Championship Day 2 thriller

STRONG HAND: LAIRD'S THREE RUNNERS DOMINATE GRADE 1SA CLASSIC FIELD

- Jack Milner

Saturday sees Day 2 of the Championship at Turffontein, and the meeting features a host of feature races, headed up by three Grade 1 events the R1.5-million Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1) over 1600m, the R1.5-million TAB SA Classic (Grade 1) and the R1.25million Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic (Grade 1), both over 1800m Of course, the two SA Classic races are Leg 2 of the SA Triple Crown and Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara and everyone will be on tenterhooks to see whether Parisian Walkway and Spumante Dolce will spread their advantage into Leg 3 later in March.

However, one runner who will not be involved in the Fillies Classic is Quid Pro Quo. Local pundits were hoping to see a rematch between her, Spumante Dolce and VJ's Angel but her new international venture has begun, and she is headed to go into quarantine before she flies out of the country.

However, a rematch between the other two, separated by just a neck in the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, is slated to take place with Raymond Danielson back on Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Spumante Dolce and Gavin Lerena back in the irons on Tony Peter trained VJ's Angel.

There is little doubt trainer Alec Laird holds the high cards in the SA Classic with his three runners all well fancied in the betting.

Laird was devastated when a virus forced him to pull Fire Attack out of the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas.