3 minute read

The R450 000 Grade 2 Merchants(1160m) is the first Graded race on Saturday's star studded card at Turffontein.

Champion trainer Mike de Kock sends out two runners, either of which could win the race. Link Man came second in this race to Arabian Mist last year and aims to go one better under stable jockey Anthony Delpech.

The Toreador colt has impressive form and won easily in a conditions race over the course and distance in his last start. This is his second run after a rest and he should be hard to beat come Saturday.

The other De Kock runner is the classy filly, Gibraltar Blue(IRE). The daughter of Rock of Gibraltar is very speedy and beat the boys by 2.75L in the Grade 3 Johannesburg Spring Challenge over 1450 at Turffontein in October.

The filly has tremendous gate speed and as she is a very good front runner she is likely to try and run them off their feet. If Link Man does not catch her late, the race could be hers for the taking.

Shea Shea, trained by Geoff Woodruff, was beaten comfortably by Link Man last time out and has a kilo more to carry than his nemesis. He has yet to beat Link Man and is unlikely to do so here either. The National Emblem colt could however be fighting out the minor places.

Snowden, the Western Winter gelding, is another that could fill the minor placings. Trained by Ormond Ferraris, Snowden finished second behind Link Man in his first start after a rest and further improvement looks forthcoming.

The most unusual runner in the race is the Gary Alexander trained Arabian Mist. The seven-year-old Muhtafal gelding appears to have a love affair with this particular race, having won it the past two years. Surprisingly these two victories are the only two he has had in the last two years, despite having some 20 odd starts.

At seven it will be a hard ask for him to win it again, but nothing in racing is impossible.