3 minute read

Mike Azzie's star runner Potala Palace looks the one to beat in the R500 000 Grade 2 Dingaans (1600m) at Turffontein on Saturday.

Potala Palace has been unbeaten since finishing second to Straw Market on debut. His best performance came in the Grade 1 Premier's Champion Stakes at Greyville, where he led from start to finish for a convincing win in very soft conditions. It is the Singspiel colt's second run after a rest and he will have come on from his last outing.

With rain having fallen on and off all week, the conditions will certainly favour Potala Palace, but he is by no means invincible.

Sean Tarry saddles the trio of Pomodoro, Whiteline Fever and Baracah. Stable jockey Robbie Fradd has taken the ride on Whiteline Fever, who finished fourth behind Pomodoro in the Listed KZN Guineas Trial (1600m) before running a good second to Astro News in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes (1400m).

Pomodoro appears to be the stronger of the two and Sean Cormack has the ride. The son of the deceased champion Jet Master has yet to finish out of the placings and his victory by 2.25L in the Listed KZN Guineas Trial, makes him a strong contender.

The Ormond Ferraris trained Straw Market is certainly not without a chance. He reeled off three easy wins in succession before being rested.

On his first run back he finished fourth behind Astro News in the Graham Beck Stakes, but was running on strongly, while conceding weight all round. Straw Market now meets his rivals on level weights and should be there at the finish.

Mike De Kock has five runners in the race of which Mushreq(AUS) has the services of stable jockey Anthony Delpech. The Flying Spur colt, bred and owned by Sheikh Hamdan, showed plenty of talent early on and finished a short head second to Fighting Warrior(AUS) in the Grade 1 Golden Horseshoe(1400m) on July Day at Greyville.

It is the colt's second run after a rest, but his eighth place behind Potala Palace in the soft going in the Premier's Champion Stakes may suggest that he is unlikely to enjoy the going on Saturday. However, if the conditions are to his liking he could be fighting out the finish and no De Kock runner can ever be ignored.

The dark horse of the race is Merhee(AUS), a half brother to high class Musir(AUS). De Kock still calls Musir the best horse he has ever trained and his baby brother appears to be no slouch either. The Elusive Quality homebred of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum thrashed a maiden field over 1160m on debut eleven days ago, winning by 9.5L.

The colt is a complete unknown quantity but De Kock would not have entered him for no reason and it would come as no surprise if he runs away with the Dingaans.