‘Stars’ ready to talk again

Last year’s Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Talkto­thestars is “healthy, fine and fit” and trainer Coenie de Beer is hoping for a good run in the R1-million Grade 1 sprint at Scottsville on Saturday.

The five-year-old Overlord gelding has followed nearly the same route to the 1200m feature as 12 months ago, although finish­ing eighth instead of first in the Senor Santa Handicap this time around. His last run was in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint over 1000m, a race in which he has fin­ished second two years running – this year going down 1.30 lengths to Rafeef.

So it’s all systems go for Talk­tothestars, who handicappers be­lieved ran to a merit rating of 121 here last year. His rating subse­quently dipped as low as 110 but he is now back to 113 – his last Tsogo Sun winning mark. Bookmakers have him at 12-1.

One interesting runner in this year’s race is Janoobi, who will be off to Dubai at the end of the season. “He has two more runs in South Africa before he goes, the Tsogo Sun Sprint and the Rising Sun Gold Challenge over 1600m,” said Mathew de Kock yesterday. “As far as the 1200m race is con­cerned we are testing the waters.

“He has such a high cruising speed and he’s well handicapped so he’s got to have a chance. How he performs is going to help us de­cide where to aim him next year.

“The only 1600m race on Dubai World Cup Night is the Godolphin Mile but that is on the dirt. If he does do well in sprints we have ad­ditional options but if not we can always look at races like the Hong Kong Mile, if he is good enough.”

De Kock also has Naafer run­ning at Scottsville on Saturday in the R750,000 Tsogo Sun Me­dallion for two-year-olds and the stable is expecting a massive run. “Naafer’s had a very good prep and we’re very happy with him. He’s fit and well and he’ll go close, I’m sure,” said De Kock.

The stable’s Grade 1 SA Nursery winner Mustaqeem will be rested for the remainder of the season

while the future of his full brother, Computaform Sprint winner Rafeef, has yet to be decid­ed. – Nicci Garner, Jack Milner

Final field for the R1-million Tsogo Sun Sprint (Grade 1) over 1200m

1 – 5 TALKTOTHESTARS (F C de Beer) C Maujean 60.0 – 113

2 – 3 BRUTAL FORCE (J Ramsden) P Strydom 59.5 – 112

3 – 2 LONDON CALL (M Dixon) M van Rensburg 59.0 – 111

4 – 17 BULL VALLEY (S G Tarry) S Khum­alo 58.0 – 109

5 – 15 BULLETING HOME (S G Tarry) B Fayd’Herbe 57.5 – 108

6 – 7 SERGEANT HARDY (S J Snaith) G Cheyne 57.0 – 110

7 – 1 GULF STORM (B Crawford) R Fourie 56.5 – 106

8 – 9 MUSCATT (M L Roberts) C Habib 56.5 – 106

9 – 6 SEARCH PARTY (B Crawford) C Orffer 56.5 – 106

10 – 12 BARBOSA (D R Drier) A Forbes 55.5 – 104

11 – 16 CAPTAIN’S CAUSEWAY (S G Tar­ry) K de Melo 55.5 – 104

12 – 14 ATTENBOROUGH (J Ramsden) A Marcus 55.0 – 106

13 – 11 TABLE BAY (J Ramsden) A Delpe­ch 55.0 – 106

14 – 10 CAPTAIN SWAROVSKI (S J Snaith) M Winnaar 55.0 – 103

15 – 18 JANOOBI (M F De Kock) C Zackey 53.5 – 103

16 – 8 EXELERO (V H Marshall) M Bylev­eld 52.5 – 98

Reserve Runners

17 – 4 NIGHT TRIP (C L Bass-Robinson) Reserve 1 54.5 – 102

18 – 13 MOOFEED (M F de Kock) Reserve 2 53.5 – 100

Same Trainer: (2,12,13) (4,5,11) (6,14) (7,9) (15,18)

Final field for the R750,000 South Af­rican Fillies Sprint (Grade 1) over 1200m

1 – 5 CARRY ON ALICE (S G Tarry) S Khu­malo 60.0 – 114

2 – 4 BELA-BELA (S J Snaith) B Fayd’Herbe 60.0 – 109

3 – 9 JO’S BOND (S J Snaith) R Fourie 60.0 – 109

4 – 6 REAL PRINCESS (D Kannemeyer) A Delpech 60.0 – 103

5 – 11 ELUSIVENCHANTMENT (D C How­ells) K de Melo 60.0 – 102

6 – 10 JOAN RANGER (M N Houdalakis) P Strydom 60.0 – 101

7 – 8 MISS VARLICIOUS (P M Gadsby) A Forbes 60.0 – 92

8 – 12 JUST SENSUAL (J Ramsden) A Marcus 58.5 – 109

9 – 7 LIVE LIFE (C L Bass-Robinson) G Cheyne 58.5 – 105

10 – 3 THE SECRET IS OUT (V H Mar­shall) M Byleveld 58.5 – 105

11 – 1 SAIL (D R Drier) S Veale 58.5 – 101

12 – 2 VISION TO KILL (P M Gadsby) M Yeni 58.5 – 98

Same Trainer: (2,3) (7,12)

Final field for the R750,000 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion (Grade 1) over 1200m

1 – 3 AL MARIACHI (B Crawford) C Orffer 60.0 – 92

2 – 10 ARIANOS BAGOFGOLD (G H van Zyl) W Kennedy 60.0 – 88

3 – 1 AUTUMN IN SEATTLE (P L Lunn) G Cheyne 60.0 – 93

4 – 6 KEANAN’S ROCK (S G Tarry) S Khu­malo 60.0 – 91

5 – 5 NAAFER (M F De Kock) A Delpech 60.0 – 102

6 – 7 PROCAL HARUM (D C Howells) K de Melo 60.0 – 84

7 – 11 SAND AND SEA (D R Drier) A Mar­cus 60.0 – 88

8 – 8 SIR FRENCHIE (S J Snaith) B Fayd’Herbe 60.0 – 97

9 – 4 SNIPER SHOT (P V Lafferty) D de Gouveia 60.0 – 87

10 – 9 VARALLO (C Laird) P Strydom 60.0 – 94

11 – 12 WARRIOR’S REST (S G Tarry) C Maujean 60.0 – 84

12 – 2 WOLJAYRINE (V H Marshall) M Byleveld 60.0 – 91

Same Trainer: (4,11)

Final field for the R750,000 AllanRobertson Championship (Grade 1) over1200m

1 – 14 BRAVE MARY (P F Matchett) G Wrogemann 60.0 – 89

2 – 7 CALL TO ACCOUNT (J Ramsden) P Strydom 60.0 – 92

3 – 13 CRYMEARIVER (P V Lafferty) A Delpech 60.0 – 84

4 – 12 DARING DIVA (B D Botes) A Fortune 60.0 – 97

5 – 2 GOLD IMAGE (G S Kotzen) C Zackey 60.0 – 87

6 – 4 GREAT AIM (I S Moore) W Kennedy 60.0 – 80

7 – 11 GREEN PLAINS (S G Tarry) S Khumalo 60.0 – 102

8 – 8 LIGHT ON HER TOES (L Forbes) A Forbes 60.0 – 82

9 – 3 NEPTUNE’S RAIN (D C Howells) K de Melo 60.0 – 94

10 – 10 PRINCESS PEACH (G S Kotzen) R Fourie 60.0 – 85

11 – 15 TOUCH OF MAGIC (P V Lafferty) D de Gouveia 60.0 – 83

12 – 1 TWELVE OAKS (S J Gray) C Habib, 60.0 – 94

13 – 6 UNDER THE STARS (F Robinson) M van Rensburg 60.0 – 82

14 – 5 VICTORY TRIP (D S Bosch) E S Ngwane 60.0 – 75

15 – 9 ZARNITSA (F Robinson) M Yeni 60.0 – 86 Same Trainer: (3,11) (5,10) (13,15)