Trainer Gavin van Zyl will be out to win the KZN Breeders Million Mile for the second consecutive year when he saddles the five-year-old Kahal gelding No Worries for the race at Greyville in Durban on Sunday.
The gutsy campaigner out of the Rambo Dancer mare Coastal Watch that was bred at Summerhill Stud, was second to the Alec Laird-trained Bezrin gelding Bezanova over the Turffontein mile in the November Handicap and the two will meet again in a battle for the R625 000 winner’s cheque at Greyville.
No Worries subsequently ran a gutsy third behind Wylie Hall in the President’s Champions Challenge at Turffontein but disappointed in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge in his last outing where Bezanova, bred at Clifton Stud, ran a fantastic third by less than a length to the Cape champion and last year’s Vodacom Durban July winner, Legislate.
They have a few useful opponents to deal with in their bids for victory including another product of Summerhill Stud Solar Star from the Dean Kannemeyer stable. The four-year-old Kahal gelding Solar Star has had three races since relocating from the Cape for Champions Season winning the first two.
In his second outing he beat Vodacom Durban July candidate Dynamic by half a length in the Sledgehammer at Scottsville but ran below expectations in the Betting World 1900.
Also among the 12-horse field is the top stayer from the Mike de Kock stable Wild One, the five-year-old son of Mogok bred at the Scott Bros Highdown Stud. He won the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup last year and followed it up with a third and a second in the Gold Vase and the eLan Property Group Gold Cup.
He was off the track until earlier this month when he ran a great second to Punta Arenas in the Cup Trial over 1 800m.
Making a second bid for honours in the KZN Breeders Mile is the Sean Tarry-trained Silvano gelding Silva Hawk. Bred at Summerhill, he finished just short of six lengths fourth behind No Worries in the race last year and will be trying for a much better result on Sunday.
ends