The Gr 1 Mercury Sprint, which looks to be ultra competitive, heads a nine event card for the racing purist to savour at Greyville on Saturday.

Trip To Heaven has speed and class as well as a good draw and he looks set to land his first Gr 1. S’Manga Khumalo knows the lightly raced four-year-old Trippi gelding well and should bring the best out of him. This horse is versatile so can use his speed to lead if jumping well or could otherwise bring his devastating turn of foot to the table if coming from off the pace.

Talktothestars is officially the highest rated runner in the field by a whopping seven points. He displayed a fine turn of foot in the Computaform Sprint and might have to employ it to the maximum from his wide draw here, or otherwise he will have to get lucky if opting to be as handy as he was when winning the Tsogo Sun Sprint. Gavin Lerena’s Hong Kong experience will be of huge benefit in this race as the 1200m races there are all around the turn.

Trip Tease jumps from pole position and although only ever racing beyond 1000m once in his career he has been settling well lately, as he did last time when sitting behind a fast pace over 1000m in  a Pinnacle event at Turffontein, before turning it on impressively to win going away by 3,25 lengths.

Barbosa didn’t raise a gallop in the Tsogo Sun, having run an excellent third in the Computaform Sprint before that. In January he showed how well he can turn it on from behind over 1200m at Greyville when beaten just a neck by Ice Machine at level weights. A repeat from his tough draw of 14 here will give him a chance.

Real Princess’s draw of six should allow her to find cover before using her exceptional turn of foot. Gulf Storm has the blinkers off and should be running on strongly from a tricky draw. Heartland has always been hightly regarded and should also be making late headway being a horse better suited to 1400m.

Lanner Falcon is a dark horse as one who will relish this tough 1200m and she was a touch unlucky when having to be switched wide for a run in the Gr 1 City Of Pietermaritzburg Sprint. Triptique’s excellent Drill Hall Stakes runner up effort gives him a chance of earning here too. Fly By Night is a former winner of this race when it was staged at Clairwood and showed in the recent Post Metchants she can run on well from behind as she will likely need to from a tricky draw here.

Red Ray has his third run after a long layoff and is another with the class to win. Night Trip is an intriguing runner as a classy 1400-1600m horse who has done well at Greyville before and he did win the last time he was tried over this distance way back in October 2013 at Durbanville. Exelero finished a fine third in the Tsogo Sun but officially has the toughest task at the weights here.

Captain Alfredo will have to improve on his Post Merchants run to be a factor and strikes as being a bit too one-paced to be a threat at this level, although he could perhaps play an important role by leading as this will likely give him his best chance from a tricky draw.

The selection is Trip To Heaven to beat Talktothestars, Trip Tease, Barbosa and Real Princess.

In the first race over 1600m on the turf Philanthropist colt Rockefella impressed when running on over 1400m on the Greyville turf to win on debut and he should relish the step up in trip. His paternal half-brother The Slade is a half-brother to two-year-old Gr 1-winner Afrikaburn and has a fair draw with Anthony Delpech up. Step Up is a lot better than his last run when caught hopelessly wide and he is the dark horse from a good draw.

In the second over 1600m The High Life won a race over this trip at Scottsville which was later declared null and void, so has a weight advantage here receiving 3kg as a non-winner. Costa Da Sol won fluently second time out on the poly over this trip and Dancing Wall could improve.

In the third over 1400m on the poly, the hard-knocking Hejira could beat a weak field.

In the fourth over 1600m on the poly, the form of Lonelyarethebrave’s win over course and distance last time has been franked so he could make it a course and distance hattrick off a four point higher mark, despite a wide draw. Emperor Niarchos and Danish Wood make most appeal of the rest.

Seventh Heart is an improving sort and looks the one to beat from a tough draw in the Listed Off To Stud Stakes over 1600m on the poly. In Other Words and Chennai Babe should be thereabouts too.

In the Queen palm Stakes over 2400m on the turf, Deputy Ryder has some class and is drawn well over a suitable trip. Gathering Fame and Zante could be threats.

In the eighth over 1000m on the poly Zinnavar should be cherry ripe to deliver over a suitable course and distance. Big King can’t be ignored from a good draw and Shenyang is the dark horse as one who is a lot better than his last two runs.

In the last over 1200m on the poly, Wind Singer has some class and could make amends for her disappointing last run from another good draw. Lily Gray has a chance from pole and Shizam is a two-year-old who caught the eye in her last win over this trip at Kenilworth and she is also well drawn.

David Thiselton