Mike Bass will be three-handed in his bid to win the Mercury Sprint for the third time in five seasons at Greyville on Saturday.

With stable jockey Grant van Niekerk sitting out a ten-day interference suspension – when winning the Garden Province on Inara – Brandon Lerena gets the call for 2014 winner Fly By Night while Stuart Randolph will be on Lanner Falcon and Callan Murray rides Night Trip.

Brett Crawford is expecting a much-improved performance from his Cape Flying Championship winner Gulf Storm who ran below his best under second top weight in last month’s Tsogo Sun Sprint.

He explained: “I put blinkers on for the five furlong Cape Flying and I made the mistake of leaving them on over six at Scottsville and as a result he pulled too hard. He will race without them on Saturday and I am sure he will run a much better race.”

Justin Snaith will return his three-year-old stars It’s My Turn, Bela-Bela and Black Arthur to Cape Town this week after the trio finished fourth, sixth and seventh in the Vodacom Durban July.

He said: “They are top horses so we are saving them for next season but Dynamic may stay for the Champions Cup (July 30). He is an older horse who has been there and done that.

“Golden Horseshoe winner Zodiac Ruler will run in the Premiers Champion on the same card assuming all goes well and there are no hiccups. He is drawn one but a bad draw would have meant him coming home.”

July runner-up Marinaresco is among the 20 nominations for the Champions Cup but he is unlikely to line up. “He came out of the July fine but he is drawn 18 in the Champions so I don’t think he will run,” said Candice Robinson. “Next season he will be aimed at the Queen’s Plate and the Met.”

Michael Clower