Our Personality Profile of the week, multiple KZN champion trainer Dennis Drier is the ‘medallion man’.
The Summerveld trainer’s extraordinary record in the Gr1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion suggests that the Gauteng feature form is one aspect to respect – but hometown advantage cannot simply be discarded.
Dennis Drier – the medallion man! (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Uncle Den’s magic touch with this prestigious 2yo feature is touched on in an interview with the great character – read here – and dare we ignore his positivity about his duo of Cartel Captain and Master Of Illusion, with due deference to the formbook ammunition carried by the SP top-rated, Frosted Gold?
Owner Dave Maclean’s orange, green and black silks will ensure a commentator’s nightmare with four good runners in the line-up headed by recent SA Nursery winner Frosted Gold.
SA Nursery winner Frosted Gold (Pic – JC Photos)
The New Zealand bred son of All Too Hard has won 3 of his 4 starts in the style of a horse going places and now steps into the Gr1 big league to lay claims to being one of the leaders of his generation. While Scottsville has been the graveyard of many a good horse over the years, Anton Marcus will give the gorgeous grey every chance.
Cartel Captain won over the course and distance on debut when beating High Voltage and now looks set to attempt to emulate his sire, one of the fastest horses in recent memory, in winning this race.
His stablemate Master Of Illusion was the talking horse on the eve of the Godolphin Barb and stayed on powerfully late to be beaten by Kannemeyer’s African Warrior. He must be a major contender with the rampant Bernard Fayd’herbe in the irons.
Godolphin Barb winner African Warrior (Pic – Candiese Marnewick)
Dean Kannemeyer’s African Warrior has won two of his three starts and showed genuine backbone with a hard fought victory over the highly regarded Master Of Illusion in the Strelitzia Stakes last time. He has seen the course having run third here on debut. A serious son of Vercingetorix, who should be in the fray.
Joey Soma – could hold the ace
Joey Soma’s Got The Greenlight followed up his debut second to Frosted Gold with successive victories over the Vaal 1200m and then caught the eye when staying on for a 2,50 length fourth in the SA Nursery. He is worth including at best.
Guantanamo Bay was bumped and beaten 5,60 lengths by Frosted Gold in the SA Nursery. He was also well beaten in the Storm Bird Stakes so needs to up his feature game to challenge. He also looks held by Got The Greenlight.
A good Scottsville debut winner in February, Wave was beaten just over a length into fourth in the Godolphin Barb and a bit disturbingly was reported to have pulled up distressed there. He should strip fitter on Saturday and it would be folly leaving Warren Kennedy out of any feature race calculations on current form.
The second of the Dean Kannemeyer runners, the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes runner-up Emerald Band showed heart when needing the outing but holding on to win his opening run here on the polytrack. With improved fitness, the fast son of Gimmethegreenlight could challenge and it is good to see Mark Khan back in the Lammerskraal silks.
Duncan Howells’ maiden High Voltage has been beaten by all of African Warrior (in the Strelitzia), as well as Cartel Captain and Master Jay.
Special Blend – one of four Maclean runners (Pic -Candiese Marnewick)
His stablemate Special Blend shed his maiden over the course and distance a week ago and although beating little of note, it was an impressive showing by the unfancied colt.
Glen Kotzen’s Master Jay ran a good debut second over Saturday’s course and distance in February and has since followed up with a win apiece on the turf and the Greyville polytrack last time.
The nicely bred Eden Roc beat winners on his impressive Vaal 1400m debut at end April and now steps into the deep end.
Sean Tarry – always a factor
Second of the Sean Tarry duo and the only filly in the race, Spring Break showed plenty of pace and courage on her Vaal debut earlier this month when staying on professionally to beat Solar Flare.
The fourth of the Dave Maclean quartet, Candy Apple caught the eye last week with a late rattle to win his maiden. The son of Gimmethegreenlight vindicated his trainer’s confidence there and could be the dark horse of the race.
Stablemate to the likely favourite Frosted Gold, Soft Falling Rain’s well supported Turffontein debut winner Alramz comes in as a largely untested quantity. The Highlands bred galloper is a real looker out of a smart female sprint line.
Still a maiden, Tobie Spies’ Loosen Your Tie will need to show a little more than his two Vaal runs to date.
This looks a really hotly contested race with chances to many – on straight exposed form, Frosted Gold looks tough to peg back. But don’t discount the locals. Scottsville is a great leveller of playing fields!
