OUR Giant and Anton Marcus will be looking to win his second successive HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes if he accepts for the Grade 1 race over 1600m at Turffontein on Saturday 4 April.
The R1-million event is one of five graded races on the day to be run on the standside track. The other events are the Senor Santa Handicap over 1160m, the Gerald Rosenberg Stakes for fillies and mares over 2000m, the Colorado King Stakes over 2000m (all Grade 2 races) and the Sycamore Sprint (G3) for fillies and mares over 1160m.
As expected Dancer’s Daughter is not among the acceptors but there are plenty of runners who will make Our Giant, who last year won a tense duel with the ill-fated Emperor Napoleon, work for victory.
Mike de Kock has three runners, including SA Classic winner Forest Path, import Drayton and filly Gilded Minaret. According to assistant trainer John Buckler Forest Path took Saturday’s race exceptionally well and there are no plans to pull him out of the Horse Chestnut Stakes. No jockey has been declared but it appears Raymond Danielson, who combined so well with the headstrong son of Fort Wood in the Classic, will be asked to ride him again.
Drayton has a habit of losing volumes of ground at the start but if he gets out on terms, he has to be a threat to Our Giant. The Irish import has only run twice since arriving in the country for a win and a 2.90-length fourth to Thandolwami over 1400m at Greyville, despite losing at least eight lengths as the gates opened.
Laird has some useful back up for Our Giant in the form of Charity Mile November Handicap winner Likeithot, to be ridden by Piere Strydom, and Steinhoff Summer Cup runner-up Smart Banker, with Andrew Fortune up.
KZN trainer Mike Miller will have a good feeling about The Big Ask, who came from last to run a one-length second to Our Giant in the Hawaii Stakes over 1400m. There is, however, a 4kg weight turnaround in favour of the Laird runner and that could make Robbie Hill’s task pretty tough.
Feature-race runners in order of number, draw, horse, trainer, jockey, weight and merit rating:
HF OPPENHEIMER HORSE CHESTNUT STAKES (Grade 1) (WFA) R1 million 1600m
1 - 7 OUR GIANT (C Laird) A Marcus 60.0 - 115
2 - 11 BUSCADOR (G V Woodruff) J Sampson 60.0 - 105
3 - 8 SINGING SWORD (T Zackey) G Lerena 60.0 - 105
4 - 4 LIKEITHOT (C Laird) P Strydom 60.0 - 104
5 - 5 ALUMINIUM (G V Woodruff) M Khan 60.0 - 103
6 - 12 GLIDING HIGH (B O Wiid) M Mienie 60.0 - 101
7 - 3 SMART BANKER (C Laird) A Fortune 60.0 - 101
8 - 1 THE BIG ASK (M D Miller) R Hill 60.0 - 101
9 - 10 DRAYTON (M F De Kock) A Delpech 60.0 - 100
10 - 2 WINTER WIZARD (B Crawford) K Neisius 60.0 - 100
11 - 9 FOREST PATH (M F De Kock) ............... 57.5 - 107
12 - 6 GILDED MINARET (M F De Kock) J Geroudis 57.5 - 105
Coupled for Pick 6-Jackpot ONLY: (1, 4, 7); (2, 5); (9, 11, 12).
SENOR SANTA HANDICAP (Grade 2) (Open) R375,000 1160m
1 - 3 MENTOR (D Zaki) A Delpech 60.0 - 109
2 - 12 REBEL KING (C Laird) A Marcus 60.0 - 109
3 - 14 BATTLESTAR EXPRESS (G/K Anthony) A Fortune 59.5 - 108
4 - 6 COMBAT LEADER (G S Kotzen) D Daniels 59.0 - 107
5 - 7 EARL OF SURREY (G V Woodruff) M Khan 59.0 - 107
6 - 1 FLINTLOCK (G M Alexander) G Cheyne 58.5 - 106
7 - 4 THEREALSLIMSHADY (A G Laird) J Geroudis 58.5 - 106
8 - 10 SOMETHING ELSE (J Ramsden) G Lerena 58.0 - 105
9 - 5 LIGHTNING LECTURE (G M Alexander) P Strydom 56.0 - 101
10 - 2 SEALED WITH A KISS (W H Marwing) F Herholdt 54.5 - 102
11 - 13 LADY BEQUICK (S G Tarry) R Hill 54.5 - 98
12 - 11 KISS FOR KATE (P F Matchett) R Simons 54.0 - 97
13 - 8 RENEGADE (J Breedt) J Sampson 53.5 - 96
14 - 9 NATIONAL VICTOR (O A Ferraris) K Teetan 52.0 - 92
Coupled for Pick 6-Jackpot ONLY: (6, 9).
GERALD ROSENBERG STAKES (Grade 2)(Fillies and Mares) R320,000 2000m
1 - 5 SHE'S ON FIRE (O A Ferraris) P Strydom 60.0 - 103
2 - 8 STEADY CHAT (G M Alexander) G Cheyne 60.0 - 97
3 - 9 RUN ANGEL RUN (B D Botes) R Simons 60.0 - 93
4 - 7 SALTWATER GIRL (G H Van Zyl) K Teetan 60.0 - 91
5 - 3 GAROTA DE IPANEMA (M F De Kock) J Geroudis 60.0 - 90
6 - 2 ORIENTAL DANCER (G M Alexander) R Hill 60.0 - 90
7 - 4 SPRING GARLAND (G M Alexander) M Khan 60.0 - 89
8 - 10 PARTY LINE (C Laird) A Marcus 60.0 - 83
9 - 6 MILK AND HONEY (M F De Kock) A Delpech 59.5 - 103
10 - 1 STARZENE (W H Marwing) F Herholdt 59.5 - 82
Coupled for Pick 6-Jackpot ONLY: (2, 6, 7); (5, 9).
COLORADO KING STAKES (Grade 2) (Open) R300,000 2000m
1 - 5 WINTER WEATHER (M F De Kock) A Delpech 60.0 - 97
2 - 11 HORATIO (P F Matchett) R Simons 59.5 - 93
3 - 1 CAPTAIN CORAGEOUS (L Wiid) D L Habib 59.0 - 103
4 - 9 SENOR VERSACE (C Laird) A Marcus 59.0 - 102
5 - 10 CATMANDU (A Kirsten) G Wrogemann 58.5 - 105
6 - 2 CROWN OF POWER (C Laird) G Lerena 58.5 - 97
7 - 6 FULL POWER (G V Woodruff) M Khan 58.5 - 95
8 - 4 ALPE D'HEUZ (G M Alexander) R Hill 58.5 - 94
9 - 8 TROJAN (O A Ferraris) F Herholdt 58.5 - 93
10 - 3 CAPE TOWN (G H Van Zyl) K Teetan 58.5 - 92
11 - 7 CASHEL (C Laird) A Fortune 58.5 - 90
Coupled for Pick 6-Jackpot ONLY: (4, 6, 11).
SYCAMORE SPRINT (Grade 3) (Fillies and Mares) R165,000 1160m
1 - 8 LADY PEREZ (B Webber) G Lerena 60.0 - 97
2 - 16 MIA JOSHUA (G S Kotzen) R Hill 58.0 - 93
3 - 4 PICADILLY MISS (G J Maroun) B Nyawo 57.5 - 92
4 - 9 LISA ANNE (G M Alexander) J Geroudis 56.5 - 90
5 - 1 UBER ROCK (C Laird) A Marcus 56.5 - 90
6 - 3 THEKKADY (S G Tarry) P Strydom 55.5 - 92
7 - 5 WOELFIN (C Spies) N Welch 54.5 - 86
8 - 14 SWEETS FROM HEAVEN (L Lotz) S Nhlapo 53.5 - 88
9 - 12 SWEET SANETTE (R R Magner) D L Habib 53.5 - 86
10 - 11 COPPER JET (P F Matchett) R Simons 53.5 - 84
11 - 10 SALOME (G V Woodruff) D David 53.5 - 84
12 - 7 BELCANTO (A D Gordon) K Teetan 53.5 - 83
13 - 15 ARABIAN JAZZ (G V Woodruff) M Khan 53.5 - 82
14 - 13 FOREST LECTURE (C E Erasmus) D Habib 53.5 - 81
15 - 2 BELLOTTO FLASH (L W Goosen) J Sampson 53.5 - 77
16 - 6 AFRICA'S TOUCH (J L van Heerden) A Nienaber 53.5 - 67
Coupled for Pick 6-Jackpot ONLY: (11, 13).
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