Brett Crawford runs Gulf Storm in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint over 1200m on Saturday.

This four-year-old Sail From Seattle gelding earned bold black type for the first time in his 19^th career outing last time out when winning the Listed In Full Flight Stakes over 1100m at Scottsville, so Crawford appears justified in being stunned by the handicapper’s decision to raise him nine merit rated points. That is the equivalent of 4,5kg, meaning he will now have to carry second topweight and give two Gr 1 winners 2,5kg each.

He hoped that he would be proven wrong on Saturday. Gulf Storm appeared to relish the tough Scottsville track in that last run and Crawford said, “He is doing very well, is fresh and fit and he has a nice draw.” Crawford’s Dynasty gelding De Kock “pulled up alright” after his disappointing tailed off last finish in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900 and the yard are “running bloods to try and find anything wrong, as it wasn’t his run.” However, he added that it could have just been a case of him not staying the trip.

Meanwhile, KRA Fillies Guineas winner Alexis is on track for the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000 on Saturday week and impressive recent winner Maybe Yes is doing well ahead of the Tibouchina on her way to the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Gulf Storm (Nkosi Hlophe)

Cape Trainer Joey Ramsden was happy with the preparation of his Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint contender Brutal Force ahead of Saturday’s Festival Of Speed meeting at Scottsville and also revealed that his top class three-year-old colt Act Of War had travelled “exceptionally well” from Cape Town ahead of his engagement in the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge on June 6.

Ramsden said that Brutal Force had already been fit from his two Kenilworth runs over 1400m and 1000m in April and early May respectively. In the first of them the three-year-old  Western Winter gelding had “travelled a bit hard from a wide draw” but still ran a good second and he then came out and won a “really nice race” over 1000m, beating the useful older horse Castlethorpe on weight for age terms by 2,25 lengths.

The big horse subsequently travelled well from Cape Town, arriving at Summerveld about two weeks ago, and has been working well at Summerveld. Brutal Force was gelded after his win in the R1 million Cape Thoroughbred Sales (CTS) Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth on January 24 as he weighed over 600kg. He touched off the promising Zambezi River in the CTS Stakes and Ramsden believes that, although he gets 1400m, the 1200m is likely his best trip.

The powerful chestnut has a tricky draw of 14 to overcome on Saturday, just one inside of the draw of 15 that his full brother Red Ray carried to second place last year. However, his 52,5kg weight is 4kg less than Red Ray was asked to carry. Greg Cheyne, fresh from his win in the Gr 2 Betting World 1900, rides. Brutal Force is sure to be fine tuned in his third run after a layoff and gelding.

By Dave Thiselton

Alyson Wright runs the promising Western Winter colt Mr Roy in the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m and he looks to have a tough task on paper as he will have to make up 3,5 lengths on the classy colt Seventh Plain from their meeting in the Gr 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m, which was also run at Scottsville.

However, Wright said the always well regarded colt had not had a good preparation into the latter race due to a skin allergy and had consequently run “a flat race.” He was backed on debut and after disappointing was found to be full of mucous. He then came out and won well over 1000m a couple of month later on April 15. The yard are now confident that he will do better than he did third time out in the Godolphin Barb. He put in some very good work yesterday (Tuesday) and Wright said, “I am very pleased with him. He will be at his best and I think he will run a big race.”

He jumps from draw 6 in the nine horse field and Johnny Geroudis rides. Wright felt that the yard’s Vodacom Durban July entry Kochka had put in “an amazing run” on Sunday at Greyville, where he was beaten just 1,75 lengths by July favourite Futura over 1600m at level weights. The big Black Minnaloushe gelding was off with a virus for a while and only started normal work again two weeks ago, which emphasises just how fine an effort he put in on Sunday. He will be a big runner when stripping fitter next month in either the Gr 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m or the Gr 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Mr Roy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Charles Laird will be attempting to win the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint (formerly known as the Golden Horse Casino Sprint) over 1200m at Scottsville on Saturday for the fourth year in succession and the fifth time overall when he sends out the defending champion Normanz.

Laird said, “His preparation has been very good and he is very well. The only small concern is the draw but it is something we will have to deal with. He is well weighted, between 52kg and 55kg is where you want to be for this race.”

Normanz will be attempting to make it three years in succession that sons of Var have won this big race and with 54kg he carries just 1kg more than he did as a three-year-old last year. Laird’s previous two winners of this race, four-year-old Delago Deluxe and three-year-old Contador, carried 54kg and 53,5kg respectively and his 2002 winner Hinterland carried only 50kg. However, his last three Golden Horse Casino Sprint winners have jumped from barrier positions three, five and five, while Normanz will have to overcome barrier 14  this year on a course where the low draws tend to have an advantage these days, partly because the jockeys usually track over towards  the inside rail.

Normanz, who is only three merit rated points higher than he was last year, has plenty of speed and led from start to finish last year under Athandiwe Mgudlwa. This year he will have four-times South African champion jockey Anton Marcus aboard. Even Marcus’s mastery was unable to overcome a draw of 15 on last year’s favourite Red Ray, who finished a 1,5 length second. However, he and Laird are sure to have a game plan under their sleeves.

Normanz works on his own due to his speed and had a good grass gallop at Summerveld last Thursday. He did his final serious work yesterday (Wednesday).

By Dave Thiselson

The Gavin van Zyl-trained pair of Redcarpet Captain and Isca worked together on the Summerveld beach sand track yesterday morning ahead of Saturday’s Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville and the former had the beating of the latter throughout. Jockey Warren Kennedy, who was aboard Isca, returned to confirm that his mount was being held by Redcarpet Captain throughout the 800m workout. Isca has subsequently been scratched.

Redcarpet Captain ran below par last time out in the Gr 1 SA Nursery over 1160m and Van Zyl explained that he had been incubating a low grade infection two weeks before the race. He was fine on the week of the race but the work he had missed took its toll and the form of his fourth place finish in the Nursery was some nine lengths inferior on paper to his win in the Gr 3 Protea Stakes over 1100m if a line through Nursery winner Arabian Beat is taken literally.

Van Zyl said the athletic bay Captain Al colt had done well since arriving at Summerveld about three weeks ago and the yard are hoping to see him back to his best. He has landed a plum draw of one and will be a big runner in a small but classy field of ten.

By Dave Thiselton