Runners will be competitive, says Peter

Jack Milner

Paul Peter is just three days away from claiming his first national Champion Trainer’s title but he is not letting up.

He goes into Saturday’s race meeting at Hollywoodbets Greyville with 15 runners, having participants in the Grade 3 Marshalls World Of Sport Gold Cup as well as all four Grade 1 events.

“It’s going to be exciting,” said Peter on Wednesday. “We have a number of competitive runners at the meeting.”

This has been a remarkable season for the stable, which two weeks back broke the record for the most winners in a season (215) and at the time of writing has extended that to 219.

Also at the time of writing, Peter holds a R2.59-million lead over rival Justin Snaith which now makes him uncatchable.

Peter did feel that the stable’s best chance comes up in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m, and that is because he has four runners, all with decent chances and even more important, all with good draws.

There does appear to be a slight preference for Big Burn, mainly because of the race conditions.

“She’s the second-best weighted runner, her work is good, she loves the turn and is drawn No 2. When we asked Warren (Kennedy) which horse he wanted to ride, he didn’t hesitate in choosing Big Burn,” said Peter.

However, he did not have the choice of Computaform Sprint winner Master Archie as that was always going to Gavin Lerena who has an excellent rapport with the three-year-old son of Rafeef.

The concern is that Master Archie was all at sea in the Durban Dash over 1100m at Greyville last time when beaten by William Robertson, but Peter says the race did not pan out well for him. “There was a strange pace and he got too far out of his ground, but he did run on well and I think the extra 100m will be in his favour.

“He’s also very well.”

Val D’Orcia showed a liking for Greyville when he won the Grade 2 Post Merchants over this course and distance on Durban July day.

“He won a good race last time, but he is a little worse in at the weights. We were running him with blinkers but he started to jump slowly. We decided perhaps the blinkers were the problem so we took them off, and it worked.

“He will have a difficult task at the weights, but he is drawn No 1.”

Keagan de Melo takes the ride.

Smorgasbord is their fourth runner but there was concern with his last run when he was reported not to take any interest. “He has been so consistent so that came as a surprise, but

he was going for a gap on his outside and another horse started to lean on him, so he dropped the bit.

“It was very disappointing. He is well drawn but has a lot of weight.”

While Peter was not keen to give his preference for their best runner on the day, he did reluctantly admit: “If I had to be pushed then I would have to say Shangani.”

The son of Soft Falling Rain runs in the Gold Cup over 3200m where he will have to take on the reigning staying champion Nebraas from the Sean Tarry yard. He did, however, beat Nebraas by one length when they last met over 2400m at Turffontein on 3 July.

“He had a very good win and he wasn’t 100%. We left a little to work for improvement. I’m really quite confident about him because this has been his mission.

“He’s in a good space and Warren is quite confident.”

In the Grade 1 Champions Cup Peter admits that Jet Dark is the horse to beat. “Astrix is well and he’s drawn No 2, so in a small field I feel he has a good place chance. He has trained on as he’s got older.

“He’s all heart but at the weights it’s difficult to say he has a winning chance.

“MK’s Pride is maturing and perhaps 1800m is now even better for him. He has been placed in a lot of Group 1s in KwaZulu-Natal but has not managed to win one.

“He’s in a good space, Muzi (Yeni) gets on with him so I hope he can surprise.”

Of the remaining runners, Peter is anticipating dominant performances from Bless My Stars in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes over 1600m and River Queraress in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes where she will be taking on the colts.

“Bless My Stars is a smart filly, and she’s come on a lot since her debut win. I know she did not beat the strongest of fields but she won well and the runner-up, High Roller, came out and won at the Vaal on Tuesday.

“Warren says she gave him a good feel and that she is a good mover. She has a decent draw and must be a runner.”

River Queraress was always going to be aimed at one of the two juvenile Grade 1 races so she was nominated for both. “We always had this mile race planned for her so when she drew shockingly in the fillies’ event, we decided to go with the colts’ race.

“Her dam is a half-sister to Derby winner Irish Flame so she will stay all day. She’s a long, tall filly and Warren aways said she needed a mile.

“Don’t leave her out of any bets, even though she’s taking on the colts. Two-year-old fillies usually develop quicker than the colts and she is very decent.

“I do fancy her chances and I think she will be in the mix.”

While he makes Marina a hard filly to beat in the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m, Peter is expecting Sprinkles to be competitive.

“She’s not the biggest of fillies and last time she was inconvenienced. But she’s very well. I’ve freshened her up after her hard campaign in Joburg and this race suits her weight-wise.”