The 2016 Champions Day at Turffontein on Saturday 30 April has been one of the most talked about racedays in recent memory and much of the focus is centred around the colourful character of trainer Mike Azzie and his brilliant galloper and Triple Crown pretender, Abashiri.
Difficult to stop Abashiri
At a barrier draw ceremony today, Abashiri drew at stall gate 11 for the R2 million Gr1 SA Derby, as he attempts to join the hallowed ranks of Horse Chestnut and Louis The King on the SA Triple Crown honours roll.
If he stays the 2450m, it is diifficult to see Adriaan and Rika Van Vuuren’s champion getting beaten.
To honour his exploits, Phumelela have themed the day in orange and black and a massive crowd is anticipated.
Trained by Mike Azzie, Abashiri was a fluent winner of both the Betting World Gauteng Guineas over 1600m and the SA Classic over 1800m.
He has beaten most of his rivals in those two races and the only detail that seems to be standing between him and the R2-million bonus is doubt as to whether he will see out the distance.
He has not yet raced beyond 1800m but many three-year-olds who win the SA Derby do so on class more than staying ability – and that could be the case again.
The R4-million President’s Champions Challenge (Grade 1) over 2000m is the richest unrestricted race in the country and has attracted an amazing field of 13 runners.
Heading up the Challenge are Legal Eagle and French Navy, who are the top two rated four-year-olds in the land, both trained by Sean Tarry.
Legal Eagle won last year’s Derby and has gone on to triumph in two other Grade 1 races – the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth and the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein, both over 1600m.
Anton Marcus – rides the Eagle
He has drawn perfectly at No 4, has Anton Marcus in the irons, is the best handicapped runner and is certain to start a short-priced favourite.
However, stablemate French Navy loves this Turffontein track and despite a couple of recent disappointments, Tarry will have him spot on for the race. The son of Count Dubois will have a new jockey in Weichong Marwing.
There are two Cape challengers in five-year-old Captain America and filly Inara. Both have won at Turffontein, and having spent some time on the Highveld, will not have any altitude concerns.
The lone three-year-old is Trading Profit, who recently joined the Azzie yard after winning a Pinnacle Stakes in which French Navy finished fourth.
The R1-million World Sports Betting Computaform Sprint over 1000m should once again prove to be a thriller. In the 2007 race Mythical Flight set a South African record of 54.96sec but in January this year that record was eclipsed by a Port Elizabeth-based filly, Blizzard Belle.
Trained by Yvette Bremner, the daughter of Western Winter completed 1000m at Fairview in 54.55sec. Bremner has decided to bring the filly to Turffontein and take on the best sprinters in the land.
She will be accompanied by stablemate Copper Parade, winner of the Computaform Sprint in 2014, and also runner-up to Blizzard Belle in her record-breaking run.
They will take on local champions Carry On Alice and Trip Tease who are the respective best handicapped runners.
The balance of the Champions Day card will be revealed on Monday.
R2000 000 2450m S A DERBY (Grade 1)
| 1 | 11 | Abashiri | 60 | 117 | A | K Zechner | Mike Azzie | |
| 2 | 10 | Samurai Blade (AUS) | 60 | 108 | T A | S Khumalo | Sean Tarry | |
| 3 | 9 | Rocketball | 60 | 100 | T A | W Kennedy | Gavin van Zyl | |
| 4 | 6 | Jubilee Line | 60 | 92 | BA | A Marcus | Mike de Kock | |
| 5 | 5 | Bankable Teddy | 60 | 89 | BA | C Maujean | Brian Wiid | |
| 6 | 1 | Milla’s World | 60 | 85 | A | …………… | Sean Tarry | |
| 7 | 3 | Kinaan (AUS) | 60 | 84 | A | A Delpech | Mike de Kock | |
| 8 | 7 | Penteliko | 60 | 79 | A | *C Murray | Mike Azzie | |
| 9 | 8 | Stebbins | 60 | 79 | TBA | R Fourie | Weiho Marwing | |
| 10 | 2 | Premier Chance | 60 | 72 | A | Wes Marwing | Weiho Marwing | |
| 11 | 4 | Scheme Of Things | 60 | 71 | A | J P v’d Merwe | Mike Azzie | |
| 12 | 12 | Trip To Paradise | 60 | 65 | T | A Fortune | Coenie de Beer | |
| (1,8,11) (2,6) (4,7) (9,10) | ||||||||
Champion Legal Eagle
R4 000 000 2000m THE PREMIER’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1)
| 1 | 4 | Legal Eagle | 60 | 120 | T A | A Marcus | Sean Tarry | |
| 2 | 8 | Captain America | 60 | 117 | A | C Orffer | Brett Crawford | |
| 3 | 11 | French Navy | 60 | 115 | A | W Marwing | Sean Tarry | |
| 4 | 12 | Deputy Jud | 59 | 107 | A | J P v’d Merwe | Mike Azzie | |
| 5 | 5 | Judicial | 59 | 104 | BA | B Lerena | Tyrone Zackey | |
| 6 | 13 | Stonehenge | 58 | 108 | T A | S Khumalo | Sean Tarry | |
| 7 | 9 | Killua Castle (AUS) | 58 | 104 | BA | C Maujean | Geoff Woodruff | |
| 8 | 10 | Halve The Deficit | 58 | 103 | A | M Yeni | Sean Tarry | |
| 9 | 1 | Afrikaburn | 58 | 102 | T A | *L Hewitson | Gavin van Zyl | |
| 10 | 3 | Mac De Lago (AUS) | 58 | 102 | T A | R Fourie | Weiho Marwing | |
| 11 | 2 | Inara | 57.5 | 111 | A | G van Niekerk | Mike Bass | |
| 12 | 7 | Brazuca (AUS) | 54.5 | 109 | T A | A Delpech | Johan Janse van Vuuren | |
| 13 | 6 | Trading Profit | 54.5 | 96 | A | K Zechner | Mike Azzie | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (1,3,6,8) (4,13) | ||||||||
Senor Santa winner Talktothestars – tougher this time!
R1 000 000 1000m WORLD SPORTS BETTING COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1)
| 1 | 14 | Trip Tease | 60 | 114 | A | G Wrogemann | Louis Goosen | |
| 2 | 15 | Talktothestars | 60 | 110 | TB | A Delpech | Coenie de Beer | |
| 3 | 11 | Barbosa | 60 | 108 | A | I Sturgeon | Dennis Drier | |
| 4 | 2 | Copper Parade | 60 | 105 | BA | K Zechner | Yvette Bremner | |
| 5 | 1 | Doing It For Dan | 60 | 105 | TXA | B Fayd’Herbe | Louis Goosen | |
| 6 | 10 | Moofeed (AUS) | 60 | 105 | A | S Brown | Mike de Kock | |
| 7 | 13 | Belong To Me | 60 | 104 | TBA | W Marwing | Johan Janse van Vuuren | |
| 8 | 5 | Splendid Garden | 60 | 104 | T A | J P v’d Merwe | Mike Azzie | |
| 9 | 12 | Daring Dave | 60 | 103 | T A | R Fourie | Weiho Marwing | |
| 10 | 4 | Muscatt | 60 | 103 | A | *C Habib | Michael Roberts | |
| 11 | 9 | Vincente | 60 | 93 | T A | G van Niekerk | Louis Goosen | |
| 12 | 6 | Graduation Day | 60 | 91 | T A | A Marcus | Joe Soma | |
| 13 | 8 | African Ruler | 58 | 104 | TBA | B Lerena | Paul Peter | |
| 14 | 3 | Tar Heel | 58 | 103 | T A | A Fortune | Joey Ramsden | |
| 15 | 16 | Carry On Alice | 57.5 | 110 | A | S Khumalo | Sean Tarry | |
| 16 | 7 | Blizzard Belle | 57.5 | 99 | a | K de Melo | Yvette Bremner | |
| Same Trainer – Not Coupled on Tote | ||||||||
| (1,5,11) (4,16) | ||||||||
