Charles Laird will be attempting to win the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint (formerly known as the Golden Horse Casino Sprint) over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday for the fourth year in succession and the fifth time overall when he sends out the defending champion Normanz.

Laird said, “His preparation has been very good and he is very well. The only small concern is the draw but it is something we will have to deal with. He is well weighted, between 52kg and 55kg is where you want to be for this race.”

Normanz will be attempting to make it three years in succession that sons of Var have won this big race and with 54kg he carries just 1kg more than he did as a three-year-old last year. Laird’s previous two winners of this race, four-year-old Delago Deluxe and three-year-old Contador, carried 54kg and 53,5kg respectively and his 2002 winner Hinterland carried only 50kg. However, his last three Golden Horse Casino Sprint winners have jumped from barrier positions three, five and five, while Normanz will have to overcome barrier 14  this year on a course where the low draws tend to have an advantage these days, partly because the jockeys usually track over towards  the inside rail.

Normanz, who is only three merit rated points higher than he was last year, has plenty of speed and led from start to finish last year under Athandiwe Mgudlwa. This year he will have four-times South African champion jockey Anton Marcus aboard. Even Marcus’s mastery was unable to overcome a draw of 15 on last year’s favourite Red Ray, who finished a 1,5 length second. However, he and Laird are sure to have a game plan under their sleeves.

Normanz works on his own due to his speed and had a good grass gallop at Summerveld last Thursday. He did his final serious work yesterday (Wednesday).

By Dave Thiselson