The local trainers are hard at work to make sure that an East Cape stable wins the most prestigious horse race in the province this year.
The R350 000 Algoa Cup over 2 000m will be run on October 25 at the Fairview Turf track in Greenbushes.
Surfin’ USA, trained by Jacques Strydom, was the last local horse to win the Algoa Cup. He won in 2009.
Since then, the visiting Western Cape horses have dominated this race. They will again be a huge factor this time.
Three Western Cape stables, those of trainers Justin Snaith, Brett Crawford and Glen Kotzen, showed interest in this year’s race.
Among them, they have nominated 10 horses to run in the race. Snaith won the race last year with Future Swing.
Seven Fairview stables have nominated 16 horses between them.
The final field for the big race will be announced on October 21 and it should be very interesting to see which horses will take up their positions.
Racing fans are also looking forward to the other big race at this meeting, the R250 000 Racehorse Owners Association Stakes.
This is a race for three-year-old horses over 1 600m and we have seen some brilliant performances in this one over the years.
The local stables will be hoping there is a victory for them on Algoa Cup Day in the same fashion that Cruise Control won at Fairview this past Friday.
There was a Cape Town visitor in the field, but Cruise Control produced another sparkling sprinting performance to win the R200 000 Cradock Place Stakes over 1 200m by more than five lengths.
Cruise Control has now won 13 races from 22 starts and has earned more than R1 million in stakes money. Initially it cost R200 000.
Jockey Luyolo Mxothwa has developed a special bond with Cruise Control. He has now ridden Cruise Control six times and has won six times on him.
Mxothwa and trainer Gavin Smith were very happy with this performance.
Smith has done a wonderful job with Cruise Control, who has become a stronger and more relaxed horse over time.
Algoa Cup Day is going to be a really big one, but there is plenty of action at Fairview before then.
There are meetings this coming Friday and Tuesday and then there is that all-important third and final leg of the Nelson Mandela Bay Poly Challenge on the 18th.
The Cape Town horse King Regent won the first two legs. He can become the first to win all three legs of the Challenge, which started in 2016, and secure a bonus of R250 000 for his connections.
