gold

South African Classic Wagers

• $10 win/$30 show: #4 Royal Victory
• $1 trifecta: 2, 4 with 2, 4, 7 with 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8

If Lady Of Power’s victory was a surprise, the win of #2 Eye Of The Prophet in the opening leg of the Triple Crown, the Gauteng Guineas (G2), was a total shocker at 33-1. However, he’s now won four of his last six races and he fought strongly to the line in the first leg. He is capable of winning again.

#4 Royal Victory was narrowly defeated by Eye Of The Prophet and could well reverse the result here. He won the Tony Ruffel (G3) in January and has continued to be one of the better three-year-olds in the Gauteng area, and being by Pathfork (a son of Distorted Humor), he should enjoy the extra furlong.

The most interesting runner that didn’t contest the Gauteng Guineas is #7 Billy Bowlegs. Two starts back, he narrowly beat Eye Of The Prophet, and last start he beat South African Fillies’ Classic contender None Other in the Sea Cottage. If None Other performs well in the Fillies’ Classic, you should make sure you’re on Billy Bowlegs.

#8 Electric Gold, #1 Shoemaker, and #3 East Coast look the best of the others.