De Beer shoots for the stars

Last year’s Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Talktothestars will defend his title when the Grade 1 race is run at Scottsville on Saturday.

The R1-million race is one of four 1200m Grade 1s that comprise the Scottsville Jackpot. The others are the R750,000 SA Fillies Sprint (weight-for-age), R750,000 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion (for two-year-olds) and the R750,000 Allan Robertson Championship (for two-year-old fillies),

Talktothestars, trained by Coenie de Beer and to be ridden by Chase Maujean, has only won once since that victory, but did finish a 1.30-length second behind Rafeef in the weight-for-age Computaform Sprint (Grade 1) at Turffontein this month. Brutal Force, who renews rivalry, was only 0.40 lengths further back in fourth. Brutal Force will get 0.5kg from Talktothestars this time.

Brutal Force’s trainer Joey Ramsden has two other runners in Attenborough, who is facing his toughest test to date, and dual Grade 3-winning three-year-old Table Bay, who would prefer further.

Gulf Storm, from the Brett Crawford yard, won the Cape Flying Championship last year but has not reached those lofty heights since, while Mark Dixontrained London Call is an eighttime winner from 13 career starts. The lightly raced six-year-old has won his last four outings but faces his toughest test to date in spite of having the Marula Sprint over this course and distance on his CV.

Justin Snaith-trained threeyear-old Sergeant Hardy is also highly rated. He was a 1.75-length second to London Call over 1100m at this track last time out and gets 3kg from Dixon’s runner - the equivalent of 1.50 lengths over this distance.

Snaith will also saddle Captain Swarovsky, another who gets invited to the top table for the first time.

Champion trainer Sean Tarry sends Man O’War and Golden Loom Handicap winner Bull Valley into battle alongside stablemates Bulleting Home, who has been running over further, and problematic Captain’s Causeway, who ran sixth in this race last year.