Pocket Power for Sat.

The Pocket Power hard to beat for Sat, see home page.

From Racing Express!

POCKET Power will be out to set the record straight when he lines up in the R750 000 Champion Cup (Grade 1) to be run over 1800m at Clairwood on Saturday.

Mike Bass’s star runner heads a 14 strong field for the season’s finale which also includes last years winner, Buy And Sell, Blue Tiger, Tropical Empire and last year’s third-placed Surfin’ USA.
The Champions Cup is one of three Grade 1 races to take place on the day, the others being the Premier’s Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes, both for two-year-olds over 1600m.
Pocket Power’s defeat in the recent Vodacom Durban July was a major disappointment for his many fans but victory in the Champions Cup will go some way to easing the pain.
Last year’s Champions Cup was billed as the return clash between Pocket Power and Dancer’s Daughter, but it did not quite pan out as predicted as Buy And Sell popped their bubble with Pocket Power touched off for second and Dancer’s Daughter finishing a somewhat disappointing fourth.
However, this year there seems to be very little to stop Pocket Power bagging another Grade 1 victory as even though he again gives lumps of weight all round, the conditions of the race see him with everything in his favour.
But there is more than just the small matter of victory on the line here. Although a third helping of J & B Met and L’Ormarins Queens Plate’s coupled with the Gold Challenge would make Pocket Power a firm favourite for Equus Horse of the Year, Big City Life’s victory in the Durban July rounded off a very smart season for the three-year-old and should Pocket Power fluff his lines in the Champions Cup, then the debate about who should be champion may not be quite as straight forward as most thought.
The Premier’s Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes for fillies are the last feature races of the season for juveniles. Trainer Mike de Kock has not entered Golden Horseshoe winner Musir but he has named two strong contenders in Solid Choice and Boylan Blaze.
Solid Choice beat Musir over 1450m at the track two runs back and then finished a 3.80-length fourth to his stablemate in the Golden Horseshoe despite having to come from the widest of draws. This time Anthony Delpech will have the benefit of barrier No 3.
Boylan Blaze did not impress on his course debut over 1200m but second time out when put over 1600m he made a dramatic improvement to beat National Play by 0.50 lengths.
All Afire overcame a poor draw to win the Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville and will have to do the same to be victorious in the Thekwini Stakes. She is drawn widest of all at No 13 and Johnny Geroudis will need a bit of luck if Alec Laird’s filly is to do the Grade 1 double.

The fields are:

CHAMPIONS CUP (Grade 1)(Conditions Race) R750 000 1800m
1 - 11 POCKET POWER (M W Bass) B Fayd'Herbe 58.0 - 121
2 - 5 BUY AND SELL (S G Tarry) F Coetzee 56.0 - 109
3 - 6 AFRICAN APPEAL (M W Bass) G Lerena 55.5 - 99
4 - 4 BLUE TIGER (M W Bass) S Randolph 54.5 - 109
5 - 10 IVORY TRAIL (J Ramsden) R Danielson 54.5 - 109
6 - 9 TROPICAL EMPIRE (D C Howells) B Lerena 54.5 - 106
7 - 3 SURFIN' USA (M Dixon) P Strydom 54.5 - 105
8 - 7 LIKEITHOT (C Laird) A Marcus 54.5 - 104
9 - 2 ROAD TO REASON (M W Bass) M Byleveld 54.5 - 97
10 - 8 ALUMINIUM (G V Woodruff) M Khan 53.5 - 103
11 - 12 PIRATE'S GOLD (G S Kotzen) G Cheyne 53.5 - 96
12 - 13 THEREALSLIMSHADY (A G Laird) R Simons 53.0 - 106
13 - 14 LITTLEREDCORVETTE (G R Puller) K Teetan 53.0 - 98
14 - 1 PORT OF DUBAI (M F De Kock) A Delpech 52.0 - 100
Same Trainer: (1,3,4,9)

PREMIER'S CHAMPION STAKES (Grade 1)(For 2 year olds) R500 000 1600m
1 - 8 AIM HIGH (G S Kotzen) G Cheyne 57.0 - 93
2 - 11 AUGUST RUSH (M G Azzie) G Lerena 57.0 - 97
3 - 6 BOYLAN BLAZE (M F De Kock) J Geroudis 57.0 - 85
4 - 4 BULSARA (G H Van Zyl) K Teetan 57.0 - 92
5 - 2 EXHILARATION (D Zaki) A Marcus 57.0 - 98
6 - 5 KHETHANI (R R Magner) D L Habib 57.0 - 93
7 - 7 LAGO LIDA (G V Woodruff) F Coetzee 57.0 - 82
8 - 1 LANDROST (T Zackey) S Khumalo 57.0 - 84
9 - 10 SMANJEMANJE (T Zackey) P Strydom 57.0 - 91
10 - 3 SOLID CHOICE (M F De Kock) A Delpech 57.0 - 98
11 - 9 WINTER'S NIGHT (G V Woodruff) M Khan 57.0 - 96
Same Trainer: (3,10) (7,11) (8,9)

THEKWINI FILLIES STAKES (Grade 1)(For 2 year old Fillies) R500 000 1600m
1 - 13 ALL AFIRE (A G Laird) J Geroudis 57.0 - 99
2 - 12 ASHJAAN (P F Matchett) R Simons 57.0 - 93
3 - 4 BE CAREFUL (J M Goodman) P Strydom 57.0 - 87
4 - 11 DIGNIFICATION (J Ramsden) S Randolph 57.0 - 89
5 - 8 GIVE ME FIVE (S G Tarry) F Coetzee 57.0 - 97
6 - 10 LAVERNA (M F De Kock) A Delpech 57.0 - 88
7 - 7 MY KAZZIE (M G Azzie) R Hill 57.0 - 97
8 - 6 POSSIBLE DREAM (J Ramsden) B Fayd'Herbe 57.0 - 88
9 - 5 RAJINZKY (I S Moore) M Yeni 57.0 - 75
10 - 9 ROSETTE (C Laird) R Danielson 57.0 - 83
11 - 2 TOUCH THE MOON (D C Howells) B Lerena 57.0 - 82
12 - 1 TREE OF PERFECTION (P F Matchett) M Mienie 57.0 - 92
13 - 3 TRICIA'S SPUR (C Laird) A Marcus 57.0 - 83
Same Trainer: (2,12) (4, (10,13)

PP/Lago Lida/All Afire...

Where is the betting?????

Bit early for betting Dave, maybe by Thursday?

yes greg but why? would you like bet on next years English 2000 gns, no problem,!

I think that these three fields are extermely weak for Grade 1 events and also compared to previous years...

I select African Appeal, Exhilaration & Give me Five.

AB - what license can you get?

AB, it might be a thought, but if Interbet put up the fields, the punters can request prices and the book can take shape, with a bit of luck, the requests will be matched, simple process, imo.

I'm in for a bookie's license at R5000