Owners, trainers excited about Champions Day

A nightmare has unfolded for ante-post punters with the publication of first entries for Champions Day at Turffontein on 6 April.

A programme of four Grade 1 races, four Grade 2s and a listed stayers’ event has turned owners and trainers of good horses into proverbial kids in a candy store.

Up to 20 horses have been entered for more than one of these valuable contests, making the search for early betting value more of a shot in the dark.

Even if you want to back the meeting’s star attraction, wonder filly Gimme A Nother – at the hilarious odds of 2/9 a win and 1/100 a place – for the Grade 1 Empress Club Stakes, you’d be disconcerted by the fact that she has also been nominated for the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks on the same card.

This is despite trainer Mike de Kock declaring on his website that the unbeaten three-yearold would not go for the Oaks, the Triple Tiara and the R1-million bonus prize – but would instead line up in the Empress Club because of the more suitable trip.

Another top filly, Sean Tarry-trained Mrs Geriatrix, has been entered for three races: the 1 600m Empress Club, the 1 000m Grade 1 Computaform Sprint and the 1 400m Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes.

Purple Pitcher, favourite for the Grade 1 SA Derby after his victory in the recent SA Classic, has a fall back entry into the Grade 1 Premier’s Champion Challenge – the nominal marquee event on the day.

Sandringham Summit could be declared for either the Challenge or the Hawaii, as could Dave The King. Other wellknowns with options include William Robertson, Anfields Rocket, Emirate Gina, Nebraas, Aragosta, White Pearl, Bavarian Beauty and Humdinger.

Four juvenile females – Almond Sea, Little Ballerina, Famous Lady and Just Reckless – have been entered for the SA Nursery and the Fillies Nursery.

The great unravelling of the Gordian knot will come next Wednesday, 27 March, when final declarations for the meeting fall due and connections are forced to make decisions.

No fewer than five KwaZulu-Natal trainers have nominated horses for the grand finale of The Championships season on the Highveld.

Also in are Cape-based conditioners Justin Snaith and Brett Crawford. The Snaith yard will run with Itsrainingwilliam (in the Hawaii) and Without Question (Champions Challenge).