PE star Copper Parade is the highest rated runner in this weight-for-age sprint
Champion jockey Piere Strydom and a lady trainer from his hometown look set to make history in the final feature to be staged at the soon to be closed Clairwood. The Lecture gelding Copper Parade goes for glory in the R750 000 Gr1 The Mercury Sprint and as the best horse in the race, he should win it. This is the penultimate meeting at the Garden Course.
The weight-for-age terms of this race naturally favour the better horses and the recent Gr1 Computaform Sprint winner and conqueror of champion speedster Via Africa looks set to record a historic win.
Select Group
He certainly looks to be one of only a few that can win it.
And wouldn’t it just be appropriate that PE-based Yvetter Bremner’s Copper Parade can win another Gr1 here at Clairwood after winning the Gr1 Golden Horseshoe (yes, the same race won by Afrikaburn last Saturday) early in his career in 2010.
He was still in the care of Joey Ramsden in those days.
He won that courtesy of a boardroom call over Mike De Kock’s Kavanagh and only won his next Gr1 close on four years later.
The July was not run on the same day as the Golden Horseshoe as the Soccer World Cup pushed the big race on to a later timeslot. But that’s history.
Looking Ahead
Back to the present.
Copper Parade is the highest rated sprinter here and he stormed home in impressive fashion last time to beat Via Africa by three quarters of a length in the big Joburg Gr1 sprint.
While he has proven in and out at times, his form recently is impeccable. Strydom makes the trip to Durban again and we hope that the legend is in better health than he has been recently.
Owner Michael Leaf and trainer Weiho Marwing made a huge impact at Greyville last Saturday with Wylie Hall.
The combination will be hungry for some consolation and despatch the Muhtafal gelding Here Comes Billy to post.
The 4yo should relish the turnaround of 7kgs at the weights with Normanz who beat him 7,45 lengths at Scottsville.
He ran an excellent fourth in the Drill Hall Stakes at his penultimate start and is first and foremost a sprinter. The injured S’manga Khumalo is carded to ride him.
Normanz storms home to win the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint
Laird Leads
The Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint winner Normanz was weighted when producing a terrific finish to win the Golden Horse Sprint at his last start.
The 3yo son of Var needs to show that he can pace it with the big guns at weight-for-age, and has a tough task on his hands. But in his favour, he enjoys the services of Anton Marcus and appears to be still improving.
Joey’s Joy
Joey Ramsden reported earlier this week that his Var gelding Happy Forever was fit and raring to fly.
The 5yo was found lame last time and but appears well held by Copper Parade and Normanz in his last two big Gr1’s. He is an unsound horse who could get up feeling great on the day.
Justin Snaith’s Casual Var and November Rain are both capable but look to have it all to do.
Casual Var had his first run since a six month rest at Greyville on the Poly last Saturday,
He is highly regarded and has a victory over the enigmatic Divine Jet to his credit.
Drier’s Chave De Oura is classy but returns from a rest after the Queen’s Plate
Class Act
Dennis Drier saddles the classy Chave De Oura who has been rested 26 weeks and the Captain Al 4yo, Barbosa.
The latter is 2kgs worse off with Normanz for a 4,20 length hammering last time but got close to the Laird galloper at his penultimate Clairwood start.
Chave De Oura has not run since the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate and fitness may prove a factor.
Mark Dixon’s 5yo Showmetheway rattled back to best last time but only beat Flyfirstclass, giving 4kgs away.
This is stronger and he tends to be a few lengths short at this level.
Deep Waters
Garth Puller plays an unusual hand by throwing his Captain Al gelding Midnight Run into deep waters off his 95 MR.
The 4yo won a cracking good race over the course and distance last time beating the erratically talented Muscatt.
He is a course and distance specialist and will be right on top of them.
Mike Bass saddles Fly By Night
Rare Trip
Steven Janse Van Rensburg is a rare visitor to these parts and he saddles the second of the PE challengers in the Whitechapel gelding Insearchofthesun.
Besides Brad Van Der Riet, this consistent grey will have his supporters, despite being held by a large majority of the field.
The two fillies in the race are both no slouches on their day but need to produce their best to feature.
Mike Bass’s Fly By Night produced a top drawer flyer to get within a heartbeat of Via Africa in the SA Fillies Sprint at her penultimate start. That sort of effort says she must have a squeak here and she comes out at the top of our ratings.
Delpech rides her from an outside draw and those ticks suggest we include her.
Sean Tarry’s Dolomiti is battling and comes down in distance after a quiet spell over further.
The Big Story
Copper Parade looks the right horse to win this. He is selected with a measure of confidence to beat Normanz and watch the Bass filly Fly By Night in the places.
Here Comes Billy could provide some poetic compensation for the July runner-up team. Wouldn’t that be a story and a half?
Past winners: The Mercury Sprint
2009
1.Our Giant
2.Shark’s Bay
3.Extinct
2010
1.JJ The Jet Plane
2.Gaultier
3.Bush Pirate
2011
1.August Rush
2.Copper Parade
3.Captain’s Secret
2012
1.What A Winter
2. Delago Delux
3.Snowdon
2013
1.All Is Secret
2.Wewitschia
3.What A Winter
