Greyville celebrates the first weekend of the racing season with a 12-race programme on Saturday, including three grade 2 events and, of course, the R500000 grade 1 Gold Cup over 3200m.
The traditional pipe-opener handicap has attracted a full field of 20, which includes David Payne’s Durban July third Double Reef.
Stable jockey Kevin Shea has taken the ride on Double Reef, the ruling favourite at 3-1, but may well be left cursing his obligations after the race. He has had to give up the ride on 7-1 shot Full Press to Mark Khan, who is selected to take home the R312 500 winner’s cheque.
Australian-bred Full Press, now five years old, was bought for Aus$50000 as a yearling but impressed his current owners to the extent that they forked out R750000 for him in 1999. For a good while it looked like an ill-judged investment, especially when the colt was gelded in March this year. Full Press has still earned only about R200000 from 16 starts, but his most recent two runs have been very encouraging. In June he gave subsequent July Consolation winner Skeem Team 1kg and an easy 2,25 length beating in the Lonsdale over 2400m. Then on July day he finished like a train but failed by 1,5 lengths to catch Reef Road in the Gold Vase while conceding 5kg over 3000m. He now meets Reef Road on 2,5kg better terms and looks sure to reverse that result.
Port Elizabeth stayer Cereus was third in the Gold Vase, just a short head behind Full Press, but not finishing nearly as strongly.
Newly crowned champion trainer David Ferraris sends out Global Legend, another Aussie-bred who can certainly make his presence felt. He was fourth in the Gold vase, also running on well, and could easily give his talented conditioner the ideal start to the season.
Mike de Kock sends out six runners, with Weichong Mawing aboard five-year-old mare Cyber Cento. This one is having only her second run for the stable, but her first was full of promise. She finished a two-length fourth to ultra-talented Velvet Green in the Garden Province Stakes over a distance well short of her optimum trip. A couple of runs previously she had just failed to hold off De Kock’s Reef Road over 2700m and now meets him on 3,5kg better terms.
Two of De Kock’s other runners, Desert Palm and Champion Chestnut, cannot be ruled out as both have good form over the longer distances.
An upset is far from impossible and Darrelhair, Sequoia or Saint Philippi could well provide it.
In the R150000 grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1600m, Port Elizabeth champion colt Knockout takes on some useful opposition. A nice bet here may be Jeff Lloyd’s mount, Western Pine, who performed creditably against the very best of his age last time. Western Pine started slowly in the Premiers on July day but ran on strongly to finish just three lengths off the brilliant Palace Line. He was marginally behind Golden Dominion but is improving rapidly and could turn the tables.
The R125000 grade 2 Golden Slipper for fillies sees Michael Azzie’s undefeated Bridal Paths back in action with a good chance of extending her winning sequence to four.
Greyville best bets: Madame President (race 2); Dancal (race 8), Keep The Peace (race 11) Gosforth Park best bets: Kharama (race 1); Kings Claret (race 2); Sleek Marvel (race 3).