Owner Laurence Wernars books jockey to partner Puerto Manzano in Premier’s Champions Challenge
It has been a big season for owner Laurence Wernars. The charismatic businessman has signalled his intention that Kommetdieding won’t have matters all his own way in Saturday’s R2m TAB Premier’s Champions Challenge at Turffontein. He has booked Anton Marcus for the ride on his Argentinian-bred gelding Puerto Manzano.
It means trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren has two runners in the Grade 1 race with Keagan De Melo staying loyal to Second Base. De Melo was in the saddle when Puerto Manzano went down by only three parts of a length to MK’s Pride in the recent Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes.
Marcus will hopefully get a better tune out of Puerto Manzano than he did out of She’s A Keeper in last Saturday’s HSH Princess Charlene Of Monaco Empress Club Stakes. The mare was badly drawn but was never placed to challenge and trailed nearly six lengths behind Princess Calla.
Trainer Gareth van Zyl will be disappointed with the performance as She’s A Keeper had finished only a length adrift of Princess Calla in the Cartier Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth.
Second Base ran second behind Got The Greenlight in the 2021 Premier’s and his recent course and distance win gives Wernars another string to his bow.
Though Mike de Kock will be pleased with Sparkling Water’s third in the Empress Club Stakes, punters should not back the filly for Saturday’s race without a “with a run” guarantee. Her participation will depend on the five-time champion trainer determining whether she can handle two races in a week.
There is also a jockey change on the WSB SA Derby runner-up, Zeus, who has won four of his six starts. De Melo rode Fabian Habib’s three-year-old in the final leg of the WSB Triple Crown, but Craig Zackey got the call to partner the son of Soft Falling Rain in Saturday’s race.
Picture: Puerto Manzano (blog.Hollywoodbets.net).
