Top card closes Championship
The curtain officially comes down on the Highveld Autumn season at Turffontein with the running of Leg 4 of the Championship.
While there are no Grade 1 races on the day the meeting is filled with four Grade 2 events, two Grade 3 races and the Listed TAB Gold Bowl over 3200m.
To add further interest for bettors is a Pick 6 carryover of R500,000 with a likely pool of R3 million. The entire Pick 6 is made up of feature races.
Heading up the card are the Grade 2 Jehan Malherbe Senor Santa Stakes over 1160m and the Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes over 2000m. Both races carry a stake of R500,000.
While Computaform Sprint winner Thunderstruck is not in the Senor Santa field, trainer Sean Tarry will still hold a strong hand as he has three runners in Lucky Lad, Swing Upon A Star and Winter Greeting.
Lucky Lad demonstrated he was ready to win again when a 1.25-length second behind Sandringham Summit last time in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein and is unbeaten in his two starts over the course and distance. Richard Fourie will take the ride.
Surjay, from the Brett Crawford yard, will make his debut on the Highveld, probably a stopover on his way to Durban for the winter.
Louie Mxothwa will be in Joburg to ride him.
Only seven runners are carded to go to post for the Colorado King Stakes and this one looks wide open.
Puerto Manzano is the best weighted runner but Mike de Kock has two decent runners in Aragosta, who ran an excellent third last time in the Grade 1 Premier's Champions Challenge over the same course and distance, and Safe Passage.
Final Graded fields for Saturday's meeting at Turffontein.
Final field for the R500,000 Jehan Malherbe Senor Santa Stakes (Grade 2) over 1160m
1 - 6 RULERSHIP (A P Peter) C Habib 60.0 - 119
2 - 4 SURJAY (B Crawford) L Mxothwa 60.0 - 119
3 - 8 LUCKY LAD (S G Tarry) R Fourie 58.0 - 119
4 - 9 QUANTUM THEORY (R R Sage) D Schwarz 58.0 - 114
5 - 7 TAIKONAUT (R R Magner) R Danielson 58.0 - 113
6 - 11 CAPTAIN HINDSIGHT (A P Peter) C Maujean 56.0 - 111
7 - 2 UNZEN (R R Sage) K A Brewer 56.0 - 109
8 - 1 SWING UPON A STAR (S G Tarry) M Yeni 54.0 - 105
9 - 3 I AM GIANT (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 54.0 - 104
10 - 10 WINTER GREETING (S G Tarry) C Zackey 53.5 - 108
11 - 5 MOONSHININGTHROUGH (J J van Vuuren) P Mxoli 50.0 - 98
Same Trainer: (1,6) (2,9) (3,8,10) (4,7)
Final field for the R500,000 TAB Colorado King Stakes (Grade 2) over 2000m
1 - 3 PUERTO MANZANO (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 60.0 - 125
2 - 2 ARAGOSTA (M F De Kock) M V'Rensburg 58.0 - 118
3 - 4 FUTURE PEARL (S G Tarry) K Matsunyane 58.0 - 116
4 - 6 SAFE PASSAGE (M F De Kock) M Yeni 58.0 - 115
5 - 1 SECOND BASE (R Klaasen) C Maujean 58.0 - 107
6 - 5 PURE PREDATOR (F Bronkhorst) R Fourie 54.5 - 116
7 - 7 HOTARUBI (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 54.5 - 114
Same Trainer: (2,4) (3,7)
Final field for the R350,000 TAB Camellia Stakes (Grade 2) (F&M) over 1160m
1 - 3 MRS GERIATRIX (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 115
2 - 7 KISS ME CAPTAIN (M/A Azzie) R A Venniker 60.0 - 112
3 - 5 ALULA'S STAR (S T Pettigrew) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 107
4 - 1 MRS BROWNING (S G Tarry) C Zackey 60.0 - 106
5 - 4 TIME FO ORCHIDS (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 60.0 - 106
6 - 6 WHITE PEARL (M F De Kock) M Yeni 58.0 - 112
7 - 2 ONE FELL SWOOP (A P Peter) C Habib 58.0 - 104
Same Trainer: (1,4)
Final field for the R350,000 TAB Igugu Stakes (Grade 2) (F&M) over 2000m
1 - 9 NONE OTHER (M N Houdalakis) S Khumalo 60.0 - 110
2 - 5 GILDED BUTTERFLY (S T Pettigrew) G Lerena 60.0 - 108
3 - 3 EMIRATE GINA (R R Magner) R Danielson 59.0 - 105
4 - 7 PERFECT WITNESS (C Dawson) D De Gouveia 59.0 - 105
5 - 4 BELLEVARDE (J A Soma) M Yeni 59.0 - 96
6 - 2 FUTURE GIRL (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 59.0 - 96
7 - 8 IPSO FACTO (P F Matchett) R A Venniker 59.0 - 94
8 - 1 MY SOUL MATE (C Dawson) R Fourie 55.5 - 115
9 - 6 BEATING WINGS (S T Pettigrew) C Habib 55.5 - 112
Same Trainer: (2,9) (4,8)
Final field for the R300,000 TAB Protea Stakes (Grade 3) (twoyear-olds) over 1100m
1 - 2 BUFFALO STORM CODY (A P Peter) C Habib 60.0 - 90
2 - 6 CHIEFTAIN (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 60.0 - 93
3 - 1 DANTONFROMSANDTON (S G Tarry) P Strydom 60.0 - 90
4 - 5 KING OF KILDARE (R R Magner) M Yeni 60.0 - 93
5 - 3 PROCEED (S G Tarry) R Fourie 60.0 - 97
6 - 4 WINDS OF CHANGE (M/A Azzie) R A Venniker 57.0 - 101
Same Trainer: (3,5)
Final field for the R250,000 TAB Pretty Polly Stakes (Grade 3) (two-year-old fillies) over 1100m
1 - 1 BOSUM BUDDY (P F Matchett) P Mxoli 60.0 - 83
2 - 8 FAMOUS LADY (A Ndzilana) S Khumalo 60.0 - 89
3 - 5 PINATUBO (R Klaasen) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 83
4 - 3 SIMPLY MAJESTIC (J J van Vuuren) G Lerena 60.0 - 85
5 - 6 STARS AND BRA'S (F Bronkhorst) C Maujean 60.0 - 81
6 - 2 WE WILL ROCK YOU (C Spies) M V'Rensburg 60.0 - 89
7 - 4 IGNITETHELIGHT (J J van Vuuren) D De Gouveia 57.0 - 0
8 - 7 MONTANA LIGHTS (J J van Vuuren) C Zackey 57.0 - 0
Same Trainer: (4,7,8)