Dyce shoulders a soldier’s burden in Golden Horse

The line-up for the Golden Horse Sprint at Scottsville this weekend looks like the ransacked, bedraggled shelves of a shop after a slashed-price, big-bargains sale.

Retirements, exports and other factors have denuded South Africa’s stock of top-class speed thoroughbreds – to the extent that only four of Saturday’s 16 runners are not under sufferance.

Remarkably, this situation has arisen in one of the country’s premier speed contests; a Grade 1 race worth R1-million.

Dyce stands above the rest

The ever-gallant Dyce stands alone atop the pile, with his merit rating of 130 ensuring he carries the maximum weight of 60kg. The five-year-old must concede 5.5kgs to three opponents and 6kgs to the rest.

An old soldier’s heavy backpack makes the tough, uphill, 1200m charge in Maritzburg a notable challenge for Lucky Houdalakis’s Highveld raider, but he’ll still be a popular choice among punters.

Progressive three-year-old Lucky Lad is the rival likely to be in the same neighbourhood at the top of the betting boards. This five-time winner trained by Sean Tarry carries 54.5kg – off an MR of 121 – along with the Brett Crawford duo of Surjay and At My Command.

Interestingly, Lucky Lad is still among the Hollywoodbets Durban July entries – even though he has never raced further than a mile.

Last year’s Golden Horse runner-up Thunderstruck was retired from racing last week due to injury, while 2023 Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint winner Princess Calla has been whisked off to the US – along with another top speedster in Isivunguvungu.

Still, the lopsided handicap could make for an interesting battle on the day, with the likes of Crawford’s third runner I Am Giant, Roy Magner’s game Melech and Peter Muscutt’s local hope Quasiforsure all having claims.

The field for the SA Fillies Sprint might also be described as below par this year, with Candice Bass-Robinson’s pair October Morn and Winter Cloud looking a cut above most of the opposition.

Tarry led into the winner’s circle three of the four big-race winners at last year’s Scottsville speed fest, so he has to be a factor again. Apart from Lucky Lad in the main event, he saddles the improving Mrs Browning in the fillies piece.

FIELDS

(draw, name, weight, MR, trainer, jockey)

1 I Am Giant 54 107 Brett Crawford Kabelo Matsunyane
2 Swing Upon A Star 54 104 Tony Peter Calvin Habib
3 Surjay 54.5 119 Brett Crawford S’manga Khumalo
4 Ziyasha 54 116 Clinton Binda Juan Paul v’d Merwe
5 Hithemhardsunshine 54 108 Alyson Wright Athandiwe Mgudlwa
6 Quasiforsure 54 115 Peter Muscutt Tristan Godden
7 Dyce 60 130 Lucky Houdalakis Piere Strydom
8 At My Command 54.5 119 Brett Crawford Craig Zackey
9 Countdown 54 108 Glen Kotzen Gareth Wright
10 Cruise Control 54 117 Duncan Howells Sean Veale
11 Lucky Lad 54.5 121 Sean Tarry Richard Fourie
13 Sun Blushed 54 113 Michael Roberts #Rachel Venniker
14 Cliff Top 54 108 Peter Muscutt Diego De Gouveia
15 Pray For Rain 54 114 Carl Hewitson Grant van Niekerk
16 Zinovi 54 114 Mike de Kock Muzi Yeni
17 Melech 54 117 Roy Magner Raymond Danielson
Reserve
12 Fire ‘N Flames 54 98 Kobus Roux

**

1 Kwinta’s Light 60 110 Justin Snaith S’manga Khumalo
2 Reefway 60 98 Kumaran Naidoo Tristan Godden
3 Baltic Secret 59 104 Justin Snaith Sean Veale
4 October Morn 59 115 Candice Bass-Robinson Raymond Danielson
5 Mrs Browning 60 113 Sean Tarry Richard Fourie
6 White Pearl 59 112 Mike de Kock Piere Strydom
7 Shantastic 60 108 Dean Kannemeyer Craig Zackey
8 Shipholia 60 96 Gareth van Zyl Athandiwe Mgudlwa
9 Convocation 60 97 Gareth van Zyl Gareth Wright
10 Time Fo Orchids 60 110 J A Janse van Vuuren Gavin Lerena
11 One Fell Swoop 59 104 Tony Peter Calvin Habib
12 Winter Greeting 60 108 Sean Tarry Serino Moodley
13 Asiye Phambili 60 111 Duncan Howells #Rachel Venniker
14 Gimme A Shot 60 106 M G Azzie/A A Azzie Muzi Yeni
15 Winter Cloud 59 114 Candice Bass-Robinson Aldo Domeyer
16 Elegant Ice 59 102 Lucky Houdalakis Juan Paul v’d Merwe