Racing tip: Main Defender looks the runner to beat in Gold Challenge

Bettors are in for quite a treat at Hollywoodbets Greyville tomorrow where 13 of the country’s best milers will line up in the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge.

The R2-million event is one of three Grade 1 races over 1600m in the land open to all horses.

The other two are the L’Ormarins King’s Plate at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and the Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes at Turffontein.

Charles Dickens won in Cape Town, but he retired to stud shortly after the race, while Main Defender captured the Joburg event.

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He will be back for tomorrow’s race with victory likely to earn him the title of Equus Champion Miler.

This race is viewed of such magnitude by international horseplayers that it is on the Hong Kong World Pool calendar which means punters will be able to bet into massive pools through TAB and TABgold.

There will also be two Quartet carryovers of R250,000 to the meeting, on Race 5, the Grade 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial, and Race 7, the Gold Challenge.

Both pools are likely to reach R750,000.

Other than Green With Envy, who has the Hollywoodbets Durban July as the next race on his agenda, the best of the rest are carded to go to post for the Gold Challenge.

Main Defender has a lot going for him. He is proven over both the course and distance, has already beaten some of the best around and is well drawn in gate No 3. Calvin Habib knows him well, having ridden him three times for two wins and a third place.

The one concern is that he missed his prep run in the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes when taken out for elevated CO2 levels.

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Nevertheless, trainer Tony Peter is sure to have his charge well prepared for this race.

His main rival has been Sandringham Summit and that should be the case again. David Nieuwenhuizen’s charge ran a great race in the WSB Guineas last month and was only snared close home by Green With Envy.

The Gimmethegreenlight three-year-old recorded an impressive Grade 1 win as a juvenile when taking out the Premiers Champion Stakes, and from No 4 draw with Gavin Lerena up, has to be a massive player.

Then we have See It Again, who had done everything right until he blotted his copy book with a fourth place in the WSB Cape Town Met in January.

There were excuses as it seems trainer Michael Roberts was battling to get his blood issues right. He has won over 1600m so the distance should not be an issue, but he is drawn slightly wide at No 9 and is taking on some top-class milers.

Roberts has declared that his charge is doing well and with Piere Strydom up one cannot write him off, but the Durban July looks to be his main mission. Lucky Lad was an interesting inclusion.

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Sean Tarry’s charge won a sensational race in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m last week, coming from near last to get up close home.

The son of Gimmethegreenlight has yet to prove he will stay 1600m and on their performances in the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein in April, he does look held by Sandringham Summit who beat him by 1.25 lengths.

The draw might be a concern, but the manner in which he has won his last two starts over sprints, one can expect jockey Richard Fourie to drop him out and come with a late flourish.

Dave The King looks held by Main Defender on their Horse Chestnut Stakes run where he was beaten 2.75 lengths, but there was a lot to like about the victory of Mike de Kock’s runner in a Pinnacle Stakes at Scottsville.

Yes, it was a weaker field, but he decimated them in what can be seen as a confidence-boosting success.