The KwaZulu-Natal Winter Racing Season opens with a bang at Greyville Racecourse on Saturday when the country’s top three-year-olds meet to do battle in the R400 000, Grade 1 Sunday Tribune South African Guineas and the R250 000, Grade 1 South African Fillies Guineas.

Both races have drawn classy contestants and once again the country’s two leading stables – those of Mike de Kock and Geoff Woodruff – appear to hold the keys to the outcome of both events.

The Sunday Tribune South African Guineas will see a full field of 16 runners go to post at the 1 600 metre mark and, with some very smart colts and geldings among them, this has the makings of a very close contest.

On the other hand, the South African Fillies Guineas will see a small field of eight runners facing the starter of which four are from the Mike de Kock yard.

Speaking about the races, de Kock felt he had chances in both events, particularly the fillies race, but that there were horses he had to beat.

In the SA Fillies Guineas his Brazilian-bred filly, Ilha Da Vitoria, was the stable elect but she had to get the better of Geoff Woodruff’s daughter of Elliodor, Promisefrommyheart, who had beaten Ilha Da Vitoria over a mile before.

"Promisefrommyheart is a specialist miler and has plenty of speed and she is the one I have to beat. All four of my fillies are very well and I am expecting a big run from Ilha Da Vitoria.

"Real Red is a very nice filly and I was impressed with her last run over 1 400 metres. She has a lot of speed and if she stays the 1 600 metres I think she will be in the first three.

"Philippa Johnson and Honour And Glory are both nice fillies and will run well but I think Philippa Johnson is at her best over 1 400 metres."

Looking at the Sunday Tribune South African Guineas, de Kock described the unbeaten Badger Land gelding, Otter Trail, as "an exciting horse".

"I was very impressed with his last win but he has a bad draw. He is an exciting horse and we are going to supplement him for the Vodacom Durban July.

"Mr Bones is also a very nice horse and we don’t know yet just how good he is either. I’m expecting good runs from both of them."

He said Geoff Woodruff’s Heir Apparent and Brett Crawford’s runners My Choice and Madiba could be his main opposition along with Gary Alexander’s James Jaguar but it could be more open than that.