Summerveld trainer Mark Dixon was upset his classy sprinter London Call was not selected to run in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at the Scottsville Festival Of Speed Meeting on the first weekend of this month, but believes the five-year-old Kahal gelding can prove a point in the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m on the turf at Greyville on Friday night.
He said, “I was disappointed they reduced the size of the field for the Tsogo Sun Sprint to 14 (due to the moving of the rail inward) and then decided to ignore the handicapping and select the field on their own judgement.”
London Call (Nkosi Hlophe)
London Call did his final piece of fast work for the race on Monday upsides a companion on the Summerveld top sand track and the gallop was “very pleasing.”
Dixon continued, “He is exceptionally well and is a big runner provided he behaves himself … it is his first time running under the lights.”
Dixon felt the Bruce Le Roux-bred gelding’s draw of two was perfect as “he has plenty of pace.”
The 101 merit-rated speedster is not the soundest and cannot be raced often, but on the other hand he does not take a lot of work and it is relatively easy to get him ready for a race.
He has only had eight career starts for four wins, two seconds and a fourth and his only unplaced run was when tried over 1400m against the like of Ice Machine.
All four of his wins have been over the 1200m trip of the Post Merchants and his last win, on December 30 this season, was over the Greyville course and distance.
In that race, carrying a welter 61kg, he gave the Graded-placed three-year-old Mr Roy 7,5kg and a one length beating and an even more eyecatching bit of form was giving third-placed Executive Power, who has always been held in high regard, 9kg and a 2,5 length beating.
In London Call’s last start over 1000m at Scottsville on February 28 he was a 2,5 lengths second in the race in which Muscatt set a new course record and he was giving the latter 1,5kg.
In form Keagan de Melo knows him well and will be aboard on Friday night.
By David Thiselton
