Gold Cup day Trainer comments By David Thiselton

Knight To Remember looks cherry ripe for the Grade 1 Gold Cup over 3 200m at Greyville on Saturday and is not only well handicapped in comparison to his third place in the country’s premier staying event two years ago, but is drawn in exactly the same barrier 6 position.


The Duncan Howells-trained six-year-old gelding by The Sheik ran a cracking second in the Grade 2 (Mercedes-Benz) Gold Vase over 2 400m on Vodacom Durban July day and was a touch unlucky as he had to be eased half way down the straight.


Howells said later that he believed he had now found the right jockey for the big grey in Sean Veale.


Veale is known for his strength and got the horse going in the straight under vigorous driving.


Howells said, “The horse is fit and well in himself and has had no setbacks. My only concern is that he was given a six point raise for his second place in the Gold Vase. He was receiving 6kg from Blake in that race and will now only be getting 4kg.”


Knight To Remember beat Blake by three lengths, so on paper should have his measure again.


However, Howells said, “I think some of the horses ran below par in the Gold Vase.” He added, “But I think we should keep the form with Kolkata, who will also probably improve from that race.”


Knight To Remember will be 0,5kg better off with Kolkata for a 0,75 length beating and the latter has also drawn well in five, so they should finish just about together on paper.


Kolkata beat Knight To Remember by 0,75 lengths when finishing runner up in the Gold Cup two years ago. The latter will now be 3,5kg better off on real terms, but only 0,5kg better off on weight for age terms as Kolkata was a three-year-old that year.


Knight To Remember won his first start as a five-year-old by a facile three lengths over 1800m at Clairwood and looked to be going places, but unfortunately a tendon injury then put him out of racecourse action for 15 months. Howells said the injury had healed well and was no longer a concern.


However, as a big horse he has probably needed his races this season and only now looks to be coming back into his own.


Howells also contests the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet with Louvre, who has been a revelation since joining his yard in about May this year.


The five-year-old Doowaley mare arrived with a merit rating of 98 and started off by winning a strong Pinnacle Stakes event over 1450m at odds of 22-1. She then won the weight for age Grade 2 Tibouchina over that same course at odds of 22-1.


Then in one of the strongest races of the season she finished third in the weight for age Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1 600m on Vodacom Durban July day, again at odds of 22-1.


She is a handy to front-running sort and was mowed down by the brilliant Beach Beauty and the three-year-old Espumanti in the Graden Province after stealing a March on this pair at the top of the straight.


The question is whether she will stay the 2000m trip of the Gold Bracelet, which is also a weight for age event. Howells said, “It’s debatable whether she will stay.”


Her sire Doowaley is by the classic producing stallion Sadler’s Wells and won over ten furlongs, but Louvre is out of a half-sister to the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint winner Rodoille and to the sprint miler Blue Tiger.


However, Louver’s third dam produced a few classy middle distance to staying types. Howells said, “We are going to take a chance. I don’t think it’s a particularly strong field and she is a gutsy type, so if she does stay she could run into the money.”


Louvre is drawn seven in the eight horse field and will be ridden by her regular pilot and stable jockey Alec Forbes.


Howells runs Pink Martini and Rashuli Breeze in the first race, a fillies and mares MR 86 handicap over 1 000m.


“Pink Martini has been running consistently and my only concern is the quite wide draw (eight). I’m confident she can finish in the first three. Rashuli Breeze has become inconsistent and is probably better up the straight.”


He runs Guantanamera in the last race, the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1 000m and wasn’t happy that the Grade 1 performer Welwitschia had been allowed into the race carrying 60kg, meaning his charge will be 1kg under sufferance.


However, he expected a good run and said, “He’s very well and his work has been decent. He might be a better horse over 1 000m, but I expect him to run into the first four.”

Gavin van Zyl said a line could be drawn through Seal’s run in the Vodacom Durban July and he was very encouraged by Shogunnar’s effort in the country’s premier horse race.


The pair will travel down from Johannesburg again next week to run in the Grade 1 Gold Cup over 3 200m on Super Saturday, July 27.


Some might be surprised to learn that Van Zyl, having brought the pair down from the Highveld a day or two before the July, sent them back to his Turffontein satellite yard straight after the race.


However, this fits in with the thinking of Corné Spies, who is probably the most experienced traveller in South African racing.


Spies related, “Going from altitude to sea level is advantageous due to the increased oxygen content of the air.


“If the horses stay at the coast after their runs they tend to go flat.


“It would take about six weeks or two months for them to acclimatise and they would then begin to thrive.”


“But taking them in and out is not a problem, so I ship them up and down to keep the positive effect of high altitude training.” Van Zyl himself believes there is no problem raiding from altitude twice, although he added that doing it three times would virtually put paid to a horse’s chances.


Seal was squeezed out in the rush for position up the back straight in the Vodacom Durban July and from then on was caught four wide.


In the straight he had to first be eased when caught between two horses and was then stopped in his tracks by another horse that was hanging outward. Francois Herholdt then decided that enough was enough and eased him out of the race. Van Zyl said Seal had shown no ill effects.


He lamented his bad luck with the draw again with Seal jumping from barrier 20 out of 20 next Saturday.


However, he will have a lot better chance of getting his favoured handy position than he did in the July, where he simply didn’t have the necessary early pace.


The five-year-old Silvano gelding was caught three wide from draw 17 last year, but travelled superbly throughout the race in a handy position, finishing a gallant 2,5 length fourth with top-weight of 60kg. He has top-weight again and will be ridden by Bernard Fayd’Herbe.


He is 0,5kg worse off from last year’s race with third-placed Blake, who will attempt to give Dean Kannemeyer a second successive win of the country’s premier staying race.


Van Zyl was pleased with the way Shogunnar had finished off his race in the July and has always believed that this four-year-old Solskjaer gelding has been looking for the Gold Cup trip.


Shogunnar was drawn well in three in the July, but was unfortunately unable to get what proved to be a crucial rails position and ran one wide.


He was initially in midfield but was then shuffled back, meaning he turned for home in about 17th position. However, he stayed on resolutely down the straight to be just 4,6 lengths back in eighth place.


Van Zyl’s stable jockey Brandon Lerena, who rode a cracker in the July on fourth-placed No Worries, takes over from Karis Teetan.


Shogunnar has scored another good draw of seven and will receive 2,5kg from Seal under the compressed handicap conditions of the race. With luck in running he should be right there.


Seal, whose big weight performances over staying trips continue to earn him much admiration, is also very much a contender and a win would put the cherry on the top of an amazing, record-breaking season for his sire Silvano.



The pair will travel down to Summerveld from the Highveld on Thursday.



The yard’s Grade 1 Thekwini (1600m) contestant, Along Came Polly, is still a maiden, but has three feature race runner up finishes to her name in as many starts, including in two Grade 1s.



The Judpot filly ran on strongly from behind in the Grade 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m on July day and is now drawn well in five, with Lerena keeping the ride.



Van Zyl said, “She’s improved since July day. I couldn’t have asked for better and the extra distance will suit considering the way she ran on.”



Van Zyl said that the yard’s Grade 1 Champions Cup (1800m) elect, the Kahal three-year-old gelding No Worries, had also come out of his July run well.



He ran on very well for fourth in the big race from a wide draw of 19.



Van Zyl said, “From a good draw he will be fighting it out. I expect him to be right there, although it’s a competitive field.”



Weichong Marwing replaces Lerena for the ride and the horse jumps from a plum draw of three.



Lerena will now be aboard Bulsara, who is not very well weighted and has to overcome a draw of 15.



However, this six-year-old Silvano gelding is said to be an evergreen sort and he did run a fair preparation race in the Mercury Sprint, finishing 6,5 lengths back in seventh.



Furthermore, he finished a close second in the Champions Cup behind his stable mate, The Apache, two years ago.



Van Zyl runs Heart Of A Lion and Sagetator in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m.



Heart Of A Lion is by the locally based New Zealand-bred stallion Seul Amour and has rattled off three wins in succession at Turffontein from 1400-1600m.



Van Zyl said, “He is full of class and is doing very well back home, but is unfortunately badly drawn.”



Weichong Marwing will ride him from draw 14.



The yard also runs the Var colt Sagetator in this race and he has also landed a tough draw of 13.



Van Zyl said, “He put in a disappointing last effort (beaten 11,5 lengths in a strong Juvenile Plate over 1500m at Clairwood), but he has been working better by a long way and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish in the quartets.”



Keagan De Melo, who rode this horse to win a Maiden Juvenile Plate over Saturday’s course and distance in June, is back aboard.

Sage Throne has disappointed on occasion in big races, but he looks to be cherry ripe to run a big one in the Grade 1 Gold Cup over 3 200m at Greyville on Super Saturday this weekend.


The Colin Scott-trained four-year-old Dynasty gelding is six points lower in the merit ratings than last year and has cracked another great draw.


His big race jockey MJ Odendaal said, “He was interfered with at a crucial stage in the (Mercedes-Benz) Gold Vase (over 2 400m on Vodacom Durban July day). His prep has gone extremely well, he is flying.


“Colin has done a tremendous job. He’s a big horse, so it’s not easy to get him fit, but Colin has timed his prep perfectly. The owners Rob Scott and Keith Steinberg are going to have a good day, because he will run well.”


Sage Throne avoided the Vodacom Durban July this year and that could be another crucial difference between his Gold Cup run this year and last.


He finished a far from disgraced 3,6 length seventh last year, but everything points to him doing better than that on Saturday.


Sage Throne will jump from barrier two, as opposed to five last year, and with 56kg will carry 1,5kg less than last year.

Thanks Bob...(tu) back to the drawing board for me...

Paul Lafferty runs two fillies, Admiral’s Eye and Nisa’s Love, in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1 600m at Greyville’s Super Saturday Racemeeting.


Admiral’s Eye, who is by Admire Main, ran on well from the back for a 2,8 length fifth in the Grade 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1 400m on Vodacom Durban July day, having jumped from a wide draw of fourteen.


This time she is drawn three and Lafferty said, “She is very talented and is doing extremely well. From a good draw this time she will be in the first three.”

Lafferty also expected Nisa’s Love, who is a full-sister to the yard’s Grade 1 winner Love Struck, to appreciate the step up in trip from her two fourth places in Maidens over 1 200m.


He said, “She’s a little unknown, but this trip will be right up her street, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she finished in the Quartet.”


Sean Cormack stays aboard Admiral’s Eye and Kevin Shea rides Nisa’s Love.


Lafferty said that the yard’s only other runner on the day, Old Mac Donald, loved the course and they had never had him better.


However, he has unfortunately drawn wide in his event, the third race, a MR 83 Handicap over 1 300m. Shea rides him from draw 11.

Mike de Kock won’t be giving up his grip on the National Trainer’s Championship easily and will be well represented at the Super Saturday Racemeeting at Greyville this weekend despite a lot of his best horses now being in quarantine in the first leg of their journey overseas.



De Kock has two runners in the Grade 1 Gold Cup over 3200m, the three-year-old Patriotic Rebel and the four-year-old Canterbury Tale.



The yard first won this race with Thundering Star in 2007 and won it for a second time with Ancestral Fore in 2010.



Thundering Star had just turned four when he won, as the race used to be run on the first Saturday in August, while Ancestral Fore was a late three-year-old in 2010, when the race was switched to the month of July.



Therefore, by trends, the three-year-old gelding Patriotic Rebel should be the yard pick.



Stable jockey Anthony Delpech will be aboard Patriotic Rebel, who has to overcome a wide draw of 15.



Patriotic Rebel’s female line is packed with speed and his sire Stronghold raced mainly over a mile, so purely on pedigree there could be a stamina doubt.



However, he stayed all the way to the line when finishing second in the Grade 3 Mango 2200 on Vodacom Durban July day and responded very well to the use of first-time blinkers.



De Kock believes he will stay the Gold Cup trip and said, “He has good finishing speed, which is what you need.”



Indeed, there are similarities in his career record to Ancestral Fore’s and the finishing speed De Kock talks about was never more in evidence than with the latter horse, who won this race from a draw of 12.



Canterbury Tale proved he stays the 3200m trip when winning the Grade 2 Gold Bowl at Turffontein, although he will now be 3,5kg worse off with Seal for a 1,25 length beating.



De Kock said, “Canterbury Tale has to be covered up. You have to bury him and then he kicks on.”



The Greys Inn gelding didn’t get the ride he likes in the (Mercedes-Benz) Gold Vase over 2400m on July day.



He was caught wide before being moved up to share the lead and he duly faded away in the straight.



Raymond Danielson is reunited with the Greys Inn gelding for the first time since the Gold Bowl and he should have a fair chance of finding that necessary cover from draw nine.



However, under the compressed handicap conditions he has a tough task and he is also more exposed than his stable-mate.



De Kock didn’t feel that Celtic Legend was given the best of rides in the Grade 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper over 1400m on July day, in which she had to come from last after being brought wide into the straight.



He does think a bit of this Stronghold filly and expected “big improvement” from her in the Grade 1 Thekwini over 1600m, where she will now be ridden by stable jockey Anthony Delpech, although she does have another tricky draw of ten to overcome.



The yard also runs the Silvano filly Adhira.





She has already won twice over course and distance and De Kock’s former stable jockey Weichong Marwing rides from a great draw of four.



De Kock said, “She is an unknown and I’m not sure she’s up to a Grade 1 over a mile. The race will tell.”



De Kock runs Umgiyo in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m, and might also run Gone Baby Gone, provided he doesn’t keep him in today’s racemeeting at Clairwood.



Umgiyo, an Australian-bred colt by Danehill Dancer, beat a moderate field over 1400m at Scottsville in comfortable fashion on debut and Delpech will ride him from draw four.



De Kock said, “He could be anything or he could be nothing. He does show us a bit at home, but must do it at the racetrack.”



He said Gone Baby Gone, a Greys Inn colt, was “quite a smart horse” and he was still deciding which of the two races he would run in.



If he takes his place on Super Saturday, Karis Teetan will ride him from draw five.



De Kock runs the three-year-old Australian-bred colt Rock Cocktail and the three-year-old British-bred filly Espumanti in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m.



He said Rock Cocktail, who is by Rock Of Gibraltar, had been doing “very well.”



He added, “Espumanti may be stretched by the trip, but she is well weighted so we’ve got to try.”



Rock Cocktail was runner up in the Grade 2 Betting World 1900 and close up in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000, so will enjoy the trip and will be ridden by Delpech from draw five.



Espumanti ran on well from near the back to finish runner up to the brilliant Beach Beauty in the Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m on July day.



She is six months younger than her contemporaries, being bred North Of The Line, so she should be improving rapidly.



Raymond Daniels rides her from draw two.



The yard also run Thunder Dance in the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet for fillies and mares over 2000m and De Kock said she had been doing “very well”.



Her Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes win was in a race run at a crawl and her other Grade 1 win was over 1600m, so there must be a stamina doubt.



However, De Kock said, “I don’t think the trip will stretch her, at least on paper it won’t.”



She is better drawn in two than she was when finishing eight lengths back in the Garden Province and Delpech will now be aboard.

Jackson was looking a picture at Summerveld yesterday and trainer Brett Crawford was confident that he would be at his peak for the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 2000m at Greyville’s Super Saturday meeting this weekend.



The striking four-year-old Dynasty colt looked very relaxed and was sleek in appearance, so he should be fine tuned for the race, which is over his likely ideal distance.



Jackson made a superb comeback from a rest two weeks ago when running fourth from a tough draw in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m.



Crawford said he had enjoyed the deserved holiday he had been given after the Cape Season, where he suffered one or two bad experiences.



A measure of his lofty reputation is that he had been written off by some due to that Cape Season, despite having finished runner up to the world class Variety Club twice, third to that horse another time and fifth in the J&B Met.



He has been taken care of in his time in KZN by the masterful horseman Dennis Drier.



The high flying Sean Cormack will ride him from a draw of eight and it would be no surprise to see this horse land a third career Grade 1 victory.



It is not clear whether he will go to stud after this race or race for another season.

oey Soma will run Sansui Summer Cup winner Wagner in Saturday’s Grade 1 Gold Cup over 3200m at Greyville, despite not being convinced that he will stay the trip, and he gives another of his charges, Athina, a big chance in the Grade 1 Thekwini over 1600m.



Wagner was fancied by some as an outsider with a chance in the Vodacom Durban July, due to his light weight, but his race didn’t pan out well.



Soma said, “He was never comfortable as there was something challenging him all the way through. But he came through the race very well. We are still here and he won’t be running for the next two or three months, so we might as well take a chance. It’s a very open race and I give him a squeak if he stays. He is still getting weight from some that he beat in the Summer Cup.”



Wagner is drawn well in three and his July rider Nooresh Juglall stays aboard.



Athina, a Fort Wood filly, will be ridden by Karl Neisius in the Thekwini from a good draw of six.



“I think she has been very impressive,” said Soma. “She has come through her last two races well, there have been no problems.”



She won a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies over 1400m in comfortable style on June 30 and two weeks later beat a good field over 1500m at Clairwood in eyecatching fashion.



On racing performance and pedigree she will love Saturday’s trip.



Soma has one other runner on the day, Savage Wind, who contests a MR 78 Handicap over 2400m, and he was also bullish about his chances following a return to form last time when running a two length fourth to the up and coming stayer Alexander over 2800m at Clairwood.



He said, “He’s doing very nicely and I expect him to run into the money.”



He concluded, “I expect good runs from all of our horses on the day.”

Sean Tarry has a chance of landing his first National Trainer’s Championship this season and the key meeting will be Super Saturday at Greyville this weekend where he has seven Grade 1 contestants, including three in the big one, the R1,25 million Gold Cup over 3200m.

He said it would be a “big deal” to win the Trainer’s title.

“It would be a massive achievement, but Mike de Kock is a master and will be hard to beat.”

Before yesterday’s meeting at The Vaal De Kock held a lead of R486 012.50 over Tarry.

Tarry won the Gold Cup for the first time two years ago with the five-year-old Silvano gelding Aslan.

Kolkata finished second in that race to give the yard a one-two and the latter has been priced up joint-second favourite for Saturday’s race at 8-1.

He carried 52kg as a three-year-old two years ago and this year carries 56kg.

Effectively, on the weight for age scale, that means he is only 0,5kg higher in the weights, so he is definitely a contender.

Furthermore he is drawn better in five than he was two years ago in 16.

He also has the masterful Piere Strydom in the irons.

On the downside the Requiem gelding only ran eighth last year carrying 54kg from draw six with Strydom up.

However, he comes in off a better preparation this year as he ran on well under Strydom to win the Grade 2 Mercedes-Benz Gold Vase over 2400m on Vodacom Durban July day.

Tarry said that Kolkata couldn’t be expected to have improved from that outing as he “did everything right that day.”

The eight point merit rated raise he was given could therefore be a problem, but Tarry still made him the yard elect.

Luck in running is one of the most important factors in the Gold Cup, for any unnecessary burning of fuel is costly in the finish.

Kolkata looks to have a good chance of getting this luck from his draw and this should enable him to unwind his resolute finishing run.

Tarry said that all of his horses had returned “rattled” from their July day runs due to the going on the day.

He therefore had to give them “more time” than he would normally have liked to.

However, he added that they were all fit horses three weeks ago, before the July meeting, so he hadn’t had to do much with them anyway.

He said about the prospects of E-Jet and Gold Onyx staying the 3200m trip, “I can’t say I’m confident they will stay, but there is enough evidence to suggest they will.”

Both of those horses also ran on July day.

E-Jet is a galloping type, which doesn’t make him an ideal Greyville horse, but if handy and he proves to enjoy the trip he has a chance from a fair draw of ten under Karis Teetan.

Gold Onyx has a short run in and so it is not surprising that Greyville is his favourite course.

He has a wide draw of 17, but jockey S’Manga Khumalo is riding the crest of a wave and, having landed three of the country’s four biggest races this season, not many would bet against him winning the land’s premier staying event.

Tarry sends out Whiteline Fever in the R750,000 Champions Cup over 1800m.

This four-year-old Right Approach gelding didn’t run well in the Champions Cup last year, but Tarry put that down to him being unsuited to the blinkers that were tried.

“He’s honest enough and a line can be drawn through that race”.

He said, “He’s done well and has a lot in his favour, but it’s a competitive event. They say you need a fresh horse to win the Champions Cup, but if they fit they fit and the right horse will win on the day.”

The yard run the Grade 1 Zulu Kingdom Explorer Golden Slipper (1400m) winner, For The Lads, in the R600 000 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m.

Tarry said, “She’s doing well and will love the trip.”

Khumalo was very patient with her in the straight in the Golden Slipper, which enabled her to kick late in the race.

From pole position he will have every chance of riding a similar race.

Tarry was “not convinced” that Willow Magic, the Grade 1 SA Nursery (1200m) winner, would enjoy the 1600m trip in the Grade 1 R600,000 Premier’s Champion Stakes.

However, he did say that the Australian-bred Dubawi colt had been “doing very well”.
Willow Magic finished a two length fourth in the Grade 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m from a wide draw of 16 and now has to jump from another tough draw of 12.

Khumalo replaces Strydom, who will be on his brother-in-law Louis Goosen’s charge, Bah.

Tarry also runs the Toreador colt Mercado in the Premier’s and expected him to relish the step up in trip, having been pushed along the whole way in the Grade 1 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m on July day, finishing ninth.

Tarry’s Australian-bred five-year-old Dubawi mare Happy Archer defends her crown in the Gold Bracelet over 2000m and jumps from the identical draw of three, which should allow her to have something left for her powerful finish.

Tarry said, “It’s competitive, but if it’s run to suit she’s got a big chance.”

A slow or steady pace, because she is probably at her most effective over a mile, will suit her best as long as she finds cover and settles.

Tarry said General Sherman had to be a “big runner” in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m, having had to make up a lot of ground in the Thukela over course and distance on July day.

Justin Snaith sounded more bullish about the chances of his Vodacom Durban July runner up Run For It than he did about Jet Explorer ahead of their engagement in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville’s Super Saturday racemeeting this weekend.

He said, “Run For It is doing exceptionally well. Jet Explorer has had a long season and the race will come just in time, but he will need a rest after that. I still think he will run well because he will like the distance, but he’s not well in at the weights and this is the first time there has been a lot against him.”

Run For It, after being raised to a merit rating of 111 for his July run, is the joint best weighted horse in the race with Bravura and is drawn nine out of 15.

Jet Explorer, merit rated 101, has to carry 58,5kg, meaning he is officially 6,5kg under sufferance.

He also has to contend with a draw of 12.

Piere Strydom replaces Sean Cormack on Run For It, as the latter has taken the ride on Jackson.

Jet Explorer will be ridden by Hong Kong-based Richard Fourie.

Snaith also runs the good looking Var Gelding Forest Panther in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m for two-year-olds.

He said, “He’s doing very well, although I don’t know if he’s good enough. He’s got everything going for him, pole position draw, the blinkers are on, he is sound and he will have no problem with the trip, so he could be the dark horse of the day.”

Snaith said about his runner in the third race over 1300m, Shimmer And Shine, “He’s doing well but I fancied him more before the July day race, which was cancelled, as that was over 1400m and he was better drawn.”

Dean Kannemeyer will send out last year’s third-placed Blake to defend the yard’s Grade 1 Gold Cup crown at the Super Saturday racemeeting at Greyville this weekend.

Kannemeyer won the country’s premier staying event last year with the six-year-old Argentinian-bred gelding In Writing, who gave jockey Felix Coetzee a record eighth victory in the race.

Blake finished 1,5 lengths back in that race.

However, Kannemeyer believes the handicapper cost him victory.

He said, “He won the Lonsdale Stirrup and got three points and then finished second in the July consolation 2200 and was given another two points. He’s never really been competitive since then, but the handicapper has finally dropped him by those two points. He‘s had a beautiful preparation and looks to have Kolkata and Knight To Remember held on their Gold Vase meeting. He loves Greyville and has never run a bad race there. It’s not going to be easy with 58kg, but he’s definitely got a chance.”

Blake, a small but courageous six-year-old gelding by Dynasty, has draw 13 to overcome, which is a lot tougher than his pole position draw last year and a tad more difficult than the winner In Writing’s draw of eleven last year.

“If you have a bad draw, you just hope they go a nice pace,” said Kannemeyer.

Blake will be ridden by his regular pilot Karl Neisius.

Blake’s stable-mate Taipan was scratched from the Gold Cup earlier this week.

Kannemeyer gave his runner in the fourth race over 2400m, the top-weight Mainspring, a chance.

“He was just touched off last time (over 1900m). He stays well and is in very good shape. He never runs a bad race.”

The yard’s four-year-old Captain Al filly Bermuda Sloop will be making her last appearance at the races in the eleventh race over 1400m and will then be covered by Dynasty.

Kannemeyer said, “She ran well last time and is doing well. I have left her to freshen up for her swansong.”

Charles Laird will run Astro News in the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at the Super Saturday racemeeting at Greyville on Saturday and Kevin Shea has retained the ride.

The four-year-old Silvano gelding ended up one from last in the running in the Vodacom Durban July after being interfered with in the early stages and that effectively cost him any chance, so he did well to run on for a 4,75 length ninth.

Laird said that he was “very well” and had come out of the race “100%.”

However, he doesn’t have the easiest of draws, barrier eleven, and on official merit ratings is 2,5kg under sufferance with the two best weighted horses in the conditions event, Run For It and Bravura.

Astro News appears to have improved since joining Laird’s yard early this year and can’t be written off, although he doesn’t have a great record at this track.

Laird thinks a lot of Delaware Bay, who runs in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m.

The Mogok gelding showed that he would stay every inch of a mile in a 1500m race at Clairwood two weeks ago.

He led this strong Juvenile Plate field and, after being overtaken by the smart Cape Cutter, rallied back to be only 0,75 lengths down at the line.

He is drawn in barrier 10 on Saturday and Karl Neisius replaces Kevin Shea.

Laird’s other Graded contestant on the day is Dylan’s Promise who runs in the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m.

The three-year-old Australian-bred mare by Dylan Thomas was a facile winner of the Grade 2 Betting World Oaks over 2400m last time out and was consequently raised to a 95 merit rating.

She will still be 7kg under sufferance with the highest merit rated horse, Thunder Dance, in the weight-for-age event and Laird confirmed that it was not going to be easy for her, but added that it was now difficult to place her, so he would take what he could.

Laird has an interesting runner in the fourth race, a MR 78 Handicap over 2400m, in Dreambythemaster.

He said the three-year-old Jet Master gelding had “lost interest” after missing the break last time over 2000m at Greyville, where he finished last, despite being backed into 14-10.

He looks to be an out and out galloper, which will make him unsuited to Greyville, but it will be interesting to see him getting an early lead, as that would give him the chance of galloping them into the ground as he did on debut over 1800m at Clairwood.

Laird confirmed that running from the front would be the intention.

Laird’s other two runners on the day, Cherbourg and Distinguished, run in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m and they have done well for his yard, so should run to form.

He concluded by saying that the preparations of all of his runners on the day had gone well.