Royal Victory gets up to beat Winchester Mansion in the Premier’s Champions Challenge last year and will be back to defend his crown on March 29. (JC Photos)
An initial entry of twelve for the Gr 1 weight for age R2 million Premier’s Champions Challenge has been bolstered by two supplementary entries from the Sean Tarry yard, Legend Of Arthur and Let’s Go Now, who have merit ratings of 109 and 113.
The defending champion Royal Victory is one of two out of province entries and this Nathan Kotzen-trained five-year-old is the highest merit rated entry on 124.
The other out of province entry is the Gareth van Zyl-trained Imilenzeyokududuma, who is merit rated 114.
The other Gr 1 winners in the field besides Royal Victory, with their merit ratings in brackets, are the Robyn Klaasen-trained SA Classic and SA Derby winner Purple Pitcher (123), The Alec Laird-trained Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch (121), the Mike de Kock-trained Woolavington 2000 winner Silver Sanctuary (117), the Fabian Habib-trained SA Classic winner Confederate (118) and the Tony Peter-trained SA Derby winner Son Of Raj (119).
The other entries are the hardknocking Alec Laird-trained Fire Attack (116), the Lucky Houdalakis-trained former SA Oaks winner None Other (115), the Sean Tarry-trained Hotarubi (112), the Weiho Marwing-trained Navajo Nation (102) and the hardknocking Tarry-trained World Of Alice (108).
The three-year-olds among the entries are Confederate, Fire Attack, Legend Of Arthur and World Of Alice.
Let’s Go Now, Silver Sanctuary, None Other and World Of Alice are the female entries.
Fire Attack must have a strong chance. He was finishing strongly from midfield in the SA Classic to be beaten just 0.70 lengths by Confederate.
Confederate went to the front in the SA Classic and stayed all the way to the line in superb fashion. He need not repeat the front running tactic. He is a very good looking specimen with a long stride and scope for further improvement. The manner of that victory together with the testing going on the day suggests he won’t have a problem staying the extra 200m trip. There is a lot of speed in his pedigree, but on the other hand his Danehill Dancer dam is out of a Sadlers Wells mare. He drew two among the initial entries, which augurs well for him as he will probably like to be handy.
Fire attack drew widest of all among the initial entries, so will likely have to come from off the pace again. He also ran as if he would get further.
Royal Victory also drew wide in 11 out of the 12 initial entries, but he has been shown to not be bothered by wide draws at Turffontein Standside before. Muzi Yeni is an expert at slotting in from such draws and furthermore Royal Victory has a fine turn of foot coupled with a resolute finish.
Atticus Finch is the Betway Summer Cup winner, which proved he stays this trip, but he was receiving weight that day. He is now 3kg worse off with Royal Victory for a three length beating.
Purple Pitcher could well be the pacemaker and like he did in the SA Classic he might attempt to lead from start to finish. He comes off a good second to Son of Raj in the Grade 3 Betway London New Stakes over 1800m and he will be 3kg better off with the latter in this race for a mere 1,90 length beating.
Son of Raj benefited from a holiday he was given after last season and turned it on in fine style in the London News. As a winner of the SA Derby he will have no problem staying this trip. He drew 7 out of 12 among the initial entries.
World of Alice strikes as one who will relish this step up in trip, although she does need to get into the race sooner because she is often a bit far out of her ground.
Let’s Go Now is an improving sort who always struck as one who would come into her own as a four-year-old and she is doing so. She will need to prove she stays this trip and on pedigree should do so being by Gimmethegreenlight out of a Silvano mare, who did win up to 2000m.
Hotarubi produced an amazing finish last time to win over 1400 metres after looking beaten. He is an enigmatic sort, but he has a middle draw and on his day could surprise.
Imilenziyokududuma clearly relished the Turffontein Standside track in the Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes and stayed on resolutely for a fine third. He is a most interesting runner as he gave the impression that he would enjoy this course and distance.
Legend of Arthur was a touch unlucky in the SA Classic, because he started slowly and was left with too much to do, but he did finish very well and should relish this step up in trip.
None Other is capable of a strong finish and as an SA Oaks winner will have no problem with the trip, but she was well beaten in the London News Stakes which is a bit concerning for her chances here.
Silver Sanctuary is a Group 1 winner over this trip, but this is against the boys and she likely faces a harder task than she did when winning the Woolavington 2000 and she needs to bonce back from a below par effort in the London News Stakes when beaten 9,75 lengths.
Navajo Nation will need to improve to threaten here.
Fabian Habib has left his options open as Confederate is also entered for the SA Derby and Gauteng Guineas winner Parisian Walkway and Mike and Mathew de Kock’s exciting unbeaten prospect, Immediate Edge are also entries in the Derby.
The Empress Club Stakes has attracted some talented three-year-old fillies in Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Fatal Flaw, Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic champion Fiery Pegasus as well as Gauteng Fillies Guineas champion and runner-up Spumante Dolce and VJ’s Angel.
The Computaform Sprint is probably the fastest sprint in the country if the weather is good and as expected two of the best sprinters in the land, Dyce and Lucky Lad, are among the nominations.
However, among the entries is the De Kock-trained Greaterix who has the speed to feature in a race of this nature. The grey colt has also been nominated for the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m.
Supplementary entries close at 09:00 on Monday 17 March with declarations by 11:00 on Wednesday 19 March.
Entries for all the big races on the day are shown below.
Entries for the R2-million World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge (Grade 1) over 2000m.
LEGEND OF ARTHER (S G Tarry) Supplementary Entry
LET’S GO NOW (S G Tarry) Supplementary entry
9 ATTICUS FINCH (A G Laird) 60.0
6 HOTARUBI (S G Tarry) 60.0
5 IMILENZEYOKUDUDUMA (G van Zyl (Jnr)) 60.0
1 NAVAJO NATION (W H Marwing) 60.0
8 PURPLE PITCHER (R Klaasen) 60.0
11 ROYAL VICTORY (N Kotzen) 60.0
7 SON OF RAJ (A P Peter) 60.0
3 NONE OTHER (M N Houdalakis) 57.5
4 SILVER SANCTUARY (M/M de Kock) 57.5
2 CONFEDERATE (F P Habib) 55.5
12 FIRE ATTACK (A G Laird) 55.5
10 WORLD OF ALICE (S G Tarry) 53.0
Entries for the R1-million TAB Empress Club Stakes (F&M) over 1600m
1 BEATING WINGS (S T Pettigrew) 60.0
7 LADY FALLON (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
12 LET’S GO NOW (S G Tarry) 60.0
13 MINOGUE (C Dawson) 60.0
15 MY SOUL MATE (C Dawson) 60.0
2 RASCOVA (S G Tarry) 60.0
9 SILVER SANCTUARY (M/M de Kock) 60.0
5 WHITE PEARL (M/M de Kock) 60.0
14 FATAL FLAW (B/J Crawford) 57.0
4 FIERY PEGASUS (J A Soma) 57.0
11 MISS SCALETTA (P F Matchett) 57.0
3 QUEEN OF LOVE (R R Magner) 57.0
10 SPUMANTE DOLCE (M/M de Kock) 57.0
8 VJ’S ANGEL (A P Peter) 57.0
6 WILLY MEET AGAIN (M N Houdalakis) 57.0
Entries for the R1.5-million TAB SA Derby (Grade 1) over 2450m
3 BACCHUS (F P Habib) 60.0
11 CASUS BELLI (P F Matchett) 60.0
8 CHESTNUT BOMBER (J J van Vuuren) 60.0
12 CONFEDERATE (F P Habib) 60.0
5 COUNT HUHTIKUU (B/J Crawford) 60.0
17 DIWALI ROCKET (M Pandaram) 60.0
2 DON’T CRY FOR ME (S G Tarry) 60.0
6 GREY JET (W C Marwing) 60.0
9 IMMEDIATE EDGE (M/M de Kock) 60.0
13 LEGEND OF ARTHUR (S G Tarry) 60.0
14 ONE MORE STAR (S G Tarry) 60.0
15 PANNING GOLD (A Ndzilana) 60.0
4 PARISIAN WALKWAY (A G Laird) 60.0
7 TOWERS OF GOLD (P F Matchett) 60.0
10 WILD INTENT (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
16 ZIP CODE (D Nieuwenhuizen) 60.0
1 OLIVIA’S WAY (R R Magner) 57.5
Entries for the R1-million TAB Computaform Sprint (Grade 1) over 1000m
16 CRUISE CONTROL (G D Smith) 60.0
10 DYCE (M N Houdalakis) 60.0
2 LUCKY LAD (S G Tarry) 60.0
17 MOVER AND SHAKER (F P Habib) 60.0
15 WILLIAM ROBERTSON (C Spies) 60.0
18 CHOCOLATE SOLDIER (C Spies) 57.5
7 COSMIC SPEED (S G Tarry) 57.5
8 GOLDEN SICKLE (A P Peter) 57.5
9 GREATERIX (M/M de Kock) 57.5
6 KARATE KID (P F Matchett) 57.5
11 NO FILTER (M N Prinsloo) 57.5
4 PISTOL PETE (A P Peter) 57.5
13 ROMAN AGENT (K Naidoo) 57.5
1 TAXI TO THE MOON (A P Peter) 57.5
3 TIME FO ORCHIDS (J J van Vuuren) 57.5
5 TRUTH (C Dawson) 57.5
12 WILD AT WAR (C Dawson) 57.5
14 WINDS OF CHANGE (M/A Azzie) 57.5
Entries for the R750,000 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks (Grade 2) over 2450m
10 ANCIENT WISDOM (A P Peter) 60.0
8 CARE FORGOT (B D Botes) 60.0
1 COCOMELON (S G Tarry) 60.0
11 FETCHING FLYER (P F Matchett) 60.0
5 FIERY PEGASUS (J A Soma) 60.0
3 GERBERA (S G Tarry) 60.0
7 HAT’S QUEEN (A P Peter) 60.0
13 KEY WORKER (S T Pettigrew) 60.0
12 OLIVIA’S WAY (R R Magner) 60.0
6 PARTY PUNCH (P P Labuschagne) 60.0
2 THE MIGHTIEST (W H Marwing) 60.0
9 TODOQUE (P F Matchett) 60.0
4 WORLD OF ALICE (S G Tarry) 60.0
Entries for the R500,000 TAB Hawaii Stakes (Grade 2) over 1400m
9 MAIN DEFENDER (A P Peter) 60.0
15 BARBARESCO (J J van Vuuren) 58.0
1 COUSIN CASEY (S G Tarry) 58.0
3 FIRE ‘N FLAMES (J S Roux) 58.0
10 GIMMEANOTHERCHANCE (M/M de Kock) 58.0
4 INFINITE WONDER (M Pandaram) 58.0
11 MELECH (R R Magner) 58.0
14 MOUNT PILATUS (F Bronkhorst) 58.0
12 SAVANNAH STORM (P/J Vermeulen) 58.0
19 SLINKY MAPIMPI (P/J Vermeulen) 58.0
13 TEXAS RED (R Klaasen) 58.0
18 COSMIC SPEED (S G Tarry) 57.0
8 FASTNET FILLY (B/J Crawford) 55.5
17 MINOGUE (C Dawson) 55.5
6 BUSSTOPINHOUNSLOW (G J Maroun) 55.0
7 GREATERIX (M/M de Kock) 55.0
16 TRUTH (C Dawson) 55.0
2 WINDS OF CHANGE (M/A Azzie) 55.0
5 GIMMEFABULOUS (M/A Azzie) 52.5
5 POMODORO’S JET (B/J Crawford) 0.0
