Final field for Mercury Sprint.

1 J J THE JET PLANE 60.0 120 (120) 14 A P Strydom Lucky Houdalakis
2 EARL OF SURREY 60.0 118 (118) 9 B A J Geroudis Geoff Woodruff
3 BLUE TIGER 60.0 115 (115) 1 A B Fayd'Herbe Mike Bass
4 CASEY COOL 60.0 110 (110) 8 B A K Shea Darryl Hodgson
5 PRIVATE JET 60.0 110 (110) 7 A T F Coetzee Geoff Woodruff
6 INTELLECTUAL 60.0 108 (108) 5 A R Danielson Herman Brown
7 IVORY TRAIL 60.0 108 (108) 13 B A A Fortune Joey Ramsden
8 THUNDER KEY 60.0 108 (108) 2 A I Sturgeon Glen Kotzen
9 GAULTIER 60.0 107 (107) 16 A G Lerena Mike Bass
10 MYTHICAL FLIGHT 60.0 106 (106) 3 A ............... Sean Tarry
11 EXTINCT 60.0 105 (105) 12 A T M Yeni Colin Scott
12 RUSHING WIND 60.0 104 (104) 4 B A *A Domeyer Mike Bass
13 BUSH PIRATE 60.0 103 (103) 15 B A K Teetan Joey Ramsden
14 CLEARLY SILVER 59.5 103 (102) 11 A A Forbes Dennis Drier
15 POLAR MOON 59.5 99 ( 98) 10 A B Lerena Grant Maroun([size=small]scratched)
16 CAPTAIN'S GAL 57.5 109 (109) 17 B A A Marcus Sean Tarry[/size]

Reserve Runners

17 GALANTHUS 59.5 100 ( 99) 6 S T Reserve 1 Tyrone Zackey
Couplings: (2,5) (3,9,12) (7,13) (10,16)


ENDS

Please be advised that Polar Moon has been scratched from this year’s Mercury Sprint by trainer, Grant Maroun (Reason: Abnormal blood count Time: 08:33).

David Thiselton – Gold Circle Publishing


Robert Fayd’herbe, assistant trainer to Mike Bass spoke about the yard’s three runners, Blue Tiger, Rushing Wind and Gaultier for this year’s Mercury Sprint which takes place on Sunday at Clairwood Racecourse.



Of the trio he preferred Blue Tiger, who ran second in the Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m on June 12, and said, “We gave him a break and have freshened him up. He galloped well this week.”



Rushing Wind ran a fine race at Scottsville to finish second in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint and won his last start over that same course and distance on July 2.



Fayd’herbe said, “Scottsville suits him with the hill at the end. He hasn’t got the early pace to match them, so it will be a bit more difficult for him at Clairwood.”



Gaultier has been off form, but Fayd’herbe said, “He’s very well and is working well. We can’t find anything wrong with him. In fact Aldo (Domeyer) worked all three of them this week and said Gaultier had worked the best. But he doesn’t seem to be putting it in at the races.”

David Thiselton – Gold Circle Publishing


Trainer Sean Tarry is pleased with both his contenders, Mythical Flight and Captain’s Gal, who will be taking part in Sunday’s Mercury Sprint at Clairwood Racecourse.



The prevailing going at Clairwood down the straight points to the outside being the more favourable side, so Captain’s Gal couldn’t be better drawn in 17 with Mythical Flight having a low number, barrier three.



Captain’s Gal, having beaten an ultra-strong field in the Grade 1 South African Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville in late May, finished a disappointing third-last in the Grade 2 Tibouchina over 1400m at Greyville on Canon Gold Cup day, beaten 15 lengths.



However, Tarry wasn’t perturbed, “There was nothing wrong with her. It was more a case of her doing too much early on from a bad draw. When Piere saw she wouldn’t be in contention he left her alone.”



Captain’s Gal galloped on Monday and Tarry was very happy with her.



He added, “Originally I had her earmarked for the Garden Province on July day, but she’s drawn badly there so we’re going for this race too.”



The four-year-old Captain’s Al filly will be ridden by Anton Marcus.



Mythical Flight was a shock 4-10 loser of this race as a three-year-old in 2007, but was narrowly beaten by two very good horses in War Artist and Rebel King.



Now six-years-old, the Jet Master gelding has lost a little of the tremendous early pace he had as a three-year-old, a season that culminated in him being named Equus Champion Sprinter.



Since returning from overseas, Mythical Flight he has not won in five outings, but did finish third in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m.



He has finished unplaced in both his Champions Season starts in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint over 1200m and the Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1200m.



Tarry said, “His form dipped in Durban. He has had one or two hassles here, but we are very close to sorting it out. I am hoping for a much improved run.”



Mythical Flight also put up a very pleasing gallop on Monday.

JJ The Jet Plane will be running in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint at Clairwood Racecourse on Sunday, a race he won in his only previous attempt in 2008.



Trainer Lucky Houdalakis said on Tuesday, “He hurt his foot and missed 10 days of work. He only came back into work on Monday. He is not 100% fit, but I think he will be fit enough.”



JJ is one of South Africa’s, and even England’s, best loved thoroughbreds, partly due to his children’s’ storybook name and partly due to his humble beginnings, having been bought cheaply due to his Charlie Chaplin-like front feet.



The five-year-old gelding by Champion Sire Jet Master was the 2008 Equus Champion Sprinter and has won his only start since returning from England, easily recapturing the Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint crown over 1200m at Scottsville which he had also won in 2008.



He will arrive in Durban from his Vaal base on Saturday afternoon.

Have not seen a price on JJ? evens

Injury is worrying,as lucky says he should be fit enough,but how can you bet with confidence now?

he doesnt have to be 100 percent to beat this lot...he is in a different league to the rest