Local Hope. The undefeated Colour Of Courage carries the flag in the Listed Gatecrasher Stakes on Saturday

The suggestion that a smaller local yard can win Saturday’s R 135 000 Listed Gatecrasher Stakes run over 1450m at Clairwood will have the locals jumping for joy. Mike Miller may be the man to carry the KZN flag with the smart Judpot colt Colour Of Courage.

The stranglehold by the big guns like De Kock, Tarry, Ramsden and Kannemeyer on anything remotely resembling a trophy must have the local yards squirming with frustration at times.

Much has been speculated and opined about the locals closing ranks and introducing out of season policies that don’t exactly encourage black type performance. But a local can change the perception in the time it takes to run the 1450m!

Unbeaten

While Mike Miller stands close to man alone here, his unbeaten colt could swing things in his favour. A bargain buy at R140 000, Colour Of Courage skipped all the glitz and glamour of the fast set on the Scottsville Sprint Festival raceday in favour of stepping in to more placid and suitable waters in this event. A winner on debut at Greyville over 1300m, he came out at his next start to win the Gr2 Umkhomazi Stakes over the Scottsville 1200m in superb style.

His enthusiastic pilot Sean Veale, who unsurprisingly has retained the ride here, said that he would be a far better proposition over further and he gets the opportunity on Saturday. Colour Of Courage has shown an ability to settle and turn it on, which as most of us know is the sign of a good horse in the making. He jumps from a 7 draw, and we will know better how good he really is after this race.

Stronghold

Stronghold! Mike De Kock’s Alareef won well at his second outing but may need the run here

Mike De Kock and Anthony Delpech team up with the Stronghold colt Alareef who won well atbhis second start over the Scottsville 1200m in mid February. While well drawn against the paint, his fitness should prove suspect and this aspect could catch him out late.

De Kock also sends out the Tiger Ridge colt Foyle, who was extensively whispered about in the Gold Medallion. He unfortunately never recovered from a slow start, and will be far more at home in this race. It is worth noting that he is a full brother to the well performed Kavanagh.

Foyle shed his maiden over the distance at Turffontein, and while poorly drawn should not be written off as a no hoper by any means. Justin Snaith has a coupling of the Australian bred Playingtheenemy and the Var gelding Forest Panther.

Choice

Assuming that Strydom had the choice of rides, we are probably leaning to the former as our preference. Playingtheenemy showed plenty of pace in the Umkhomazi Stakes before fading late and could be a very different proposition with Strydom up over the extra ground and 2kgs to play with.

Forest Panther improved to win over the 1400m at Greyville last time and has been luckier with the draws. Muzi Yeni rides this largely unknown factor.

Gavin Van Zyl has a host of runners on the day and he sends out a duo of Buffalo Bill and the maiden Bodybuilder. Both are sons of Stronghold and Buffalo Bill returns from a failed attempt at the SA Nursery on Champions Day. He however clearly enjoyed the 1400m of his second start when winning at Turffontein, and his last effort is best ignored.

Bodybuilder was pipped by Forest Panther first time out over the Greyville 1400m and now gets 2kgs to help his cause. He may be worth including in quartets and jumps from a nice draw.

Happy

Good Year! Dennis Drier’s Rebel King colt is a course and distance winner nd comes into reckoning

Glen Kotzen’s Dynasty colt Kono is well drawn at 2 and while still without a win after five runs, will be happier over the ground. His last run over a mile behind Chestnut’s Rocket at Greyville is best ignored as he was badly hampered in running. Frank Robinson’s Miesque’s Approval colt Emperor Niarchos won well on debut but has hit two feature race blanks since then.

Dennis Drier has an exciting Rebel King colt in recent course and distance maiden winner Nineteen Fourteen on his hands.Formerly with Glen Kotzen, the chestnut has the benefit of having won over the course and distance, but has to overcome a poor draw.

Torrential

Stuart Randolph and Mike Bass team up with the Captain Al colt Zambezi Torrent, who was backed into the red to win his maiden at his second start. He let his backers down, but in hindsight ran second to a top sort in Flash Drive, who subsequently won the Cape Nursery.

Zambezi Torrent faded to run fourth in the Nursery, but may be better around the turn. His mother, Zooming Zellie, also trained by Bass, was top class up to a mile. Alec Laird has the second of the Judpot progeny in the debut winner Forest Indigo. The Varsfontein bred colt faded badly at his second start, but should go the extra id one considers the Fort Wood influence on his dam side.

Vote

Colour Of Courage appears very promising and gets our vote to win an open race. The race for place money is wide open.