Talktothestars and Carry On Alice head the list of entries for the Mercury Sprint to be run over 1200m at Greyville on Saturday.
However, both have drawn wide so the ball will be in the court of two of the next highest rated runners in the field, Trip To Heaven, who is drawn in five out of 24 nominations, and Trip Tease, who is drawn in pole position and will be out to land a deserved first Gr 1 trophy.
Piere Strydom has jumped ship from Talktothestars on to Trip Tease, who is trained by his former brother-in-law Louis Goosen. Strydom has won three Gr 1s, including the Vodacom Durban July, since returning from a three-and-a-half month layoff for a broken collar bone on May 24. He partnered Trip Tease to a facile 3,25 length victory in a Pinnacle Stakes race over 1000m at Turffontein on June 16. This was the six-year-old Trippi gelding’s 15th win in 25 starts and his sixth win with Strydom up. Trip Tease has won around the bend on the Turffontein Inside track before, but the bend only constitutes about 300m of a race over that course and distance whereas at Greyville it will constitute 750m of the Mercury Sprint course and distance.
Talktothestars (Nkosi Hlophe)
Furthermore, that Turffontein Inside track run remains Trip Tease’s only ever run around the turn on turf and happened in his fifth career start over two years ago. He did run around the turn on the Vaal sand once, finishing third over 1200m in a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1200m, but the bend was only negotiated for 200m over that course and distance. On the bright side Trip Tease proved just how much speed he has when winning the Easter Dash over 600m, so jumping from pole position will be especially advantageous on Saturday, provided he handles the turn. However, another downside is he has only ever raced beyond 1000m once, and that was in the aforementioned defeat on the Vaal sand.
The talented and versatile Trip To Heaven, who only lost the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge in the boardroom, will also be out to land a first Gr 1 and looks to have a massive shout in a race which could pan out well for him. He showed just how exceptional his turn of foot is in the Rising Sun, coming from last to first in a matter of strides despite going around the field. He will likely be dropped out again, unlike in this race last year when handy and fighting for his head from a draw of two, which led to him falling in a hole. Another reason to drop him out is he has developed a bit of a tardy starting habit. The pace will be the key to his chances.
Carry On Alice (Nkosi Hlophe)
Three-times Gr 1-winning sprinter Carry On Alice ran on strongly for a 4,5 length second in last season’s Mercury Sprint when dropped out from a draw of six. On the downside her wide draw (19 of 24 nominations) means she might have to be dropped out again. However, on the plus side there appears to be more pace in the race than there was last year and there are no horses quite of the calibre of Captain Of All in the field, even if Talktothestars on 121 is rated one point higher than Captain Of All was at this time last year.
The Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint-winner Talktothestars has run around the turn four times in races of 1400m and beyond and was unplaced in all of them, while his sprint record around the turn is limited to a second place over 1000m on the Turffontein Inside track in a handicap at which stage he was a lowly rated 71 three-year-old. However, the four-year-old gelding, who usually races without shoes, has clearly improved considerably since then. He proved when finishing second in the Computaform Sprint how strongly he can turn it on from off the pace and he later proved his versatility by winning from a handy position in the Tsogo Sun Sprint. The jockey is yet to be declared, but will have plenty of planning to do from the wide draw (21 among the nominations).
Real Princess, who beat a luckless Carry On Alice in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint over this trip, has drawn quite well in eight. She has a fine turn of foot, so Greyville should suit her.
Gulf Storm, the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship winner, is better than his Tsogo Sun unplaced effort and is the fourth highest runner in the field. His wide draw (currently 13) is a concern for one who likes to be up there.
The classy Red Ray should be cherry ripe having his third run after a long layoff and will be hoping for more luck than he had when joint-topweight in the Gr 2 Post Merchants over course and distance, although from a current draw of 12 he might not be any better drawn.
Flybynight won this race two years ago when it was it was still being run at Clairwood and bounced back to form with a second place in the City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint. However, she is drawn way out in 18 as opposed to five when finishing fourth last year.
Computaform Sprint third-placed Barbosa is better than his Tsogo Sun Sprint run, but is another with a very wide draw (23).
Redcarpet Captain is an intriguing entry in a current draw six, despite having a lot to do off a merit rating of 101, as he showed just how much gelding had benefited him on Vodacom Durban July day when winning well over 1200m on the poly.
Other intriguing entries include Night Trip and Heartland, who stay further but have a touch of class, and both are well drawn. A notable absentee from the nomination is the facile winner of the Post Merchants, Kangaroo Jack.
However, just about all of the best sprinters in the land will likely line up and it is going to be one to savour.
David Thiselton
