Champions Day is one giant knot

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 the proverbial kids in a candy store. Up to 20 horses have been entered for more than one of these valuable, important contests – making the search for early betting value more of a shot in the dark than usual.

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.

Mrs Geriatrix

This is despite trainer Mike de Kock declaring on his website that the unbeaten three-year-old 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 1600m Empress Club, the 1000m Grade 1 Computaform Sprint and the 1400m Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes.

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

Final declarations

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

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

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, while Cape-based conditioners Justin Snaith and Brett Crawford are also represented. The Snaith yard has already accepted to run with Itsrainingwilliam in the Hawaii and with Without Question in the Champions Challenge.

GRADE 1 ENTRIES (draw, name, weight, MR, trainer)

World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge, Grade 1, R2m, 2000m, WFA:

1 Dave The King 60 126 Mike de Kock
2 Aragosta 60 118 Mike de Kock
3 Royal Victory 60 119 Nathan Kotzen
4 Future Pearl 60 116 Sean Tarry
5 Puerto Manzano (ARG) 60 125 J A Janse van Vuuren
6 Purple Pitcher 56.5 120 Robyn Klaasen
7 Nebraas 60 112 Sean Tarry
8 Zeus 60 122 Fabian Habib
9 Son Of Raj 60 119 Weiho Marwing
10 Meridius 60 110 Tony Peter
11 Without Question 60 120 Justin Snaith
12 Winchester Mansion 60 121 Brett Crawford
13 Shoemaker 60 110 Mike de Kock
14 Emirate Gina 57.5 105 Roy Magner
15 Second Base 60 107 Robyn Klaasen
16 Safe Passage 60 116 Mike de Kock
17 Street Art 60 109 Tony Peter
18 Cousin Casey 60 123 Sean Tarry
20 Sandringham Summit 56.5 123 David Nieuwenhuizen
21 Litigation 60 115 Sean Tarry

Empress Club Stakes, Grade 1, R1m, 1600m, WFA:

1 Bavarian Beauty 57.5 113 Tony Peter
2 Emirate Gina 60 105 Roy Magner
3 White Pearl 57.5 112 Mike de Kock
4 Celtic Rumours 60 106 Sean Tarry
5 Perfect Witness 60 105 Candice Dawson
6 Humdinger 60 116 Mike de Kock
7 Gilded Butterfly 60 109 Stuart Pettigrew
8 Mrs Geriatrix 57.5 115 Sean Tarry
9 Gimme A Nother 57.5 125 Mike de Kock

SA Derby, Grade 1, R1.25m, 2450, 3YO:

1 Thunee Playa 60 80 Lorenzo Karriem
2 Marauding Horde 60 89 Mike de Kock
3 Atarime 60 83 Paul Matchett
4 Hotarubi 60 116 Sean Tarry
5 Mondial 60 105 M G Azzie/A A Azzie
6 Purple Pitcher 60 120 Robyn Klaasen
7 Viva Brazil 60 92 Lucky Houdalakis
8 Presley 60 98 J A Janse van Vuuren
9 Frances Ethel 57.5 94 Brett Crawford
10 Pure Predator 60 116 Fanie Bronkhorst
11 Fushimi Inari 60 83 Stuart Pettigrew
12 Taxhaven 60 80 Paul Matchett
13 Twenty Drachma’s 60 92 Stuart Pettigrew
14 Madison Valley 60 83 Frank Robinson
15 Rossore Finale 60 79 Weichong Marwing
16 Shoot The Rapids 60 89 Frank Robinson
17 George Handel 60 93 Fanie Bronkhorst
18 My Soul Mate 57.5 115 Candice Dawson

Jonsson Workwear Computaform Sprint, Grade 1, R1m, 1000m, WFA:

1 Ready To Charge 58 108 M G Azzie/A A Azzie
2 Hithemhardsunshine 60 102 Alyson Wright
3 Anfields Rocket 60 115 Grant Maroun
4 Golden Sickle 55.5 122 Tony Peter
5 Trompie 60 102 Brett Crawford
6 Sheldon 60 116 J A Janse van Vuuren
7 William Robertson 60 125 Corne Spies
8 Cliff Hanger 58 108 J A Janse van Vuuren
9 Mover And Shaker 60 118 Fabian Habib
10 Kiss Me Captain 57.5 110 M G Azzie/A A Azzie
11 The Abdicator (IRE) 58 96 Brett Crawford
12 Pray For Rain 60 114 Carl Hewitson
13 Iphiko 57.5 108 Mike de Kock
14 Rulership 60 115 Tony Peter
15 Ziyasha 58 114 Clinton Binda
16 Thunderstruck 60 124 Sean Tarry
17 Dyce 60 130 Lucky Houdalakis
18 Mrs Geriatrix 55.5 115 Sean Tarry