Henk Steenkamp
The Fire Away gelding My Best Shot looks set to have a crack at the bonus in the East Cape Sophomore Challenge.
He won the first two legs of the challenge and has been nominated to run in the third and final leg, which is the R350 000 WSB East Cape Derby for three-year-olds over 2400m, on May 9 on the Fairview Turf track.
The Derby nominations are dominated by the East Cape champion stable of trainer Alan Greeff.
Greeff has entered 6 of the 14 horses, which includes My Best Shot.
Justin Snaith, with two entries, and Vaughan Marshall with one, are the only Cape Town conditioners who have nominated runners for one of the Eastern Cape’s biggest events.
All eyes will be on My Best Shot if he takes his place in the race.
No horse has been able to win all three legs of the EC Sophomore Challenge to secure the bonus of R250 000 for his connections.
My Best Shot is the top stakes earner at Fairview this season – R510 000 in total stakes from 7 starts (6 wins).
My Best Shot was an easy winner of the Listed Ibhayi Stakes over 1400m in February, and the Listed East Cape Guineas last month.
It will be a huge step up in distance for him in the Derby, but there are indications in his breeding that suggest he can handle the distance.
The only Triple Crown winners in the East Cape are King Regent, who won all three legs of the Poly Challenge this season, and Stormy Appeal who ruled supreme in the EC Fillies and Mares Challenge in 2003.
The Greeff stable also dominates the entries for the other feature on Derby Day, the R175 000 Listed Dahlia Plate for two-year-olds over 1200m. Five of the ten entries are from the Greeff yard.
There is only one Cape Town nomination for this race, Mutiny In Heaven (Brett & James Crawford).
Final fields will be named on Monday 5th May.