Neil Bruss sends out two classy fillies in the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m on Friday night at Greyville, Deputy Ryder and Zante, and he favours the former but also gives the latter a chance because “she stays well.”

They look the pair to beat, although there are many horses with winning chances.

Bruss’s pair of horses are respectively by two of the current most talked about sires in the country, Go Deputy and Ideal World.

Go Deputy is the sire of SA Triple Crown hero Abashiri and his progeny not only stay well but show notable improvement in their four-year-old seasons.

Deputy Ryder showed her class last season in Durban by winning the Listed Queen Palm Stakes over 2400m at Greyville in eyecatching style.

However, her Cape Summer season did not pan out well for her after a bad start. An attempt to steal the slow run Listed Woolavington Handicap over 2400m, her opening race in the summer, by circling the field and sending her clear left her exhausted.

Neil Bruss

However, her three unplaced efforts and a fourth place finish overall in the summer did at least see her merit rating dropping one point to 94. Her penultimate run in the summer, when only 4,6 lengths behind Inara in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over the too sharp 1600m showed also she has not lost her zest.

In her SA Champions Season pipe opener she finished a 0,25 length second to the classy Joey Ramsden-trained Gallica Rose in the Listed Scarlet Lady over 1750m at Scottsville and now faces her on identical terms. Both horses will be having their second runs after respective two month layoffs and both will relish the step up in trip. However a significant point is a reversal in draw fortunes in Deputy Ryder’s favour despite her having to still jump from a tricky draw of 8.

Grant can Niekerk rides Deputy Ryder, while Anthony Delpech retains the ride on the race’s defending champion Gallica Rose.

Zante had too much to do in the straight of the Scarlet Lady but was flying at the finish to be just 2,35 lengths back in fifth. She faces Gallica Rose on the same terms again and has a similar draw to the one she had in that race (9 compared to 8). An interesting point in her form is her fourth place finish in last year’s Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 amidst some of the best of an extraordinarily good crop. She will relish the step back up to that trip and could provide the best value in the race. Donovan Dillon replaces S’Manga Khumalo.

Gathering Fame (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ramsden also has two runners. The disappointing Grey Light attempts the trip for the first time. Her site Tapit, being a Gr 1 winner over 1800m gives her a chance of seeing it out, but on the other hand her second dam Harry’s Charm was a champion sprinter. She is officially 3,5kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose.

The Dennis Drier-trained Gathering Fame is said by the yard to be in good shape at Summerveld but she would have probably preferred this race to be at Scottsville. She finished a 1,5 length fourth to Gallica Rose last year but is now 4,5kg worse off and drawn wide.

Intergalactic (Nkosi Hlophe)

Ma Choix plugged in from last after being dropped out from a wide draw in the Scarlet Lady and was 4,7 lengths back at the line. She faces Gallica Rose on the same weight terms, so has a bit to do but is now drawn in pole and should have come on from the run.

Tonya is the dark horse. She is officially 3kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose but is a progressive three-year-old and caught the eye in her victorious pipe opener over 1950m at Scottsville considering she was quite strong in the running.

Intergalactic is also a progressive three-year-old and is officially only 1kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose. She was a staying on fifth in the Gr 2 Daisy Guineas, has proved she stays the trip and Anton Marcus is up from a fair draw of six.

Cassie O’Malley has a chance of beating Intergalactic on a line through Inaninstant. Her dour galloping style is not usually suited to the tight Greyville track, but can sometimes be effective if the jockey can time it right from the front. She is 1kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose.

The yard said they would be thrilled with a place for Kileigh, who is officially 1kg under sufferance, but achieved her current mark on the polytrack.

Speedy Chestnut is 4kg under sufferance with Gallica Rose and needs to improve on her first two KZN runs.

It is an intriguing race and Zante is chosen to cause the upset with Gallica Rose, Deputy Ryder, Intergalactic and Tonya next best.

By David Thiselton