The downgrading of the R350 000 East Cape Derby to Listed status has not deterred a strong visiting contingent who will take on the locals at Fairview today.
No PE-based runner has won the race since 2009, so the competition should be intense.
Fiddling with feature race status is a generally contentious and poorly communicated process in the South African racing hierarchy. Whether it’s considered bad for business or just not the kind of subject decent families discuss around the dinner table, it would be positive were the media at the very least informed where and by whom these decisions are made.
At least the stake stays intact!
The SP top-rated runner is the Duncan Howells raider Sabre Charge.
KZN raider Sabre Charge – SP top rated and should go close
A winner of 2 of his 8 starts and proven over the trip – the son of Golden Sword has won twice over this distance at Scottsville – he comes in as a major factor with Keagan de Melo aboard.
The officially highest rated runner in the race, Story Of My Life is a pacy gelding who takes a dramatic step up in trip after two quiet feature efforts recently.
He is not a horse who settles, and that could be a major factor over the 2400m trip.
Alan Greeff – takes on the boys
Fillies have no kind of record in this race, but Alan Greeff saddles two of them – and may feel that the boys are worth taking on.
Another Night has won at 1800m but was not persevered with last time and needs to improve on what she has shown so far.
Jockey Ndlovu reported that he felt something amiss with her in the running last time out – but with nothing detected by the Vet, we remain in the dark.
Candice Bass-Robinson will be looking for her first winner in this race and after her yard hit form at home and in KZN last weekend, it may be worth considering the lightly tried Dorset Noble.
The son of multiple Royal Ascot winner Canford Cliffs shed his maiden over 2400m at his second start – dare we say it beating the Bookies Buddy, Hernando’s Promise.
His post-maiden was a good effort to stablemate Benjan.
Snaith’s Strathdon – can follow up for the double
Justin Snaith’s Silvano gelding Strathdon cracked a deserved second win last time at this track and looks to go the extra 400m on Saturday.
This classy fellow has some reasonable earlier fringe showings to the likes of William Longsword and Horizon and he could give his trainer a back-to-back celebration after Captain Splendid won the Derby (when still a Gr3) last year.
Piere Strydom, who had a good day on Friday at Fairview, rides the Right Approach colt Off The Bit, who has decent enough form but he has yet to prove he will see out the distance.
He did run third in the Derby Plate over 2000m, 2.75 lengths behind Snaith-trained Strathdon but will be 4kg better off this time.
Brett Crawford travels from his Phillipi home base with the R4,25 million purchase Arabian Dynasty.
Brett Crawford – Arabian Dynasty a big runner if he stays
This beautifully bred gelding has won once in six starts and accounted for the very modest Hernando’s Promise when winning his maiden over 1800m.
Interestingly, Greg Cheyne would have had the choice of the three Greeff runners, yet rides for Crawford.
Arabian Dynasty should relish the extra and can be expected to be in the mix.
Gimme Now is the second of the two Alan Greeff fillies in the ten horse field.
She is yet to take on the boys and has not shown enough to suggest she could be a factor in this field.
Second of the Gavin Smith runners, En Gee Oh has been very consistent but meets Strathdon on 2kgs worse terms for a two length beating last time. That may be a mountain to climb for the Philanthropist colt who tries the trip for the first time.
Former Brett Crawford runner Give It Away has had four runs here for Grant Paddock.
The son of Philanthropist won his maiden first time at Fairview on the poly, but other than a fair post maiden course-and-distance second, his subsequent two runs are average.
We are leaning towards those proven over the trip with Sabre Charge and Dorset Noble the obvious standouts.
Strathdon looks slowly progressive and he should take the step up after his good win last time.
Arabian Dynasty has shown decent enough form and if he stays, he comes into the reckoning.
