Star Sophomore Showdown At Turffontein On Sunday

While the L’Ormarins King’s Plate day at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday will hold top billing on the first local feature weekend action of 2024, there is a Grade 3 contest at Turffontein on Sunday that promises more than some fireworks.

The Betway R350 000 Got The Greenlight Stakes, formerly the Tony Ruffel Stakes, will be run over 1400m on the Turffontein Standside track and headlines a treble feature programme.

Main Defender (outside) gets the better of Sandringham Summit in the Graham Beck Stakes (Pic – JC Photos)

Standouts in the seven horse contest are two familiar names in David Nieuwenhuizen’s Sandringham Summit, and the Tony Peter-trained Main Defender.

The duo, both currently rated 121,  have met twice and the win tally stands at 1-1.

Speculation about possible match races has led to nothing, and it was a pity that neither graced the final line-up for the 2023 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas last month.

Three weeks prior to the Cape classic clash, they were expected to meet head-on in the Gr2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans over 1600m on Betway Summer Cup day, but things went pear-shaped in both camps, to put it mildly.

Tony Peter didn’t want to run his charge from a wide draw in the Dingaans and went instead for the Gr3 New Turf Carriers Merchants over 1160m on the same afternoon.

History now shows that Sandringham Summit was comprehensively beaten into third and two lengths behind Purple Pitcher and Gimmeanotherchance in the Dingaans, while Main Defender was pulled out of the Merchants by the Stipes in a mass withdrawal of the Tony Peter horses on a day that still puzzles many of us, and is the subject of an Inquiry on 24 January.

So they last clashed over Sunday’s course and distance in the Graham Beck Stakes on Allied Steelrode Onamission Mile day, where Main Defender and a ring rusty Sandringham Summit went hammer and tongs over the final 400m, with the Peter runner prevailing by a short head.

Prior to that, Main Defender, beaten only once in six starts and that by Sandringham Summit in the HK World Pool Moment Of The Day Premiers Champion Stakes in KZN at the end of his 2yo term, had come out firing in a sensational season debut to annihilate some quality older opponents in the Betway Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge by over 6 lengths.

Sandringham Summit, who will step out in the famous while and scarlet strip of Varsfontein Stud, was recently syndicated for stud and his connections will be keen to  see him back in winning vein.

Calvin Habib – takes over in hot seat on Main Defender on Sunday (Pic- JC Photos)

To add further needle, Calvin Habib, who was jocked off Sandringham Summit in favour of Gavin Lerena, takes over the reins on Main Defender from Kabelo Matsunyane for his first ride on the son of Pathfork on Sunday.

We are talking about the clash before the event – no question there will be lots of banter after it!

Set the alarm – 16h10 on Sunday 7 January.