Maestro Summerveld trainer Dennis Drier has an enviable record in the Scottsville Festival Of Speed meeting Gr 1 events and, apart from winning five of the last six renewals of the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion, his yard will also be defending the Tsogo Sun Sprint crown.
Barbosa (Nkosi Hlophe)
Drier, like all great trainers, pays acute attention to detail and expects high standards from his staff and stable jockeys, so his Gr 1 contestants will invariably be tuned to the minute.
He said he did not have a preference between Barbosa and Guiness in the Tsogo Sun Sprint and added both had been “doing well.” Seventh Plain, on the other hand, had suffered a setback which had forced his comeback from a layoff to be put back a couple of weeks.
On May 22 he ran below his best in a Pinnacle event over 1000m at Scottsville, finishing 4,05 lengths back, but he was doing some eye-catching late work under a sympathetic ride. He should do a lot better on Saturday and, as a brilliant winner over course and distance in last year’s Gold Medallion, can’t be discounted despite the less than ideal preparation.
Assistant trainer Stuart Ferrie believes Barbosa is “better than he has ever been”. This six-year-old Captain Al gelding has certainly blossomed and, having remained on a merit rating of 108 after his excellent third in the Gr 1 weight for age Computaform Sprint, he must be a big runner. Former Gold Medallion winner Guiness has to be a runner too having scraped into the handicap with bottom weight of 52kg.
Stable jockey Sean Veale is aboard Barbosa from draw 10, while Seventh Plain has Aldo Domeyer aboard from draw 15 and Guiness is drawn 17 with Callan Murray up.
Seventh Plain (Nkosi Hlophe)
Drier said about unbeaten Gold Medallion hopeful Horse Guards, “He is doing nicely and this will be a nice test for him.”
Drier said it was hard to compare this Horse Chestnut colt to the yard’s previous Gold Medallion winners.
Punters and pundits always look out for Drier’s Gold Medallion candidates in the early part of the year and a valid contender seemed a long time in coming this time around. However, Horse Guards’ debut, a five length romp on the Greyville poly over 1000m on April 29, was actually not as close up to the Gold Medallion as Captain Of All’s debut in 2013.
Horse Guards ran over the Gold Medallion course and distance on May 22 in his second start and, after showing plenty of pace, pulled away to win impressively by 2,25 lengths.
This year’s Gold Medallion renewal has been made weaker by the scratching of the impressive Red Chesnut Road, but there are still some exciting prospects involved, such as Oomph, Always In Charge and Rivarine. However, few would bet against Drier making it six out of seven and seven in total, having also won it way back in 1990 with Spook And Diesel.
By David Thiselton
