Clive Robinson
Four Grade 1 races, all over 1200m, make Saturday’s racemeeting at Scottsville one of the great days on the South African racing calendar.
It is a day when the best of the best sprinters from all over the country come together to put the focus on outright speed.
This year there look to be some outstanding runners in these four fields, the best of whom could be Prophet who runs in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion (Race 6) open to all two-year-olds.
Trainer Corne Spies is known as one who can pick and prepare some of the fastest juveniles around and when he enters them for this racemeeting they are usually the real deal. He proved that with Van Halen, who won this race in 2018, and Rock Opera, winner of the Allan Robertson Championship for two-year-old fillies.
After winning his maiden easily, Prophet was ‘shown’ the Scottsville track when taking on a promising line-up in the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb Stakes over 1100m. After pacing it out with some highly rated locals he took over in the closing stages to win easily by 3.80 lengths.
Spies avoided the big juvenile races on the Highveld and so now meets Highveld champion Karangetang, as well as Sean Tarry-trained Thunderstruck, who easily won his second start, slamming his field.
Karangetang fluffed his lines last time and the form line of his previous race has not worked out well but Thunderstruck could be anything and races for a stable that does exceptionally well in big meetings, especially on Scottsville’s speed day.
He has not drawn as well as Prophet and as he ducked outwards for his maiden win, he could have his work cut out at Scottsville which is notoriously difficult for inexperienced runners. Prophet looks to offer value at current odds of around 5-2.
Shorter in the betting is Captain’s Ransom (currently 15-10 with some) who needs no introduction in terms of South African racing. It has been a while since we have seen a filly of her ability dominating two successive generations and she is headed for legendary status, especially if her future holds meetings with top colts and some overseas exploits.
On paper her optimum distance is 1600m and as such she is not as short priced as most would expect. Her form reads as 10 wins out of 12 and she could not be beaten in two sprints as a youngster.
She runs in Race 7, the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint which is otherwise quite open.
The other two Grade 1s – the Allan Robertson appears wide open even if Miss Cool, who beat the best males on the Highveld, to win the SA Nursery is in the race as she has not drawn well – and the big one – the Golden Horse Sprint which is handicap open to all and has attracted a brilliant field.
Cosmic Highway looks the part but his prep was not ideal and horses like Smorgasbord and 2019 winner Chimichurri Run could take advantage.
