Trainer Mike de Kock is throwing the kitchen sink at the R1.25-million eLan Gold Cup to be run over 3200m at Greyville on Saturday 30 July with five entries, including the foursome who filled the first four places in the Gold Vase over 3000m at Greyville on Durban July Day.
The quartet finishers were led across the line by Australian-bred gelding Enaad, who chased down the leading pair to win by a neck from Smart Mart, Kingston Mines and Kinaan.
De Kock quartet in Gold Vase as Enaad powers home
With such a strong team it is likely that the same tactics could be adopted in the 3200m marathon.
De Kock’s fifth entrant is the mare The Centenary, runner-up in the Delta Air Lines 2200.
Super Saturday, the final race meeting of the KwaZulu-Natal Champions Season, is set to be a super occasion in every way with nine feature events including the Gold Cup and the R1-million Grade 1 Mike And Carol Bass Champions Cup.
There will also be the final major races for juveniles with the R600,000, Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and the R800,000, Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes, both run over 1600m.
Gold Bowl winner Arch Rival stays well
De Kock’s quintet should face some strong opposition from the likes of Geoff Woodruff’s Gold Bowl winner Arch Rival, the J&B Stayers winner from the Justin Snaith stable Ovidio and the winner of the Lonsdale Stirrup Cup Balance Sheet from the Dean Kannemeyer yard.
The Mike And Carol Bass Champions Cup pays tribute to Cape trainer Mike Bass who hands in his licence at the end of the season after an illustrious career and he will be hoping to close off that career with a win in this race.
He appeared to have a strong chance of doing just that with three-year-old Silvano gelding Marinaresco, who finished second to The Conglomerate in the Durban July. However, Candice Robinson, who will be taking over the stable next month, has said that because of a wide draw they will probably not run Marinaresco in the event.
That means the stable will be relying on Three Balloons and Helderberg Blue to make it a memorable occasion by featuring strongly or even winning the Gold Cup.
The entries for the Mike And Carol Bass Champions Cup over 1800m include The Conglomerate, as well as Mac De Lago from the Weiho Marwing stable who finished third in the Durban July.
Exit Here holds off Dynamic in a Cup Trial thriller
Also among the entries are Exit Here and Dynamic who filled the first two places in the Cup Trial.
The two Grade 1 juvenile races over 1600m, the Premiers Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes, have drawn strong entries, including Vaughan Marshall’s top Captain Al colt Always In Charge who heads the nominations for the former contest. He won the Grade 1 Gold Medallion at Scottsville and has the two horses who followed him home, Seattle Singer and Rivarine, among his potential opponents.
With the first three past the post in the Durban Golden Horseshoe – Zodiac Ruler, Misty Birnam and Gunner – also among the entries, this race could be one of the most exciting of the day.
Final Judgement wins the Golden Slipper
The winner of the Gold Circle Golden Slipper, Final Judgement, heads the field for the Thekwini Stakes but she could find a strong opponent from the Corne Spies-trained filly Seattle Singer who finished second to Always In Charge against the boys in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville.
Sail and Visuality, third and fourth in the Golden Slipper, give additional strength to the field for this super race.
The day’s programme includes the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet over 2000m, the Grade 2 Umkhomazi Stakes over 1 200m and the Grade 2 The Debutante over 1200m.
Supplementary entries close on Friday at 11am and declarations for the Gold Cup must be made by 11am on Tuesday 19 July.
The announcement of the final field and the barrier draws will take place at a function that evening at 5.30pm.
As far as all the other races are concerned, declarations close at 11am on Thursday 21 July.
