Drill Hall Stakes winner New Predator impressed Weichong Marwing at Ashburton this week ahead of the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge to be run at Greyville on Saturday, although the top jockey has jumped ship to French Navy.

Meanwhile, Triptique, has been doing well at Summerveld.

The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained New Predator over raced behind a crawl in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and did not find the necessary extra in the straight. However, before that he was dictating the pace himself in the Gr 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m and, after kicking well at the top of the straight, the field was unable to catch him. As a horse with plenty of speed, he will likely prefer dropping back to the mile.

New Predator (Nkosi Hlophe)

Marwing rode him in both those races. He also rode him in work at Ashburton earlier this week and described the workout as “exceptional”. Randall Simons will be aboard the 110 merit rated New Predator on Saturday from a plum draw of three, which will enable him to go to the front again. However, Sean Tarry has said Trip To Heaven will go to the front if he is able to jump well enough, so New Predator might not have the same easy lead he enjoyed in the Drill Hall Stakes.

Marwing was high in his praise of New Predator after his Drill Hall Stakes win. The Australian-bred New Approach colt’s record proves him to be possibly the best three-year-old miler in the country as he ran the subsequent Cape Guineas winner Noah From Goa to a head in the Dingaans and had subsequent Triple Crown hero Abashiri beaten by 3,1 lengths in that race, although that was Abashiri’s first run of the season and he hasn’t been beaten since.

Trainer Dennis Drier said Triptique was as well as the yard could possibly have him. He is a most interesting contender. The Drill Hall Stakes was his first attempt beyond sprints and he stayed on strongly from midfield to finish a 0,5 length second. He gave the impression the 1600m would be within his range and his pedigree also suggests it to be. He gets on well with stable jockey Sean Veale and jumps from pole position. He is the dark horse in the race and if he passes this acid test will have some exciting career prospects ahead of him. He could also lift the Drier yard out of a below par big race season by their high standards.

David Thiselton