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More than R7.2 million in prize money will be up for grabs on Champions Day, the richest program on the South African racing calendar, at Turffontein on Saturday when nine feature black type races including four Grade One events will be decided.
Heading up the card are the four G1 events � the R2 million President's Champions Challenge over 2000m, the R1.5 million SA Derby over 2450m, the R1 million Computaform Sprint over 1000m and the R500,000 SA Nursery over 1160m.
Backing them up are five G2 events � the R750,000 SA Oaks over 2450m, the R500,000 Gold Bowl over 3200m, the R400,000 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m, the R300,000 Gerald Rosenberg Stakes over 2000m and the R200,000 Camellia Stakes over 1160m.
It could also be a day in which the fairer sex could have the last word.
The last two Sansui Summer Cup winners, Dancewiththedevil and Flirtation, as well as G1 L Jaffee Empress Club Stakes champion Europa Point, could be the runners to beat in the President's Champion Challenge; Val De Ra is back to defend her Computaform Sprint crown; and Irish-bred mare Gorongosa has strong claims in the Gold Bowl.
Cape Town-based trainers Joey Ramsden and Mike Bass each have a runner in the Champions Challenge with Bravura and English Garden respectively.
English Garden set up a decent record at Turffontein last year, winning the G1 SA Classic and finishing second to Seal in last year's SA Derby.
However, he has a lot to do at the weights to get the better of Dancewiththedevil and Bravura.
Bass is also having a second crack at the Computaform Sprint with What A Winter but he will have Val De Ra to beat once again.
Dennis Drier's mare, who will be having her final start, has beaten What A Winter on both occasions they have met.
The SA Derby looks wide open. SA Classic winner Slumdogmillionaire is not there but a number of those who finished behind him, including Pomodoro, E-Jet, Silver Flyer and Brooks-Club, will all contest a most competitive event.
Two unbeaten boom juveniles line-up in the SA Nursery and SA Fillies Nursery respectively.
Mike de Kock's Soft Falling Rain, to be ridden by Anton Marcus, and Gavin van Zyl's Franny, with Anthony Delpech aboard, are likely to start short-priced favourites for their respective races.
PRESIDENT’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1) R2-million 2000m
1 – 2 SEAL (G H Van Zyl) M Mienie 60.0 – 110
2 – 3 ENGLISH GARDEN (M W Bass) K Neisius 60.0 – 108
3 – 6 BRAVURA (J Ramsden) A Marcus 58.5 – 116
4 – 9 SMANJEMANJE (T Zackey) R Fradd 58.5 – 108
5 – 5 SAFWAN (M F De Kock) D David 58.5 – 103
6 – 10 DANCEWITHTHEDEVIL (S J Gray) G Lerena 57.5 – 116
7 – 7 EUROPA POINT (M F De Kock) A Delpech 57.5 – 108
8 – 8 GALANTHUS (T Zackey) P Strydom 57.5 – 105
9 – 1 FLIRTATION (M F De Kock) G Hatt 57.5 – 103
10 – 11 BUY AND SELL (S G Tarry) S Cormack 57.5 – 101
11 – 4 SAGE THRONE (C Scott) M Yeni 57.5 – 96
SA DERBY (Grade 1)(three-year olds (3rd Leg SASCOC Triple Crown) R1.5-million 2450m
1 – 6 SILVER FLYER (M F De Kock) G Hatt 58.0 – 109
2 – 5 POMODORO (S G Tarry) G Lerena 58.0 – 108
3 – 11 E-JET (S G Tarry) S Cormack 58.0 – 104
4 – 2 BROOKS-CLUB (G H Van Zyl) M Mienie 58.0 – 101
5 – 12 BLAZE OF FIRE (Y Bremner) M Yeni 58.0 – 98
6 – 3 ZAMBUCCA (S Mohideen) R Fradd 58.0 – 96
7 – 7 ROYAL BENCHER (A G Laird) A Marcus 58.0 – 95
8 – 8 WAGNER (J A Soma) P Strydom 58.0 – 94
9 – 4 BARACAH (S G Tarry) K Neisius 58.0 – 93
10 – 1 PERIGRINE (S G Tarry) T Appie 58.0 – 84
11 – 10 ICE TRIGGER (M F De Kock) A Delpech 58.0 – 82
12 – 9 THE CLUB KING (T Lowe) S Chambers 58.0 – 78
13 – 13 CHANGING MOON (R P Lerena) G Wrogemann 58.0 – 76
COMPUTAFORM SPRINT POWERED BY BETXCHANGE (Grade 1)(Weight for Age) R1-million 1000m
1 – 2 J J THE JET PLANE (M N Houdalakis) A Marcus 60.0 – 122
2 – 3 WHAT A WINTER (M W Bass) K Neisius 60.0 – 117
3 – 4 SHEA SHEA (G V Woodruff) P Strydom 60.0 – 113
4 – 6 MAGICO (P A Peter) F Naude 60.0 – 108
5 – 8 WINKING JACK (L Wiid) S Khumalo 60.0 – 107
6 – 5 MOROCCAN (W H Marwing) R Fradd 60.0 – 103
7 – 7 DELIVER THE POWER (D Zaki) G Lerena 58.0 – 113
8 – 1 VAL DE RA (D R Drier) A Forbes 57.5 – 113
9 – 9 MANNEQUIN (P F Matchett) M Mienie 57.5 – 105
SA NURSERY (Grade 1)(two-year-olds) R500,000 1160m
1 – 18 BLUSHING PETER (S G Tarry) S Cormack 58.0 – 84
2 – 3 CELLARMASTER (P A Peter) F Naude 58.0 – 77
3 – 4 DONNIE BRASCO (P A Peter) G Lerena 58.0 – 84
4 – 2 DUNDEE (P A Peter) D David 58.0 – 0
5 – 5 FRANCOIS BERNARDUS (P F Matchett) M Mienie 58.0 – 76
6 – 9 GREENACRE (G D Smith) G van Niekerk 58.0 – 92
7 – 10 ISTIQRAAR (M F De Kock) A Delpech 58.0 – 87
8 – 7 LOVE STRUCK (P V Lafferty) P Strydom 58.0 – 88
9 – 8 MICROSTATE (A Nassif) D Daniels 58.0 – 84
10 – 13 MOGOK’S DESIRE (L J Erasmus) S Brown 58.0 – 96
11 – 17 RYDER CUP (L J Erasmus) L Nhlapo 58.0 – 79
12 – 16 SOFT FALLING RAIN (M F De Kock) A Marcus 58.0 – 103
13 – 12 THE HANGMAN (S G Tarry) K Neisius 58.0 – 76
14 – 11 WAR HORSE (C Spies) J P v’d Merwe 58.0 – 97
15 – 6 ZESTFUL (S T Pettigrew) M V’Rensburg 58.0 – 91
16 – 15 ZIPARANA (W H Marwing) R Fradd 58.0 – 89
Reserve Runners
17 – 1 THE DISCIPLE (L J Erasmus) Reserve 1 58.0 – 71
18 – 14 PEANUTS (R R Magner) Reserve 2 58.0 – 0