ALL of the proven sand horses in the country are among the 36 entries for this year’s R600,000 Emerald Cup to be run over 1450m at the Vaal on Saturday 28 September.

Trainer Mike Azzie appears to have a particularly strong entry for the Grade 2 race with nine entries, including arguably the best sand horse in South Africa – Pylon. So far he has proved himself over 1600m and upwards but his class could tell in a race of this nature.

Azzie’s other entries are Magic Smoke, Eastern Cobbler, Emperor Augustus, Eugenes, Masai Warrior, Panjo, Yukon Gold and Potala Palace.

Mike de Kock has nominated Tayba who is unbeaten in races on the sand but only up to 1200m. She won the Sandy Bay Stakes last Saturday in style but has yet to prove herself over the distance. The champion trainer has also entered Grade 1 winner Link Man, Red Barrel (headline photo) and Right Beauty.

Sean Tarry, who came so close to winning the trainers’ title last season has nominated seven runners, including 2011 winner The Mouseketeer. No horse has won this race twice so a win by the Kahal would rewrite the record books. Tarry’s other entries are Across The Ice, Always Al, Mr Tobin, National Road, Taptap Makhatini and Tiger’s Retreat

Charles Laird has entered Contador, third in last Saturday’s August Stakes, as well as Distinguished, while Corne Spies has nominated War Horse.

Weiho Marwing has just two entries but if the result of the Grade 3 August Stakes is anything to go by then the his two runners – Here Comes Billy and Uncle Tommy – could be the ones they all have to beat. As winner of the August Stakes Here Comes Billy gets an automatic entry into the Emerald Cup while Uncle Tommy will have no problem to get into the final field.

The advertised Stake Money of R600,000 will be distributed from first to eighth place in their relevant finishing order as follows: 1st R360,000 2nd R120,000 3rd R60,000 4th R30,000 5th R15,000 6th R7,500 7th R4,500 8th R3,000

Supplementary entries close at 11am on Monday, 9 September after which the weights will be published. Declarations close at 11am on by Wednesday, 18 September and a live draw will be conducted that evening.

Nominations for the R600,000 Emerald Cup (Grade 2)to be run over 1450m on Saturday, 28 September.

ACES HIGH (RP Lerena); ACROSS THE ICE (SG Tarry); ALWAYS AL (SG Tarry); BAY ROUTE (K Naidoo); CODE RED (S von Willingh Smit); CONTADOR (C Laird); DEPARDIEU (FC de Beer); DISTINGUISHED (C Laird); EASTERN COBBLER (MG Azzie); EMPEROR AUGUSTUS (MG Azzie); EUGENES (MG Azzie); FORMATION (SJ Gray); HERE COMES BILLY (WH Marwing); JET JAMBOREE (D Zaki); LINK MAN (MF de Kock); MAGIC SMOKE (MG Azzie); MASAI WARRIOR (MG Azzie); MR TOBIN (SG Tarry); NATIONAL ROAD (SG Tarry); NICE STRIDE (LJ Erasmus); PANJO (MG Azzie); POTALA PALACE (MG Azzie); PYLON (MG Azzie); RED BARREL (MF de Kock); RIGHT BEAUTY (MF de Kock); ROYAL ZULU WARRIOR (K Naidoo); SHATTERED IMAGE (RR Magner); SPITFIRE RUN (D Little); STORM SURF (K Naidoo); TAPTAP MAKHATINI (SG Tarry); TAYBA (MF de Kock); THE MOUSEKETEER (SG Tarry); TIGER’S RETREAT (SG Tarry); UNCLE TOMMY (WH Marwing); WAR HORSE (C Spies); YUKON GOLD (MG Azzie)