THE bonus of R250 000, in the WSB East Cape Poly Challenge, looks to be out of reach for the Fairview horse racing stables.
However, there is still the consolation bonus of R50 000, but careful strategic planning will be required to pocket that. The challenge, run over three legs, has become one of the highlights on the East Cape racing calendar.
The bonus money is the big attraction, with R250 000 going to the owner of the horse that wins all three races of the challenge.
No horse has been able to win all three and, after Friday’s first leg, the sponsors’ money looks safe, yet again. It takes a versatile horse to get it right because of the various distances of the three races.
The first race is over 1 200m, then 1 400m and in the last leg the horses tackle 1 600m.
The sprinter, Viking Moon, won the first leg this past Friday but the longer races don’t suit him. It is doubtful he will be entered to run in the next leg. This bonus will go to the horse that performs the best in the challenge; however horses must participate in all three races and win at least one leg to qualify.
Some serious planning will be required to secure that bonus, with points being allocated to the first six horses past the post. With Viking Moon probably out of the running, trainers Greeff and Juan Nel will now have to do the strategic planning not to mess this one up.
Together with Duncan McKenzie (1 point), Greeff and Nel are the only trainers with horses that are on the scoreboard. Point allocation for the consolation bonus are: first (10 points), second (6 points), third (4 points), fourth (3 points), fifth (2 points) and sixth (1 point).
Nel has three horses in the running – Wolfgang (6 points), What A Winner (4) and Earth Hour (2). Greeff has Viking Moon (10) and Dubula (3).
My money is on Earth Hour to pull it off. The 1 400 and 1 600 will suit him much better than the shorter first race and he is in fine form. Earth Hour’s first task will be to try to win the second leg on April 9. The third and last race will be run on May 7.
With many permutations coming into play with the challenge, the meeting on April 9 is one not to be missed.
This coming Friday the focus will be on the young stars when the East Cape Fillies Nursery takes place. The two-year-olds will then do battle and it is always exciting to see whether this race will produce a real future star. – HENK STEENKAMP
