Henk Steenkamp
The time has arrived for Mercantour to get serious.
At the Fairview Polytrack on Friday the son of Var can take a step closer to securing the bonus on offer for winning all three legs of the Nelson Mandela Bay Racing East Cape Poly Challenge.
He is the solid favourite and weighted to win the R175 000 NBT second leg over 1400m for the Alan Greeff stable - the seventh of the eight races on Friday.
Mercantour just managed to get home in the first leg over 1200m and should have no problem stepping up in distance. He has won once and finished third over track and trip.
Richard Fourie takes the ride and all eyes will be on him and Mercantour. It is a small but competitive field of eight runners who will face the starter at 16:05.
The third and final leg of the Challenge over 1600m takes place on October 17.
The Greeff stable is in tremendous form and has solid backup in the race with good efforts also expected from Guy Gibson and The Africa House.
But there is (USA’s) hope for the challengers in the form of the sixth-year-old son of The United States.
USA’s Hope from the Gavin Smith stable finished 1.1 lengths behind Mercantour in the first leg when he was running on late with jockey Craig Zackey.
Another huge effort is expected from USA’s Hope, but he does meet Mercantour on the same weight terms which don’t make it any easier for him.
The Cliffie Miller yard expected more from Champonelle when he disappointed in the first leg. A better effort is expected this time and one to keep in mind if you look past the favourite.
Earlier on the day the Greeff-trained filly Wishes And Dreams could be a banker in all bets according to the betting. She is the odds-on favourite to win the fifth race, a handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m.
Wishes And Dreams takes a step up in distance and the stable is confident that she will produce the goods.
The first race is off at 12:35