Thrilling Champions Day contests

Jack Milner

The fields for Day 3 of the Championships were finalised on Wednesday and there will be a 12-race card for racing fan to savour at Turffontein on Saturday 29 March.

That will encompass three Jackpots, two BiPots, one Place Accumulator and a Pick 6 that will kick off with a R1 million carryover and the pool likely to reach R5 million.

Even more exciting the is that fact that this is a Hong Kong World Pool event and bettors will be able to bet into massive international TAB pools without their bets having a negative impact on the payouts.

There are four Grade 1 races on the card, headed up by the R2-million Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein, the others being the TAB SA Derby over 2450m, the TAB Computaform Sprint over 1000m and the TAB Empress Club Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m.     

Also on the card are four Grade 2 races – the Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks for three-year-old fillies over 2450m, the Hawaii Stakes over 1400m as well as the SA Nursery and SA Fillies Nursery, both over 1160m.

There are 11 runners carded for the Champions Challenge and it sees the return of last year’s winner Royal Victory. Trained in KwaZulu-Natal by Nathan Kotzen, Royal Victory, a five-year-old Pathfork gelding, has run his best races on the Turffontein Standside track and last season won both the Betway Summer Cup and the Champions Challenge.

Muzi Yeni, who rode him to victory in both of those races but was out of action with an injury for this season’s Summer Cup will be back in the irons for this event.

Royal Victory L)) did disappoint in his warm-up race but he was probably in need of the race and will improve on that run.

An interesting runner is three-year-old Fire Attack from the Alec Laird yard and he will have the services of champion jockey Richard Fourie. With just 55.5kg on his back he should be a contender for top honours.

Laird also has Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch in the race and Calvin Habib will take the ride this time.

The SA Derby contains 13 runners and there will be a lot of excitement around Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Immediate Edge who is unbeaten in three starts. Ryan Munger has ridden him in all three of his starts and is back in the irons once again.

However, he will come against another Laird runner in Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas champion Parisian Walkway.

A small but quality field will line up in the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes which sees Spumante Dolce and VJ’s Angel, first and second in the Wilgerbosdrift Gauteng Fillies Guineas, clash again, and they will be joined by Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Fatal Flaw, trained by Brett and James Crawford.

William Robertson might be getting on but he seems to have got even better with age and he could be the runner to beat in the Computaform Sprint over 1000m but he will find a strong competitor in Sean Tarry-trained Lucky Lad.

Interestingly, Cruise Control will be making the trip from the Eastern Cape for this race and he should enjoy this very quick 1000m.

HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB WORLD POOL PREMIER'S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1)(For all horses at Weight for Age) R2,000,000 2000m

1 - 10 ROYAL VICTORY (N Kotzen) M Yeni 60.0 - 124

2 - 8 PURPLE PITCHER (R Klaasen) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 123

3 - 9 ATTICUS FINCH (A G Laird) C Habib 60.0 - 121

4 - 7 SON OF RAJ (A P Peter) G Lerena 60.0 - 119

5 - 5 IMILENZEYOKUDUDUMA (G van Zyl (Jnr)) R Munger 60.0 - 114

6 - 6 HOTARUBI (S G Tarry) P Strydom 60.0 - 112

7 - 1 NAVAJO NATION (W H Marwing) K J Lihaba 60.0 - 102

8 - 3 SILVER SANCTUARY (M/M de Kock) J P v'd Merwe 57.5 - 117

9 - 2 NONE OTHER (M N Houdalakis) C Zackey 57.5 - 115

10 - 11 FIRE ATTACK (A G Laird) R Fourie 55.5 - 116

11 - 4 CHESTNUT BOMBER (J J van Vuuren) S Khumalo 55.5 - 104

Same Trainer: (3,10)

TAB SA DERBY (Grade 1)(3-year-olds) R1,250,000 2450m

1 - 4 PARISIAN WALKWAY (A G Laird) C Habib 60.0 - 121

2 - 12 LEGEND OF ARTHUR (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 109

3 - 6 GREY JET (W C Marwing) R A Venniker 60.0 - 108

4 - 3 BACCHUS (F P Habib) C Zackey 60.0 - 101

5 - 2 DON'T CRY FOR ME (S G Tarry) P Strydom 60.0 - 101

6 - 9 WILD INTENT (M N Houdalakis) G Lerena 60.0 - 99

7 - 8 IMMEDIATE EDGE (M/M de Kock) R Munger 60.0 - 94

8 - 7 TOWERS OF GOLD (P F Matchett) P Mxoli 60.0 - 93

9 - 13 ZIP CODE (D Nieuwenhuizen) C Maujean 60.0 - 89

10 - 11 SOLAR SAIL (M Khan) J Penny 60.0 - 86

11 - 10 CASUS BELLI (P F Matchett) R Danielson 60.0 - 83

12 - 5 COUNT HUHTIKUU (B/J Crawford) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 79

13 - 1 OLIVIA'S WAY (R R Magner) M Yeni 57.5 - 112

Same Trainer: (2,5) (8,11)

TAB EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (Grade 1)(Fillies and Mares at Weight-for-Age) R1,000,000 1600m

1 - 1 BEATING WINGS (S T Pettigrew) R Fourie 60.0 - 116

2 - 2 WHITE PEARL (M/M de Kock) P Strydom 60.0 - 114

3 - 6 LET'S GO NOW (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 113

4 - 3 LADY FALLON (M N Houdalakis) S Khumalo 60.0 - 102

5 - 5 SPUMANTE DOLCE (M/M de Kock) R Danielson 57.0 - 119

6 - 4 VJ'S ANGEL (A P Peter) C Habib 57.0 - 119

7 - 7 FATAL FLAW (B/J Crawford) G Lerena 57.0 - 115

Same Trainer: (2,5)

TAB COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1)(Weight for Age) R1,000,000 1000m

1 - 9 WILLIAM ROBERTSON (C Spies) R Munger 60.0 - 128

2 - 2 LUCKY LAD (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 125

3 - 5 MELECH (R R Magner) M Yeni 60.0 - 119

4 - 10 CRUISE CONTROL (G D Smith) C Zackey 60.0 - 118

5 - 11 MOVER AND SHAKER (F P Habib) S Khumalo 60.0 - 112

6 - 6 GOLDEN SICKLE (A P Peter) G Lerena 57.5 - 121

7 - 12 CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (C Spies) K Matsunyane 57.5 - 115

8 - 4 PISTOL PETE (A P Peter) C Habib 57.5 - 115

9 - 1 TAXI TO THE MOON (A P Peter) A Fortune 57.5 - 110

10 - 3 TIME FO ORCHIDS (J J van Vuuren) S Moodley 57.5 - 107

11 - 8 WINDS OF CHANGE (M/A Azzie) J P v'd Merwe 57.5 - 107

12 - 7 NO FILTER (M N Prinsloo) D De Gouveia 57.5 - 103

Same Trainer: (1,7) (6,8,9)

WILGERBOSDRIFT BRIDGET OPPENHEIMER SA OAKS (Grade 2)(3-year-old fillies) R750,000 2450m

1 - 5 FIERY PEGASUS (J A Soma) R Fourie 60.0 - 119

2 - 4 WORLD OF ALICE (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 108

3 - 3 GERBERA (S G Tarry) R Munger 60.0 - 99

4 - 8 CARE FORGOT (B D Botes) S Khumalo 60.0 - 98

5 - 7 HAT'S QUEEN (A P Peter) C Habib 60.0 - 96

6 - 9 TODOQUE (P F Matchett) R A Venniker 60.0 - 92

7 - 1 COCOMELON (S G Tarry) G Lerena 60.0 - 90

8 - 10 ANCIENT WISDOM (A P Peter) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 88

9 - 11 FETCHING FLYER (P F Matchett) P Mxoli 60.0 - 88

10 - 2 THE MIGHTIEST (W H Marwing) K J Lihaba 60.0 - 78

11 - 6 PARTY PUNCH (P P Labuschagne) R Danielson 60.0 - 77

Same Trainer: (2,3,7) (5,8) (6,9)

TAB HAWAII STAKES (Grade 2) R500,000 1400m

1 - 4 MAIN DEFENDER (A P Peter) G Lerena 60.0 - 130

2 - 7 BARBARESCO (J J van Vuuren) S Khumalo 58.0 - 125

3 - 6 TEXAS RED (R Klaasen) K Matsunyane 58.0 - 115

4 - 5 GIMMEANOTHERCHANCE (M/M de Kock) C Zackey 58.0 - 109

5 - 1 FIRE 'N FLAMES (J S Roux) S Moodley 58.0 - 101

6 - 9 SLINKY MAPIMPI (P/J Vermeulen) R Danielson 58.0 - 97

7 - 8 COSMIC SPEED (S G Tarry) R Fourie 57.0 - 120

8 - 3 BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW (G J Maroun) R Munger 55.0 - 104

9 - 2 GIMMEFABULOUS (M/A Azzie) J P v'd Merwe 52.5 - 102

WILGERBOSDRIFT SA NURSERY (Grade 2)(2-year-old) R500,000 1160m

1 - 1 CHARMING CHEETAH (R Klaasen) A Fortune 60.0 - 94

2 - 2 ESTEEMED (M/M de Kock) R Fourie 60.0 - 0

3 - 4 KING HARALD (R R Magner) G Lerena 60.0 - 91

4 - 6 PORRIDGE BOY (M Pandaram) K A Brewer 60.0 - 87

5 - 5 GREEN DIAMOND (S G Tarry) C Zackey 57.5 - 0

6 - 3 TINA LOVELACE (S G Tarry) R Munger 57.5 - 84

Same Trainer: (5,6)

TAB SA FILLIES NURSERY (Grade 2)(2-year-old fillies) R350,000 1160m

1 - 3 ARASHI (A P Peter) S Khumalo 60.0 - 88

2 - 5 CLAIRWOOD ROSE (P F Matchett) M Yeni 60.0 - 81

3 - 2 ELEGANTRIX (C Spies) R Munger 60.0 - 96

4 - 4 GLASTONBURY (P F Matchett) R A Venniker 60.0 - 97

5 - 7 GOLDEN PALM (A C Greeff) R Fourie 60.0 - 83

6 - 1 HOT COCOA (M/A Azzie) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 - 0

7 - 6 ONE FINE WINTER (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 88

Same Trainer: (2,4)