Alec Laird has two runners in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m at Greyville on Saturday, Bouclette Top and Bezanova. He was hoping that the two big guns in the race Futura and Legislate would be below their peaks, thereby giving him a chance of landing a second Gr 1 at Greyville in the space of a week.

Laird won the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 last Saturday with the Ideal World filly Smart Call, whom he is now likely to rest until next season. He has prepared both Bouclette Top and Bezanova from Randjesfontein. They will travel to Summerveld on Thursday.

He said, “Bouclette Top has been bursting for a run since his Drill Hall second, so he will be ready for this. Bezanova has had a nice little prep and ran very well at Greyville last year.”

The Argentinian-bred Giant’s Causeway gelding Bouclette Top had struck as a middle distance to staying type after running on well last season for fourth in both the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas and the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1600m and 1800m respectively.

However, Laird believes now that a mile is his best trip, although he did win the Listed Drum Star Handicap over 1800m in March. The Drum Star was his first start with blinkers and the headgear appears to have brought a new lease of life as he followed up by running a decent third in the Gr 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. He then ran a three length second in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Greyville, when staying on well despite being keen in the running. The bay four-year-old deserves his 107 merit rating.

The four-year-old Bezrin gelding Bezanova has filled into his big frame this season and showed his class when winning the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein last November. The latter is a handicap race and was raised from a 104 merit rating to 107. He probably found the 2000m of the SANSUI Summer Cup too far and he was then rested for three months before running unplaced in the Gr 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m and fourth in a Conditions Plate over 1450m. Last time out he ran on well over the more suitable 1600m trip to finish a 3,8 length fifth to Halve The Deficit at level weights.

The factor that augurs well for this good looking chestnut on Saturday is that he ran a three length second to Equus Horse Of The Year Legislate in last season’s Gr 2 KRA Guineas over the course and distance of Saturday’s Gold Challenge. He followed that with a 1,65 length fifth to Legislate in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000, so appears to enjoy the tight Greyville circuit.

Bouclette Top is drawn seven with Woolavington-winning jockey Weichong Marwing up and Bezanova is drawn eleven with Gavin Lerena aboard.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Alec Laird