Top horses entered for Spring Challenge

A GROUP of highly rated three-year-olds have been nominated to run in the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge and Joburg Spring F&M Challenge over 1 450m on Saturday October 6.

If all goes according to plan, Sean Tarry’s new stable sensation, Chimichuri Run, could come up against Grade 1 winner Soqrat and Alyaasaat, both from the Mike de Kock yard. However, while De Kock will be delighted that his charges have drawn in barriers No 5 and No 4 respectively, Tarry’s runner has drawn No 19 of the 30-strong entry.

In the fillies’ race, De Kocktrained Ghaalla, who is well regarded by the stable, drew barrier No 2 while unbeaten Nafaayes is drawn No 9 and will improve. Dagmar, however, drew wide at 20.

There are a lot of other top horses who could be making their seasonal comebacks in this race, including Coral Fever from the Robbie Sage yard, Grade 1 Mercury Sprint winner Will Pays and last year’s Grade 2 Charity Mile winner Hat Puntano, both from the Mike and Adam Azzie yard.

Another runner who is sure to attract a lot of interest is Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic winner Takingthepeace, also from the De Kock yard. She has been nominated for both races but the fact that she is drawn No 18 in the Challenge and No 1 in the fillies’ race will probably make the decision easy for De Kock.

Both she and Noble Secret are also among the De Kock group of 10 entered to run in the R2-million G-Bet Gauteng Summer Cup on Saturday December 1.

Tarry has also entered Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes winner Redberry Lane in the fillies’ event but she fared badly in the draw at No 22.

There is a supplementary entry stage on Monday which will close at 9am, with final declarations closing at 11am on Tuesday. – Phumelela Publishing