Summerveld was abuzz with Champions Season fever on Monday, 24 May 2010, just days before Saturday's Golden Horse Casino Sprint Raceday at Scottsville, South African racing’s festival of speed.
Mike de Kock had virtually the entire South African Jockey Team work riding for him as Kevin Shea, Anthony Delpech, Anton Marcus, Bernard Fayd’Herbe and Gavin Lerena put his charges through their paces.
The main talk around the tracks regarded the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint. Which one would win, the unbeaten Dennis Drier-trained speedster Val De Ra or the De Kock-trained Irish import, Gibraltar Blue?
De Kock's Rock Of Gibraltar filly is northern hemisphere-bred and thus six months younger than her three-year-old counterparts, but one would never think so looking at her as she is powerfully built and has been very impressive in her two hard-pulling wins over a mile since arriving in South Africa.
De Kock said, "I wouldn't be running her if I didn't think she could beat Val De Ra. Val De Ra will be tested."
Val De Ra, a three-year-old filly by Var, looked her usual laid back self in the Drier ring after her workout.
Drier has been very pleased with her preparation.
Her regular work rider, Sean Veale, gave her a gentle canter on the sand and said, "She is doing very well. She is the best horse I've ever sat on. I can't see her being beaten."
Neutral trainers or assistant trainers Kevin Wright, Alyson Wright, Colin Scott and Frank Robinson also went with her, while Herman Brown sided with Gibraltar Blue.
Of the opposition trainers Kumaran Naidoo felt Gibraltar Blue was the horse to beat, while Glen Kotzen felt it was Val De Ra.
Naidoo's charge, the lightning fast four-year-old Purple Lake, could provide the main danger to the pair along with the Sean Tarry-trained Captain's Gal, and it must always be remembered that Scottsville is a track that has become synonymous with upset results.
Sean Veale also gave Purple Lake a gentle canter on the sand and Naidoo said, "She is very well. She loves fast ground and the 1200m will suit us better than when we last met Val De Ra over 1000m."
Purple Lake lost by 2,25 lengths at level weights to Val De Ra in that race, although Sean Cormack on the latter was looking over his shoulder in the last 100m.
Glen Kotzen said of defending champion Lady Windermere, "She finished a good fourth on her Durban return and has come on a lot for that run. I think she is looking to go further now, but should be quick enough to run into the money."
He wondered whether Val De Ra might be vulnerable over the "stiff 1200m."
Kotzen's Summerveld stable jockey Derryl Daniels commented that Lady Windermere was a "tough filly and very fit" and had the added advantage of Bernard Fayd'Herbe aboard.
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