Final fields for SA Derby released

Champions Day could not be more aptly named. Competing at Turffontein on Saturday 30 April will be the highest rated three-year-old, the top two rated four-year-olds, five-year-old and filly in the country.

Three-year-old Abashiri aspires to become only the third SA Triple Crown winner when he lines up in the R2-million SA Derby (Grade 1) over 2450m. Horse Chestnut captured the Triple Crown in 1999 and Louis The King emulated the feat in 2014.

Trained by Mike Azzie, Abashiri was a fluent winner of both the Betting World Gauteng Guineas over 1600m and the SA Classic over 1800m. He has beaten most of his rivals in those two races and the only detail that seems to be standing between him and the R2-million bonus is doubt as to whether he will see out the distance.

He has not yet raced beyond 1800m but many three-year-olds who win the SA Derby do so on class more than staying ability – and that could be the case again.

The R4-million President’s Champions Challenge (Grade 1) over 2000m is the richest unrestricted race in the country and has attracted an amazing field of 13 runners. Heading up the Challenge are Legal Eagle and French Navy, who are the top two rated four-year-olds in the land, both trained by Sean Tarry. Legal Eagle won last year’s Derby and has gone on to triumph in two other Grade 1 races – the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth and the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein, both over 1600m.

He has drawn perfectly at No 4, has Anton Marcus in the irons, is the best handicapped runner and is certain to start a short-priced favourite.

However, stablemate French Navy loves this Turffontein track and despite a couple of recent disappointments, Tarry will have him spot on for the race. The son of Count Dubois will have a new jockey in Weichong Marwing.

There are two Cape challengers in five-year-old Captain America and filly Inara. Both have won at Turffontein, and having spent some time on the Highveld, will not have any altitude concerns.

The lone three-year-old is Trading Profit, who recently joined the Azzie yard after winning a Pinnacle Stakes in which French Navy finished fourth.

The R1-million World Sports Betting Computaform Sprint over 1000m should once again prove to be a thriller. In the 2007 race Mythical Flight set a South African record of 54.96sec but in January this year that record was eclipsed by a Port Elizabeth-based filly, Blizzard Belle.

Trained by Yvette Bremner, the daughter of Western Winter completed 1000m at Fairview in 54.55sec. Bremner has decided to bring the filly to Turffontein and take on the best sprinters in the land.

She will be accompanied by stablemate Copper Parade, winner of the Computaform Sprint in 2014, and also runner-up to Blizzard Belle in her record-breaking run.

They will take on local champions Carry On Alice and Trip Tease who are the respective best handicapped runners.

The balance of the Champions Day card will be revealed on Monday.

Final field for the R4-million Premier’s Champion Challenge (Grade 1) over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday 30 April

1 – 4 LEGAL EAGLE (S G Tarry) A Marcus 60.0 – 120

2 – 8 CAPTAIN AMERICA (B Crawford) C Orffer 60.0 – 117

3 – 11 FRENCH NAVY (S G Tarry) W Marwing 60.0 – 115

4 – 12 DEPUTY JUD (M G Azzie) J P v’d Merwe 59.0 – 99

5 – 5 JUDICIAL (T Zackey) B Lerena 59.0 – 104

6 – 13 STONEHENGE (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 58.0 – 108

7 – 9 KILLUA CASTLE (G V Woodruff) C Maujean 58.0 – 104

8 – 10 HALVE THE DEFICIT (S G Tarry) M Yeni 58.0 – 103

9 – 1 AFRIKABURN (G H Van Zyl) L Hewitson 58.0 – 102

10 – 3 MAC DE LAGO (W H Marwing) R Fourie 58.0 – 102

11 – 2 INARA (M W Bass) G van Niekerk 57.5 – 111

12 – 7 BRAZUCA (J A Janse van Vuuren) A Delpech 54.5 – 109

13 – 6 TRADING PROFIT (M G Azzie) K Zechner 54.5 – 96

Same Trainer: (1,3,6,8) (4,13)

Final field for the R2-million SA Derby (Grade 1) over 2450m

1 – 11 ABASHIRI (M G Azzie) K Zechner 60.0 – 117

2 – 10 SAMURAI BLADE (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 – 108

3 – 9 ROCKETBALL (G H Van Zyl) W Kennedy 60.0 – 100

4 – 6 JUBILEE LINE (M F De Kock) A Marcus 60.0 – 92

5 – 5 BANKABLE TEDDY (B O Wiid) C Maujean 60.0 – 89

6 – 1 MILLA’S WORLD (S G Tarry) …………… 60.0 – 85

7 – 3 KINAAN (M F De Kock) A Delpech 60.0 – 84

8 – 7 PENTELIKO (M G Azzie) C Murray 60.0 – 79

9 – 8 STEBBINS (W H Marwing) R Fourie 60.0 – 79

10 – 2 PREMIER CHANCE (W H Marwing) Wes Marwing 60.0 – 72

11 – 4 SCHEME OF THINGS (M G Azzie) J P v’d Merwe 60.0 – 71

12 – 12 TRIP TO PARADISE (F C De Beer) A Fortune 60.0 – 65

Same Trainer: (1,8,11) (2,6) (4,7) (9,10)

Final field for the R1-million World Sports Betting Computaform Sprint (Grade 1) over 1000m

1 – 14 TRIP TEASE (L W Goosen) G Wrogemann 60.0 – 114

2 – 15 TALKTOTHESTARS (F C De Beer) A Delpech 60.0 – 110

3 – 11 BARBOSA (D R Drier) I Sturgeon 60.0 – 108

4 – 2 COPPER PARADE (Y Bremner) K Zechner 60.0 – 105

5 – 1 DOING IT FOR DAN (L W Goosen) B Fayd’Herbe 60.0 – 105

6 – 10 MOOFEED (M F De Kock) S Brown 60.0 – 105

7 – 13 BELONG TO ME (J A Janse van Vuuren) W Marwing 60.0 – 104

8 – 5 SPLENDID GARDEN (M G Azzie) J P v’d Merwe 60.0 – 104

9 – 12 DARING DAVE (W H Marwing) R Fourie 60.0 – 103

10 – 4 MUSCATT (M L Roberts) C Habib 60.0 – 103

11 – 9 VINCENTE (L W Goosen) G van Niekerk 60.0 – 93

12 – 6 GRADUATION DAY (J A Soma) A Marcus 60.0 – 91

13 – 8 AFRICAN RULER (P A Peter) B Lerena 58.0 – 104

14 – 3 TAR HEEL (J Ramsden) A Fortune 58.0 – 103

15 – 16 CARRY ON ALICE (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 57.5 – 110

16 – 7 BLIZZARD BELLE (Y Bremner) K de Melo 57.5 – 99

Same Trainer: (1,5,11) (4,16)