The season debut of exciting sire Gimmethegreenlight’s first Gr1 winner Gunner should add plenty of interest to today’s Scottsville racemeeting.
Gunner wins the Premiers Champion Stakes
Paul Gadsby’s gelding carries top weight as he takes on ten opponents in the second leg of the R150 000 KZN 3yo Series run over 1400m on the inside track.
The Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes marked a milestone for a few.
It was a first Gr1 victory for Varsfontein’s blue-blooded first season sire Gimmethegreenlight, as well as the winner’s breeders Nadeson Park and former jockey-turned trainer, Paul Gadsby.
The 2016 Super Saturday dream team are back with jockey Brandon Lerena at the controls again on Sunday where the promising Ashburton-based 3yo returns to race action after an eleven week break.
The local series for 3yo’s sees winners carrying a base 54kgs (maidens carry 52kgs), with penalties of 6kgs for a Gr1 win, 4kgs for a Gr2 victory and 3kgs and 2kgs respectively for Gr3 and Listed scores.
The top two highest rated runners stand out.
Get your racecard and all the winners here
Gunner runs off an MR 101 and has hardly put a foot wrong since winning on his 1000m debut back in April.
An eyecatching third in the Gr2 Golden Horseshoe on July day, when only 1,75 lengths behind Zodiac Ruler, saw Gunner turn the tables on the Snaith’s promising looking Australian-bred on Super Saturday, when he bolted clear to win the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.
Charles Laird’s Palladium (90) was beaten 14,80 lengths in that race by Gunner and now gets 4kgs from the Gadsby runner.
Gatecrasher winner Palladium – looks a serious challenger
A winner of the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes at his second start, that does not look to have been Palladium’s genuine effort after he was bumped and ran freely – unlike at his opening two wins where he appeared to enjoy being covered up.
Palladium gets the services of Anton Marcus here and has the slight edge of the benefit of a run – albeit 9 weeks ago. He saw the Scottsville turn there, when a well beaten 3,25 length third to Legend.
Mark Dixon’s recent maiden winner Scent Of The Tiger (87) steps up in ground after his recent smooth maiden win and the son of Tiger Ridge could be just about anything as he takes on stronger company.
Roy’s Magic (84) may be held by Scent Of The Tiger on a line through Cabinda, who ran behind them – three weeks apart.
Highway Eightyfive (83) was not exposed in feature company as a 2yo but may hold Palladium in receipt of 2kgs, if his 3yo debut run behind Legend is taken as fact.
He ran on to finish 0,20 lengths behind Palladium there and hails from the in-form Doug Campbell yard.
Alistair Gordon has course and distance winner Marshall That (83) and My Pal Al (80) in the field.
Marshall That carries 52,5kgs and was an impressive maiden winner on the outside track 5 weeks ago.
The beautifully bred son of Fort Wood has his fourth start and could be the dark horse, despite his 10 draw and must go into exotics.
My Pal Al was close up to Palladium much earlier on and won his maiden on the polytrack over Saturday’s distance at his fourth outing last time.
Roberts Coupling
Trainer Muis Roberts – decent two fisted attack
Michael Roberts saddles first-time gelded Sarah’s Secret (81) and The King Of Random (78).
Sarah’s Secret has the rails draw and carries 51,5kgs after his maiden win in mid-August.
The son of Argonaut started unfancied at both his starts and is difficult to assess against the feature exposed runners.
It is known that The King Of Random is highly thought of and while the son of King Of Kings has plenty to do at the weights, he may be better than things look on paper.
He won his maiden on the Greyville poly and was scratched with an elevated temperature from his recently scheduled start.
Paul Lafferty’s Bling Swing is the only maiden in the race and even with his paperweight of 49,5kgs courtesy of the claim of promising apprentice Diego De Gouveia, he looks to have a task task after a fourth on his 35-1 debut.
The race looks likely to produce a keenly contested finish, with Gunner and Palladium the proven class.
Highway Eightyfive and Marshall That look the pair most likely to spoil the party.
Beyond that, the possibility of improvement amongst these mostly unexposed youngsters makes the prospect of an upset a reasonable alternative.
