Masterful Summerveld trainer Dennis Drier has a fine chance of adding to his phenomenal record at Scottsville’s Festival Of Speed meeting this Saturday as he sends out five contestants in Gr 1 1200m events and most of them will be in with definite chances.

Drier has won four of the last five runnings of the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, including the last three in succession, and he also won the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint, now known as the City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint, in 2011.

Drier has a fine chance of landing his fifth Medallion in six years with the ultra-classy Seventh Rock colt Seventh Plain and this rangy bay has landed a plum low draw.

Anton Marcus rode him in his final grass gallop last Tuesday and Drier was happy with what he saw. He added, “Anton didn’t say much so I hope he was happy, if he was happy I’m happy.”

Seventh Plain overcame a high draw of eight in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb over 1100m at Scottsville on April 26 and won effortlessly. He will appreciate the extra 100m on Saturday and further. His only defeat in three starts was when giving the speedy sprinting type Buckinghampshire 3kg in the Listed 1000m race on J&B Met day and only losing by 1,25 lengths.

Drier’s former Medallion winner Captain Of All has the ability to join the like of J J The Jet Plane and Earl Of Surrey as horses that have carried topweight to victory in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m. He was very impressive indeed in his penultimate start over 1000m at Scottsville, so clearly enjoys this track, and in his last start in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m at Turffontein he was by no means disgraced when third, four lengths behind Alboran Sea and Carry On Alice. The latter pair of fillies put in fantastic performances that day and Captain Of All was well clear of four other Gr 1 winners in the field.

Captain Of All worked on his own in his final grass gallop under Sean Cormack at Summerveld on Friday and Drier was very happy. He said, “When they are fit they don’t need to work with other horses, the art is not to overcook them.”

Drier “couldn’t be happier” with Generalissimo, who had his final grass gallop at Summerveld last Tuesday under Keagan de Melo. De Melo was unable to commit to the ride and Warren Kennedy might be aboard. This classy sort will attempt to make it three years in succession that the Tsogo Sun Sprint has been won by three-year-old sons of the amazing stallion Var. Generalissimo broke the Kenilworth course record over 1200m last November before failing to stay the 1600m of the Selangor Cup. He then finished lame after taking a slight sideways knock over 1200m. Drier, with the support of owners Nick and Ben Jonsson, excercised caution by not running him again in Cape Town, and it paid dividends as he bounced back with an impressive win over 1200m on the Greyville poly last month.

Barbosa is another from the yard that could get into the final field after an excellent 2,25 length defeat of the useful Muscatt over the Tsogo Sun course and distance in April, despite giving the latter 5kg. He broke the class record that day despite carrying 60kg. The five-year-old Captain Al gelding was raised to a 104 merit rating and Drier said, “The way he won they can’t leave him out, especially as Muscatt won next time out in a canter. He has had a few niggles and problems but has been a real old soldier.”

Drier’s two-year-old Horse Chestnut filly Chestnuts N Pearls has landed an unfavourable draw of 17 in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m. She has just been kept ticking over since her maiden over the course and distance. The runner up in that race Durban Blues finished second on the poly on Friday night, so the form was not greatly franked, but Drier pointed out that Chestnut N Pearls “could not have won easier.”

Drier is also hoping that Jet Aglow ca repeat her third place finish of last year in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint over 1200m. She also worked on the grass last Tuesday and Cormack was very happy, although this is largely being seen as a preparation outing for races like the Tibouchina and Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes, which are over more suitable distances.

By David Thiselton 

Picture: Generalissimo (Liesl King)