Battle Of The Generations – Countdown To Saturday!

It will be the battle of the generations at Turffontein on Saturday 1 May when the Equus Award winning Champion Three-Year-Olds of last season take on one of the champion three-year-olds of the current season.

Tabnews report that Got The Greenlight, Summer Pudding and Malmoos have all accepted to run in the 4Racing Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein.

Nine runners have been declared to go to post for this weight-for-age race on the Standside track, but most eyes will be focused on the top three who will be meeting for the first time.

Taking on the boys! Summer Pudding steps up (Pic – JC Photos)

There was some doubt as to whether Equus Horse Of The Year Summer Pudding would take her place after winning the Gr1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes over 1600m on 17 April but trainer Paul Peter said he would run her if she had suffered no ill-effects.

“She came through the race exceptionally well,” said Peter on Monday. “Normally she takes races a lot harder but this time she had no problem.”

The daughter of Silvano is unbeaten in nine starts at the course, has won four Grade 1 races and is the best handicapped runner based on merit ratings.

Got The Greenlight clinched his fourth Gr1 with victory in the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m. He also was runner-up in last year’s Vodacom Durban July. His record at the course is three wins and four places from seven starts.

Got The Greenlight – the Soma machine is on track! (Pic – JC Photos)

This will be his third run back after a layoff and Joe Soma’s runner will be at peak fitness.

Malmoos became the fourth horse to clinch the SA Triple Crown when he won the WSB SA Derby. This son of Captain Al has proven to be among the best three-year-olds in the country and is another who is unbeaten at Turffontein.

De Kock’s Malmoos – massive test on Saturday (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)

The 4Racing Premier’s Champions Challenge will be an interesting test for the Mike de Kock-trained runner as this will be the first time he will be taking on older horses.

The 4Racing Gr1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m looks equally exciting as Justin Snaith will be bringing Gr1 Cape Flying Championship runner-up Rio Querari to take on the likes of Chimichuri Run, Russet Air, True To Life, last year’s champion Rivarine and a host of other speedsters.

Also run at the meeting are the Gr2 4Racing SA Nursery, the Gr2 4Racing SA Fillies Nursery and the Gr2 4Racing Camellia Stakes for fillies and mares – all over 1160m, the Gr2 4 Racing Gerald Rosenberg Stakes for fillies and mares over 2000m, and the Gr3 4Racing Gold Bowl over 3200m.