The Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint heads a jackpot of Grade 1 races at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday. It is always an intriguing meeting given the mix that two of the Grade 1’s are juvenile sprints where anything can happen, the Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint is WFA and the Golden Horse is a handicap.
Dean Kannemeyer could hold the key to the Golden Horse with Gimme A Prince who has only missed the boards once in nine starts. He ran a cracker in the Gr2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes when jumping from an outside gate and he beat Rio Querari in the G1 Cape Flying Championship. However, Justin Snaith appears to have got former Champion Sprinter Rio Querari back to some semblance of his old self and was a game winner last time out. The gelding seems to have improved with the blinkers removed.
Last year’s Gr1 Gold Medallion winner Thunderstruck could be the dark horse in the race. He has been struggling at recent starts but horses often have a tendency to strike form in yearly cycles and with Sean Tarry at the helm one can expect improvement on his recent showings.
We’re Jamming was close-up behind Rio Querari last time out but has taken an eight-point hit in the handicap.
Tarry, who looks to have a strong hand on the day, sends out the fancied Princess Calla in the Fillies Sprint who has cracking sprint form and meets the majority of this field on better weight terms if one takes ratings into account. Her two recent defeats have come at the hands of males but she did start favourite for the recent Gr1 Computaform Sprint.
Mike de Kock has had Desert Miracle racing over further of late having recently win the Gr1 Majorca Stakes and Gr1 Empress Club Stakes, both over a mile. However, she ran Princess Calla to under a length in the Gr2 Sceptre Stakes and is a big runner. Stable companion Iphiko was less than a length back to Princess Calla in the Southern Cross Stakes and although all of her recent form has been over 1000m she cannot be written off. Stiptelik is another not far off Princess Calla and with some luck in the running she has a chance of pulling this off.
Tarry saddles the unbeaten Lucky Lad in the Gr1 Gold Medallion who was a comfortable winner of the Gr1 SA Nursery last time out. With rider Richard Fourie on a hot streak, he is likely to start favourite although he will face some useful opposition. Outlaw King suffered his first defeat in the Gr3 Goldophin Barb but it was obvious that he was short of a run. Having seen the course and a run under his girth one can expect a few lengths improvement. Lucky Houdalakis has avoided the Allan Robertson to take on males with the filly Egyptian Mau, a comfortable winner on debut and could be the dark horse in the race. Nathan Kotzen’s gelding Royal Warrior fluffed his lines on debut when touched off by Cliff Hanger but made amends with a five-lengthy romp next time out. He is a must inclusion in all exotic bets.
Candice Bass-Robinson has made a fine start to her Champions Season campaign and can add to her tally with in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship. Winter Cloud has the benefit of having won on the course and was most impress when putting the Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes field to bed. She has won her last three and looks a likely winner. Tarry generally bottles up his best for the big days and the unbeaten Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Mrs Geriatrix looks a danger to the top choice. She has not won by far in each of her three races, often the sign of a good horse. Golden Tatjana was pitted against males in the Gr3 Godolphin Barb Stakes and was touched off in second. A look at the course and her first run since February should see her in the firing line for Glen Kotzen. Red Hot Rose was a close-up second to Mrs Geriatrix in the Nursery with first time blinkers and she has not been out of the money in four starts for Mike de Kock.
