GREEFF READY FOR POLY CHALLENGE

Henk Steenkamp

The strong Alan Greeff stable is ready to go all the way in the Nelson Mandela Bay Racing East Cape Poly Challenge.

The five-year-old gelding Fairy Knight and stablemate Mercantour are ready to strike in the R175 000 first leg of the Challenge over 1200m at Friday’s Fairview Poly meeting - race 7 of 8 at 16:25.

Fairy Knight is well equipped to win all three legs of the Challenge but first things first. The son of Global View will have to be at his best to start the Challenge on a winning note.

He wasn’t firing on all cylinders in his last start in the Grade 2 Golden Horse Sprint. The jockey reported something to be amiss in running which is a slight concern going into Friday’s feature.

Fairy Knight returns from a break of almost three months and Greeff would have made sure his charge won’t need the run.

The favourite is unbeaten from three starts over this track and trip. He is the best weighted horse in the race and on paper the horse to beat.

Luyolo Mxothwa has been in tremendous form since the new season started at Fairview. He will be aboard and full of confidence to win another feature.

Greeff has solid backup in the consistent Mercantour which is a big danger to his stablemate. S’manga Khumalo takes the ride.

Mercantour is 3kgs better off at the weights this time with Champonelle, but the Cliffie Miller yard is confident they will challenge strongly. Champonelle won his last three starts, beating Mercantour by 1.5 lengths over 1400m last month.

Golden Pavilion (Gavin Smith) won his last two starts and is expected to be in the mix again.

This looks like the Quartet but the money chances of the other three in the small field of 7 runners, Dubai Hills, USA’s Hope and Pas De Nom, can’t be written off completely.

The small field is a bit disappointing but with bonuses to aim for the popular Challenge should once again produce exciting racing.

The second leg will be run on 26 September over 1400m. The third and final leg is on 17 October over 1600m.

The Cape Town horse King Regent, trained by Glen Kotzen, showed everyone how it should be done last season. King Regent became the first horse to win all three legs of the Challenge to secure a bonus of R250 000 for his connections.

There is also the consolation bonus of R50 000 to aim for if one horse doesn’t win all the legs.

That will go to the best performing horse over the three legs. Such a horse must participate in all three legs and win at least one of them.

For the consolation bonus a points system will be in place for the first six finishers. The winner gets 10 points.

The Challenge was introduced in 2016. The poly surface was installed in 2013 after the Arlington track closed down to give Fairview a grass and poly surface. The Polytrack was then upgraded in 2022.

Friday’s meeting starts at 12:55. The first race is the first leg of the Bipot.

The Place Accumulator gets underway with the second race at 13:30. The first leg of the Pick Six is the third race at 14:05.

Enchanting Choice (Greeff, race 5) is a possible banker if she takes to the poly surface. She won her last two starts on the grass very easily.

Few Dollars More (Kotzen) has to carry 62.5kgs over 1600m in a handicap but is also one to consider as a banker in all bets - race 6 at 15:50.

Smallish fields but the Poly Challenge meetings always make for exciting, close finishes. As always, let’s give it a go!