THE run of Grade 1 races for the month begins at a night meeting at Turffontein on Friday 12 April with the staging of the L Jaffee Empress Club Stakes over 1600m.

The Highveld autumn season comes to its climax with Champions Day on Saturday 27 April with the running of four Grade 1 races – the R2-million President’s Champion Challenge over 2000m, the SA Derby over 2450m, the R1-million Computaform Sprint over 1000m and the SA Nursery over 1160m, the only Grade 1 race for juveniles on the Highveld.

There are also five Grade 2 races on Champions Day, including the Wilgerbosdrift SA Oaks over 2450m in which Cherry On The Top will be aiming to become the second filly after Igugu to win the R1-million bonus on offer for any capturing all three legs of the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara.

Festival Of Fire.

Western Cape-based trainer Brett Crawford has nominated Frequent Flyer and Grade 1 winner Thunder Dance for the Empress Club Stakes but they could face a trio of Mike de Kock runners. De Kock has entered Ilha Bela, Festival Of Fire and Amur Affair.

Also among the 11 entries is Cherry On The Cake, who beat Ilha Bela in her penultimate start and then went on to capture the Grade 3 Jacaranda Handicap at Turffontein last Saturday.

Tellina, a narrow loser of the Grade 1 SA Classic, is one of five runners from the Geoff Woodruff stable to be nominated for the SA Derby.  The others are Sabadell, Killua Castle, Starspangledemblem and the filly, Do You Remember. She has also been entered for the SA Oaks but after having run second behind Cherry On The Top in both the Fillies Guineas and the SA Fillies Classic, Woodruff may have decided that with a weight allowance, he would rather take on the boys.

The Computaform Sprint has attracted a national entry with Cape Town-based trainer nominating What A Winter, Dean Kannemeyer putting in Cape Royal and KZN-based Duncan Howells entering speedy filly Via Africa.

Add two other fillies into the mix in the form of Franny and Welwitschia, as well as talented sprinter Sharp Design and this could be one of the best Computaform Sprints ever.

Declarations for the L Jaffee Empress Club Stakes take place on Monday, 8 April. The weights and draws for the President’s Champions Challenge will be announced on Wednesday 10 April with declaration for all the Champions Day fields will take place on Wednesday 17 April. 

NOMINATIONS

L JAFFEE EMPRESS CLUB STAKES (Grade 1) R1-million 1600m

5 AMUR AFFAIR (MF De Kock); CHERRY ON THE CAKE (GH Van Zyl); 11 CLASSIC ILLUSION (GM Alexander); 8 ESKIMO INN (WH Marwing); 6 FESTIVAL OF FIRE (MF De Kock); 4 FREQUENT FLYER (B Crawford); 3 HAPPY ARCHER (S G Tarry); 1 ILHA BELA (M F De Kock); 9 KALAMI (R R Sage); 10 QUEEN’S COMMAND (S J Gray); 2 THUNDER DANCE (B Crawford)

 PRESIDENT’S CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE (Grade 1) R2-million 2000m

AMUR AFFAIR (M F De Kock); BARACAH (S G Tarry); DIRECTORATE (K Naidoo); E-JET (S G Tarry); ENCHANTED KINGDOM (P A Peter); GALILEO’S DESTINY (M F De Kock); GLORIOUS JET (S J Gray); HEAVY METAL (S G Tarry); ILHA BELA (M F De Kock); ILSANPIETRO (M F De Kock); KNIGHT TO REMEMBER (D C Howells); KNOCK ON WOOD (O A Ferraris); MASTER PLAN (A G Laird); MUJAARIB (M F De Kock); PIERRE JOURDAN (G M Alexander); PUTNEY FLYER (W H Marwing); ROCCO’S LUCK (M F De Kock); SHOGUNNAR (G H Van Zyl); SILVER FLYER (M F De Kock); SLUMDOGMILLIONAIRE (G H Van Zyl); STRAW MARKET (O A Ferraris); VERTICAL TAKEOFF (S G Tarry); WHITELINE FEVER (S G Tarry); YER-MAAN (S J Gray); ZAMBUCCA (S Mohideen) 

SA DERBY (Grade 1) R1.5-million 2450m

16 ALEXANDRA PALACE (M F De Kock); 14 AMERICAN STORM (R P Lerena); 18 ANTARCTIC CALL (C E Erasmus); 12 BALSE (G H Van Zyl); 11 CAGIVA (S G Tarry); 1 DO YOU REMEMBER (G V Woodruff); 24 DOUBLE BIND (T Zackey); 2 GOTHIC (W H Marwing); 19 GRAY’S CHAMP (G H Van Zyl); 22 KILLUA CASTLE (G V Woodruff); 10 MENACING (R R Sage); 9 ROCK COCKTAIL (M F De Kock); 13 ROYAL LANCE (W H Marwing); 15 SABADELL (G V Woodruff); 17 SAFE HOUSE (M G Azzie); 6 SAVAGE WIND (J A Soma); 23 STARSPANGLEDEMBLEM (G V Woodruff); 25 TELLINA (G V Woodruff); 5 TEQUILA SUNRISE (M F De Kock); 3 THE KING AND I (S G Tarry); 21 TOP COMMAND (S G Tarry); 8 VITRUVIAN MAN (W H Marwing); 7 WAR HORSE (C Spies); 20 WILD ONE (J Freedman); 4 WYLIE HALL (W H Marwing)

 COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Powered by BetXchange) (Grade 1)R1-million 1000m

8 CAPE ROYAL (D Kannemeyer); 7 FRANNY (G H Van Zyl); 15 GENUINE LEATHER (K Naidoo); 14 GOLD SITE (P A Peter); 16 GUANTANAMERA (J Freedman); 2 JACKODORE (S G Tarry); 3 LA VOLTA (M G Azzie); 13 LARUSSA (M G Azzie); 1 MANNEQUIN (M G Azzie); 4 ROYAL ZULU WARRIOR (K Naidoo); 12 SHARP DESIGN (O A Ferraris); 9 SHE’S A STUNNER (S G Tarry); 5 SHOWMETHEWAY (M Dixon); 6 VALBERG (D Zaki); 17 VIA AFRICA (D C Howells); 11 WELWITSCHIA (M F De Kock); 10 WHAT A WINTER (M W Bass)

 SA NURSERY (Grade 1)(For two-year-olds) R1-million 1160m

22 ARABIAN NATIONAL (S G Tarry); 15 BARBEL RUN (A G Laird); 8 BUFFALO BILL (G H Van Zyl); 11 DULY ORDAINED (M F De Kock); 12 FLY AT EM (D C Howells); 13 FOREST INDIGO (A G Laird); 25 JIMMI CHOO (L J Erasmus); 3 KANDAHAR (J A Soma); 17 KING’S BAY (D I Campbell); 20 KING’S SOLDIER (L J Erasmus); 1 LAVENDER LANDSCAPE (G H Van Zyl); 16 MUIRFIELD (J L Van Heerden); 21 OLYMPIC OWEN (C Spies); 19 RED RAY (J Ramsden); 23 ROYALSECURITYGUARD (K Naidoo); 7 SPRITZER (K Naidoo); 4 TIGER TERRITORY (L J Erasmus); 10 TOMMY GUN (C Spies); 6 TULBAGH TRIP (S W Kenny); 18 UPDIKE (R R Sage); 24 VELVET VERONA (C Spies); 5 WILLOW MAGIC (S G Tarry); 2 WIN A MILLION (K Naidoo); 9 WINTER PASSION (S M Ferreira); 14 WOZA MADODA (M N Houdalakis)

 WILGERBOSDRIFT SA OAKS (Grade 2) R750,000 2450m

7 CATRAZ (S G Tarry); 1 CHERRY ON THE TOP (O A Ferraris); 4 DO YOU REMEMBER (G V Woodruff); 12 FIRE WHEEL (S G Tarry); 15 JET BELLE (R R Sage); 11 MAGIC APPROACH (G M Alexander); 2 MOIKAVANO (W H Marwing); 9 NEON TIGER (S T Pettigrew); 13 PRINCESS LINE (B Warren); 14 RUE DE RIVOLI (J A Soma); 6 SECRET OBSESSION (G V Woodruff); 8 SHREYA’S CHOICE (K Naidoo); 5 SKY PIRATE (W H Marwing); 10 TUSCAN LASS (R R Sage); 3 TZIGANE (B D Botes)