Anthony Delpech opted to ride Solid Speed from a choice of two Gr 2 Betting World 1900 contenders from the Dean Kannemeyer yard and this has left Stuart Randolph to deal with the talented but headstrong It Is Written.

Delpech felt Solid Speed had a “tough task”, despite his current status as 9/2 favourite with the sponsor, citing the 1900m trip as being “a bit too short for him”.

The tough five-year-old Dynasty gelding did win a good race over 1600m at Scottsville in his SA Champions Season pipe opener last time out, when staying on strongly to beat Dynamic, and Delpech said, “Yes, he is the sort who can come out and run well fresh. He has ability and is not without a chance tomorrow night.”

Solid Speed has a high strike rate, having won exactly half of his 14 career starts. He recorded a hattrick at Greyville last season, winning his pipe opener in a 1900m handicap with ease, before winning both the Highland Night Cup and the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m.

He is now off a 103 merit rating, his highest mark to date, and is officially the best in at the weights together with four other horses. He jumps from a tricky draw of 10. Delpech concluded, “He has been doing well at home (Sumerveld).”

It Is Written (Nkosi Hlophe)

It Is Written was unlucky last time out in the Listed Sledgehammer over 1750m at Scottsville, having been hampered late before flying up for a neck second.

Randolph said the key was whether he could switch the five-year-old Dynasty gelding off or not. He said, “He has a tendency to over do it, so you’ve got to be careful, but if he settles he should see out the trip. He is probably most effective from 1400m to a mile, so I will be hoping for a true run race.”

It Is Written did settle well from a good draw of two in the Sledgehammer, but Randolph said it had been “touch and go.”

The pole position draw tomorrow night augurs well for his chances of finding the necessary cover, but the step up in trip could be a problem, because behind a slower pace it will be that much tougher to switch him off. He is 8/1 with the race sponsors and can’t be written off, as long as he manages to relax from the off.

David Thiselton