They filled the next three places behind surprise winner Bull Valley in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville a week ago and they will go to battle again in the R400 000, Grade 2 Post Merchants over 1 200m at Greyville on Friday, June 16.
Two of them, Search Party and Gulf Storm, that finished second and fourth respectively, are from the stable of top Cape trainer Brett Crawford who triumphantly won both the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the Woolavington 2000 at Greyville last weekend and will be on a high with strong hopes of snatching the honours in this top sprint event also.
Separating them at the line in the Tsogo Sun Sprint is the Dennis Drier-trained gelding Barbosa that showed a return to form in the Scottsville race with the promise of potential further improvement when he steps out on the polytrack for this race.
A full field of 14 runners will face the starter, with three reserves, with the Overlord gelding Talktothestars from the Coenie De Beer stable topping the weights and nicely drawn at three. While he disappointed in the Tsogo Sun Sprint, his previous effort when second to superstar Rafeef in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint was confirmation that he had not lost the enthusiasm for racing and at the weights he has a 1.5kg advantage over his rivals on merit.
Search Party could be the Crawford stable elect with Corne Orffer in the irons and with steady improvement in each of his recent races he could be one of the strongest contenders in the race. Stable companion Gulf Storm, however, will have a major task ahead of him from the widest draw but cannot be discounted.
The Drier stable is in top form and in addition to the success in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville, the five-year-old Seventh Rock gelding Guiness gave his opposition a hiding in a MR 95 handicap over 1 000m at Greyville at the weekend confirming the form of the stable.
Gareth van Zyl fields the Captain Al gelding Redcarpet Captain that has won his last two starts over 1 200m on the Poly and the Alec Laird-trained Amazing Strike, winner of his last two starts, will be out to strike again.
Professor Brian from the Joey Ramsden yard has won his last three starts, the most recent over the course and distance in comfortable fashion and in a good time and with a light weight to shoulder again could put the cat among the pigeons in what has the makings of a thrilling speed encounter.
By Richard McMillan
