Jack Milner
It was on Champions Day last year that trainer Robyn Klaasen was denied her first Grade 1 victory when the photo finish revealed what had deceived the naked eye. Puerto Manzano had just managed to pip Second Base to claim the narrowest of victories in the Grade 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge.
It had to be a tough pill for Klaasen to swallow but she probably did not even notice that in Race 2 on the same card a two-year-old named Purple Pitcher finished third behind Max The Magician in a Juvenile Plate.
She had no connection with him at that stage as he was trained by somebody else, but that youngster was to change her life.
It was Purple Pitcher who finally gave her a first Grade 1 victory when he prevailed in the TAB SA Classic over 1800m on 2 March.
On Saturday he will be looking to make it a Grade 1 double when he lines up in the TAB SA Derby over 2450m.
After his last win there was a lot of confidence emanating from both Klaasen and jockey Kabelo Matsunyane.
Purple Pitcher, a son of New Predator, has been a revelation under Klaasen’s tutelage and won six of his last seven races, and appears to get better as he matures.
He led all the way to win the SA Classic over 1800m and it will be interesting to see whether similar tactics will be adopted over the additional 650m this time.
Matsunyane, who has ridden Purple Pitcher to all of his victories so far, has no concern about the distance and is confident his mount will deliver the goods.
He is the best weighted runner by at least 2kg and has proven his class at a high level so he remains the runner to beat.
A very interesting runner is Mike de Kock-trained Marauding Horde, who has improved since fitted with blinkers and tried over distance.
He finished second in his first two starts, over 1400m and 1600m respectively, but shed his maiden when pushed to 1800m in his third start.
His fourth race was in the Listed Betway Hawwaam Stakes over 2000m, which in effect is the Derby Trial, and tried in blinkers for the first time he turned out to be a runaway 4.25-length victor.
De Kock gave him one more prep run in a MR 80 Handicap over 2000m, and despite giving weight to a number of older horses was never under pressure to win by 1.75 lengths.
On paper he is way out at the weights with the likes of Purple Pitcher, but he is surely a lot better than his current merit rating. It is also worth noting than in all of his starts the Vercingetorix colt has produced the fastest 400m to finish.
He looks certain to relish the distance and one always has to have respect for De Kock-trained horses in races of this nature. After all, he has won the Derby six times.
Jockey Marco van Rensburg has ridden Marauding Horde to his last two victories ,and he will be in the irons once again.
Hotarubi looks the main threat to Purple Pitcher on collateral form. They raced against one another in both the Gauteng Guineas and the SA Classic with Hotarubi, who finished second behind Sandringham Summit, getting the upper hand on the first occasion by 1.20 lengths. Purple Pitcher reversed that in the SA Classic, finishing with a three-length advantage.
Sean Tarry is another trainer who comes good on big occasions so one would be ill-advised to write off the chances of Hotarubi.
S’manga Khumalo has been engaged for the ride.
Presley looks to be quite talented but has not won over further than 1600m. He finished unplaced in his one run over 1800m but his connections were taken aback by that defeat.
Gavin Lerena takes the ride for trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren and Presley could well be the surprise package in this field.