Buckinghampshire, only fifth when favourite for the Englezakis Protea Stakes at Turffontein last month, will renew rivalry with the top Highveld two-year-olds in the R1 million SA Nursery there on 25 April.
Justin Snaith said yesterday: “He was drawn on the wrong side of the course in the Protea and, while I am not saying that this accounted for the bad run, it didn’t help and I also think he would have done better if had been allowed to use his action more. He definitely runs in the Nursery.”
Hassen Adams’ colt showed himself to be one of the best of the early Western Cape two-year-olds when winning the Listed race on Met day but Snaith is under no illusions about the strength of the opposition in Johannesburg.
He said: “Cape Town two-year-old racing is the most uncompetitive around, and you don’t get trainers there pushing their two-year-olds whereas the guys in Jo’burg do so a lot more.”