The SA Champions Season commences under the lights at Greyville on Friday with the running of the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes.
The season comprises 25 Race Meetings and 217 races, boasts more than R46-million in prize money and includes 13 Gr1 races; 9 Gr2 races; 9 Gr3 races and 7 Listed races.
The R500 000 Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes is a traditional season starter for many horses with bigger fish to fry. We saw that last year when subsequent July winner Marinaresco got up in a blanket finish to set the stage to better things.
Drill Hall Stakes 2017 thriller!
Fitness and distance suitability are two factors to take serious cognisance of when assessing this weight-for-age plus penalties contest. The danger is, as Marinaresco showed in 2017, class can override the negatives.
So it is a race to go wide in!
Justin Snaith’s Copper Force has drawn wide out – a serious drawback over the Greyville 1400m. But the son of Royal Air Force showed his ability with a storming late effort to get within a half-length of champion miler Legal Eagle in the L’Ormarin’s Queens Plate in January. He was outgunned in the Met but his course and distance second in the Gr3 Byerley Turk last term shows he cannot be underestimated.
Snaith’s Copper Force – can he repeat L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate effort?
Our Mate Art has drawn pole position but has been disappointing..
The smart Brett Crawford 3yo Undercover Agent gives the Daisy Guineas a miss and comes into calculations on his Byerley Turk victory at his last run. Marked as a horse to watch this season, he will be tested here.
The 3yo Undercover Agent – improving quickly
The 7yo Sail South carries top weight and returns from an unplaced run behind Oh Suzanna in the Sun Met. He ran in this race last year when finishing under a half length behind Marinaresco in that extraordinary blanket finish. As a Gr1 winner of last term he must be respected but is likely to need the outing.
Mike Azzie’s Will Pays has struck top class form in recent months and won an impressive race in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes. He enjoys the 1400m and from a fair draw will be settled by regular pilot Craig Zackey for a late swoop on the leaders.
Azzie’s Will Pays – decent form
The 7yo Captain Aldo ran a rare poor race last time out in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes when finishing downfield. He is a generally consistent hard-knocker and could surprise them.
Saratoga Dancer is drawn right on the outside but will prefer the step up in trip after being run off his feet over 1100m behind Hack Green last time out. He should strip fit on Friday evening as he had a barrier trial in March at his first outing since running downfield in the 2017 Vodacom Durban July. He is likely to be looking at other objectives as the season progresses.
Lord Balmoral bucked the trend of the Cape horses appearing to need a run when carrying 62kg to an impressive victory at his last start on the Greyville polytrack. That brings him into the picture on fitness, but his Cape form during the summer was not inspiring.
Harold Crawford’s Jet Master Stakes winner Perovskia has his first run in KZN off some decent home form. While the son of Russian Sage has shown himself to be a game galloper, we will find out how good he is on Friday evening.
2018 Listed Jet Master Stakes winner Perovskia (photo: Chase Liebenberg)
Roy Magner’s Prince Of Kahal is one of two 3yo’s in the field and travels from Gauteng with form that may not be quite good enough to be competitive here.
This is a tricky race and has produced the curved ball in the past. Go wide, with a slight preference for the improving Undercover Agent and Will Pays.
