MK’s Pride (Willow Magic) is seen by a few pundits as the only danger to the race favourite Kommetdieding (Elusive Fort) in Saturday’s big one, the TAB Grade 1 weight for age Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein Standside.

Kommetdieding is hard to oppose on the exposed middle distance form of the race.

However, MK’S Pride has never raced over that trip so brings the unknown factor in to the equation.

He proved in his last start he was top class, winning the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes comfortably and beating Kommetdieding by three lengths.

But will he stay 2000m?

One factor in his favour is how beautifully Muzi Yeni switched him off in the Horse Chestnut. He had a lot in reserve by the time he had reached the straight and was not stopping at the line.

His sire Willow Magic was a speedster who beat fellow Grade 1-producing sire Red Ray by 1,75 lengths when winning the SA Nursery over 1160m, which was a Grade 1 back then.

However, he did also win the Grade 2 Dingaans over a mile and also finished second to Legislate in the Grade 1 Gold Challenge over a mile.

MK’s Pride’s dam Ikimasu is by Admire Main , who won a Group 2 over a mile-and-a-half before finishing a neck second in the Grade 1 Japanese Derby.

So that gives some hope MK’s Pride can stay the tough Turffontein Standside 2000m trip.

Furthermore, Ikimasu’s only win was over 1600m in just her second start in the October of her three-year-old year.

However, she has produced the out and out sprinter Seemyvision, who is by Visionaire and who has won six times, all over 1000m, and who is Listed-placed.

She has also produced McKenna Sky (Act Of War), whose two wins have been over 1400m and she hasn’t been tried over much further. 

However, there is some stamina further down in MK’s Pride’s pedigree.

MK’s most noticeable stamina ancestor is his fourth dam Guadaloupe, the full-sister to Durban July winner Gondolier.

The other factor in is favour is his immense courage, not to mention his strength and the flying champion-elect form of the Paul Peter yard.  

It is going to be a fascinating race and a few others can’t be written off either, including Sparkling Water who is a typically improving daughter of Silvano and who will be finishing strongly over a trip well within her stamina range. 

Picture: MK’S Pride striding out superbly in a workout at Turffontein earlier this week (Candiese Lenferna).