Barahin, left, pips Soqrat in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe at Greyville. Picture: Gold Circle
A cracking bunch of two-year-olds have been nominated for the final two juvenile showdowns of the 2017-2018 season at Greyville on “Super Saturday”, 28 July.
Barahin and Soqrat, the duo from Mike de Kock’s stable that fought out a thrilling finish in the 1400m Golden Horseshoe on Durban July day, might clash again in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes worth R750,000.
De Kock said he would only run the precocious pair if they drew competitively for this 1600m con- test. Soqrat drew gate No 1 and Barahin No 13. From 30 entries, the field will come down by about half, possibly giving Barahin a single-figure stall, so it will be most interesting to see what the master trainer decides to do.
Racing fans will be dead keen to see a rematch between the emerging stars after the Golden Horseshoe humdinger, which saw Barahin get the decision by a short- head.
Third in that race was Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Sulka and he has also been entered, as have Sean Tarry’s Cirillo, who won at Turffontein on Saturday, and Bold Eagle, fourth in the same race.
The later is trained by Chesney van Zyl, whose family is likely to have some say in events at Greyville. Father Gavin has nominated six youngsters for the Premiers Champion Stakes, while brother Gareth has one in.
In the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes, the fillies’ equivalent race on the day, the three Van Zyls have one entry each.
Celtic Sea, an impressive winner of the Golden Slipper for Tar- ry at the weekend, catches the eye among the 22 Thekwini entrants. Reviving the famous Beck family silks in the big time, Celtic Captain overcame a slow start to deliver the Grade 2 trophy and is tipped for even bigger things.
PREMIERS CHAMPION STAKES (Grade 1) for two-year-olds). R750000, 1600m:
13 BARAHIN (M F De Kock) 60.0; 9 BASILIUS (T Spies) 60.0; 22 BOLD EAGLE (C D van Zyl) 60.0; 24 CHECKPOINT CHARLIE (R A Hill) 60.0; 21 CIRILLO (S G Tarry) 60.0; 23 CLIFTON CRUSHER (D Kanne- meyer) 60.0; 4 CONFESSIONAL (G H Van Zyl) 60.0; 6 CROWN GUAR- DIAN (G S Kotzen) 60.0; 3 CYBER SPECIAL (T Spies) 60.0; 14 EU- PHORIC (D R Drier) 60.0; 28 GIFT FOR THE GAP (T Zackey) 60.0; 27 GREEN HAZE (A G Laird) 60.0; 30 HOLY LAND (D R Drier) 60.0; 15 INAUGURATION (A Wright) 60.0; 25 LOUIS THE SEVENTH (T Zackey) 60.0; 17 MARCHINGON- TOGETHER (G H Van Zyl) 60.0; 7 MASTER THIEF (G B Puller) 60.0; 19 MERLIN FROM BERLIN (N I Van Wyk) 60.0; 5 MR BOMBASTIC (G H Van Zyl) 60.0; 11 OVATION AWARD (G van Zyl (Jnr)) 60.0; 12 PERPE- TUAL FLAME (N Kotzen) 60.0; 18 PLAY ANOTHER TUNE (G H Van Zyl) 60.0; 26 PODCAST (G H Van Zyl) 60.0; 1 SOQRAT (M F De Kock) 60.0; 20 STREAM AHEAD (G H Van Zyl) 60.0; 16 SULKA (J J van Vuu- ren) 60.0; 8 THE IRISHMAN (P A Peter) 60.0; 10 TWIST OF FATE (J Ramsden) 60.0; 29 VICTOR FORTH (J A Soma) 60.0; 2 WHITEHAVEN (M/A Azzie) 60.0
THEKWINI STAKES (Gra- de 1) for two-year-old fillies). R750,000, 1600m:
6 AWESOMELY TUNED (K Nai- doo) 60.0; 14 BEAT IT (D C How- ells) 60.0; 2 BELIEVE THE BEST (G S Kotzen) 60.0; 4 CALL ME TONIGHT (K Naidoo) 60.0; 5 CAN YOU FEEL IT (G van Zyl (Jnr)) 60.0; 11 CELTIC SEA (S G Tarry) 60.0; 13 DAGMAR (M F De Kock) 60.0; 7 GIMME A BRAKE NATE (N Kotzen) 60.0; 16 GRECIAN LAUREL (D C Howells) 60.0; 17 LONG POND (M N Houdalakis) 60.0; 15 MAZARI (T Spies) 60.0; 9 MISS CALYPSO (G H Van Zyl) 60.0; 8 ON THE DOUBLE (J J van Vuuren) 60.0; 20 PEARL TIARA (G S Kotzen) 60.0; 1 PER- FECT TIGRESS (M/A Azzie) 60.0; 12 RAILTRIP (C D van Zyl) 60.0; 3 RE- TURN FLIGHT (S G Tarry) 60.0; 10 RUNAWAY GAL (B Crawford) 60.0; 22 RUNNING BRAVE (PF Matchett) 60.0; 18 SAND PRINCESS (S G Tar- ry) 60.0; 19 STORM DESTINY (M F De Kock) 60.0; 21 TEMPLE GRAFIN (G S Kotzen) 60.0
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