Former national champion trainer Charles Laird has been in top form at present and fittingly his four-year-old Kahal gelding Top Form emphasised the point at Greyville last Friday night.

Top Form is one of a few horses who gives the Laird yard SA Champions Season hopes.

The speedster dominated a strong 1200m Pinnacle Stakes race, overcoming a draw of eight and leading from start to finish under Anton Marcus to complete a course and distance hattrick. Once in front Top Form stretched out nicely and was enjoying himself, but he still had a lot in hand and quickened away to win by two lengths. He had some useful types like Rodney, Captain Chaos, Angel’s Power, Cutting Edge, Captain Swarovski and Highway Explorer well beaten. Among those the favourite and topweight Captain Swarovski deserves a special mention as he broke well but began fighting for his head and will come on from the run, while Rodney ran on well from behind and Angel’s Power was doing some eyecatching late work.

Laird said he was unlikely to enter Top Form in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville, which could be tempting as he would come in with a low weight off his current 101 merit rating. He will instead be aiming him at the Post Merchants over his favourite Greyville 1200m. This event is on the turf, but Top Form did win last season’s KZN Winter Challenge 1200 on the Greyville grass.

Laird’s best chance of landing a Champions Season Gr 1 must be with the Var colt Varallo, who is unbeaten in two starts over 1000m and 1200m respectively, both at Scottsville. In the latter start he was very green, but still won comfortably. He is superbly bred, being out of the Western Winter mare Covenant, who was bred in the purple and won a Gr 1 over a mile and three Gr 2s over sprints. On the combination of pedigree and style of racing Varallo should comfortably stay further than sprints. However, his first big Champions Season target will likely be the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion on May 27 at Scottsville.

Laird will run the Warm White Night gelding Buffalo Soldier in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m at Greyville this Sunday. He has no doubt this horse will stay even as far as a mile. In last season’s Gr 2 Golden Horseshoe, Buffalo Soldier set the pace and stayed on well for a 3,75 length fourth to the subsequent Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby runner up Zodiac Ruler. From draw three and with the blinkers on it would be no surprise to see Marcus taking him to the front again in the Byerley Turk. However, Laird had not yet looked at the field and said this would not necessarily be the tactic.

Laird recently sent out the three-year-old Dynasty filly Hot Toddy to win on debut by 6,5 lengths over 1600m at Scottsville. However, she was restless in the stalls that day and had to be removed and reloaded and she also needs ground. Therefore, he is taking it slowly with her and she is not entered in Sunday’s Gr 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m.

The yard’s Listed winner over 1400m Palladium has been gelded and is one to watch during the Champions Season.

Laird will continue to take “baby steps” with Captain Of Rock. This Seventh Rock three-year-old colt is out of a five-times winning Captain Al mare. He took five runs to win his maiden, but followed up with a nice win on the Greyville poly when stepped down to 1000m for the first time and looks to have potential.

Four-year-old Trippi gelding Monte Christo is another speedster who could do well for the Summerveld-based yard up to 1400m.

Friday night’s Gr 3 King’s Cup third-placed Secret Warning is a consistent miler and will also held his own in handicaps during the winter.

Meanwhile, Laird’s useful older horse Stormy Eclipse had been sent to Tara Laing’s Port Elizabeth yard in order to take part in races like the Algoa Cup.

By David Thiselton