A showdown with Sean Tarry’s unbeaten Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Lucky Lad in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes on the season climax Champions Day on 30 July is on the cards, after Tony Peter’s Main Defender disposed of his opposition in impressive style to win the R400 000 BSA Sales Cup (colts & geldings) at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday.
Racing in the silks of Joburg-based John Habib, Main Defender (9-4), formerly with Tienie Prinsloo, made it three eyecatching wins from three starts and took his stakes bank to R281 875 with an emphatic 2,10 length victory over Jerusalema Rain (4-1) in the 1300m contest restricted to BSA 2022 sale graduates,
There was plenty of talk in the build-up about the promising Pathfork (Distorted Humor) gelding and he duly obliged under Craig Zackey to beat the more experienced dual winner Jerusalema Rain.
While David Niewenhuizen’s Golden Horseshoe winner Sandringham Summit also produced an eyecatching turn of foot to cut down Mike de Kock’s Gimmeanotherchance on Saturday, there are indications that he may not return for the season-end spectacular.
Main Defender fans have told the Sporting Post that their star will return to Hollywoodbets Greyville for the ‘race of the season’ to take on Lucky Lad.
That will be the first time both will go the mile, but it could be an interesting clash – even though it could be argued that it doesn’t end there.
The Jagessar Limited-bred gelding is out of the two-timing winning Judpot mare Alessia, who won twice up to a mile.
Main Defender looks very well bought at just R140 000 off the 2022 BSA Cape Yearling Sale.
Watch the replay:
