Legal Eagle nominated for the Champions Challenge
ROUTINE: TARRY’S CHARGE WILL BE AIMED AT R4-MILLION RACE FOR THE THIRD TIME
Last year’s winner Deo Juvente and third-placed Nother Russia also among entries.
Trainer Sean Tarry has stuck with the old adage that one should not change a winning formula and said on Monday that stable star Legal Eagle will follow the same route as he had for the last two years.
“His programme is easy to work out,” said Tarry. “Nothing has changed. He’ll go for the Horse Chestnut in April and the Champions Challenge in May.”
Legal Eagle won both races in 2016 but last year, after winning the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein, he went down a short head to Deo Juvente in the R4-million President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at the same track.
This son of Greys Inn will get his chance to put the record straight this year as Legal Eagle is one of the 18 horses nominated to run in the Grade 1 race on Saturday 5 May.
Also among the entries is last year’s winner Deo Juvente and third-placed Nother Russia.
Nother Russia showed no ill-effects from her trip to the Western Cape and Mathew de Kock is hoping she can improve on last year’s run.
“Other than her run in the Sun Met she has not finished out the top four in her career. She’s very gutsy,” he said.
An interesting entry is Majestic Mambo for the Paul Peter yard as the unbeaten three-year-old also looks a strong candidate for SA Triple Crown honours. This entry gives Peter the option of running him this event or the SA Derby which is run on the same day.
On the subject of Triple Crown winners, Mike and Adam Azzie have entered Abashiri who was Triple Crown champion in 2016. After an indifferent comeback late last year, the Azzies decided not to take him to the Cape and kept him back for this autumn season.
This race has base weights according to age groups and then a 2kg penalty for Grade 1 winners and a 1kg penalty for a Grade 2 winner. That win has to have taken place 18 months prior to the date of issuing of weights. Fillies and mares are given a 2.5kg allowance subject to a minimum weight of 50kg
Second entries close at 11am on Tuesday 27 March, third entries close at 11am on Tuesday 17 April after which the weights will be announced. Declarations must be filed by 11am on Wednesday 25 April.