A full field of 14 runners will go to post for the R2-million SA Derby over 2450m at Turffontein on Saturday 26 April, 13 of whom will be striving to prevent Louis The King from becoming the second winner of the SASCOC SA Triple Crown.

The SA Derby is one of five Grade 1 races to be run on Champions Day, the others being the R2-million President’s Champions Challenge, the R1-million Computaform Sprint, the R1-million SA Oaks and the R1-million SA Nursery.

Trainer Alec Laird, whose runners occupied positions two to five in the SA Classic, saddles three runners on this occasion – As You Like, Bouclette Top and Earl Of Derby – while Mike de Kock also sends out three runners led by Listed Derby Trial winner Ilitshe, to be ridden by Anton Marcus. The others are Taarish and Gone Baby Gone. Sean Tarry also has three Derby runners in Mercado, Fort Bellini and Supertube.

De Kock’s rising star Banaadeer (headline photo), will be all the rage in the SA Nursery.

The President’s Champions Challenge over 2000m has produced a small but top-class field, headed up by Sansui Summer Cup (Grade 1) winner Yorker. The Woodruff-trained runner also finished second to Hill Fifty Four in the J&B Met and won the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes (Grade 1), beating Capetown Noir in a thrilling finish.

Also in the line-up are 2012 Vodacom Durban July champion Pomodoro, last year’s SA Derby winner Wyllie Hall and 2013 Gauteng Guineas victor Tellina.

Via Africa is regarded as the best sprinter in the country and she will take on 12 challengers in the Computaform Sprint over 1000m. She finished second to What A Winter last year and most experts would expect the Duncan Howells-trained filly to go one better this time.

Final fields for the Grade 1 races on Champions Day at Turffontein on 26 April.

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

1 – 9 YORKER (G Woodruff) A Marcus 60.0 – 112

2 – 4 WYLIE HALL (W Marwing) W Marwing 60.0 – 109

3 – 3 TELLINA (G Woodruff) G Hatt 58.5 – 110

4 – 6 HALVE THE DEFICIT (S Tarry) P Strydom 58.5 – 104

5 – 10 POMODORO (S Tarry) G Lerena 57.5 – 111

6 – 5 SEAL (G van Zyl) M Mienie 57.5 – 109

7 – 1 KILLUA CASTLE (G Woodruff) R Fradd 57.5 – 102

8 – 8 KNOCK ON WOOD (O Ferraris) B Fayd’Herbe 57.5 – 102

9 – 2 BARACAH (S Tarry) S Khumalo 57.5 – 97

10 – 7 BROOKS-CLUB (M Azzie) R Danielson 57.5 – 89

Same stable (NOT COUPLED): (1, 3 & 7); (4, 5 & 9).

R2-million SA DERBY (Grade 1, Leg 3 SASCOC SA Triple Crown) 2450m

1 – 4 LOUIS THE KING (G Woodruff) R Fradd 58.0 – 109

2 – 10 AS YOU LIKE (A Laird) M Mienie 58.0 – 100

3 – 12 BOUCLETTE TOP (A Laird) S Khumalo 58.0 – 98

4 – 7 TAARISH (M De Kock) A Aucharuz 58.0 – 95

5 – 6 GONE BABY GONE (M De Kock) J Mariba 58.0 – 93

6 – 11 MERCADO (S Tarry) P Strydom 58.0 – 92

7 – 8 EARL OF DERBY (A Laird) K Shea 58.0 – 90

8 – 2 ATOMIC RUSH (S Pettigrew) M V’Rensburg 58.0 – 82

9 – 3 FORT BELLINI (S Tarry) G Lerena 58.0 – 82

10 – 1 ILITSHE (M De Kock) A Marcus 58.0 – 82

11 – 5 SUPERTUBE (S Tarry) G Hatt 58.0 – 82

12 – 9 JUDICIAL (T Zackey) C Zackey 58.0 – 81

13 – 14 FLIGHT WARNING (G Alexander) K Latham 58.0 – 80

14 – 15 LEEULOOP JET (S Moffatt) G Wrogemann 58.0 – 76

Reserve Runners

15 – 13 TAKUSHI (R Hutcheson) Reserve 1 58.0 – 71

Same stable (NOT COUPLED): (2, 3 & 7); (4, 5 & 10); (6, 9 & 11).
R1-million COMPUTAFORM SPRINT (Grade 1) 1000m

1 – 9 SHARP DESIGN (O Ferraris) W Marwing 60.0 – 112

2 – 3 CONTADOR (C Laird) A Marcus 60.0 – 111

3 – 13 COPPER PARADE (Y Bremner) P Strydom 60.0 – 108

4 – 2 DELIVER THE POWER (D Zaki) M Yeni 60.0 – 108

5 – 4 HAPPY FOREVER (J Ramsden) B Fayd’Herbe 60.0 – 107

6 – 11 VALBERG (D Zaki) G Lerena 60.0 – 107

7 – 8 MAGICO (P Peter) F Naude 60.0 – 103

8 – 12 JADE BAY (D Zaki) S Khumalo 60.0 – 101

9 – 7 MR WHATEVER (P Lunn) R Fradd 60.0 – 101

10 – 1 VIA AFRICA (D Howells) K Shea 57.5 – 112

11 – 6 MISS OCTOBER (G Woodruff) G Wrogemann 57.5 – 106

12 – 10 SCHIFFER (D Drier) S Cormack 57.5 – 98

13 – 5 VIRGO’S BABE (D Nieuwenhuizen) S Chambers 55.5 – 93

Same stable: (4, 6 & 8).

R1-million SA NURSERY (Grade 1) 1160m

1 – 3 BANAADEER (M De Kock) A Marcus 58.0 – 101

2 – 2 ISPHAN (M Azzie) G Lerena 58.0 – 97

3 – 6 KISS ME HARDY (C Spies) F Naude 58.0 – 94

4 – 8 LOCK HIM UP (S Tarry) P Strydom 58.0 – 91

5 – 5 ROUGH JUSTICE (M Azzie) R Danielson 58.0 – 89

6 – 1 TOPOSTWEGO (C Spies) S Chambers 58.0 – 89

7 – 7 CARRY ON ALICE (S Tarry) S Khumalo 55.5 – 94

8 – 4 FLAME CAT (M Azzie) R Fradd 55.5 – 96

Same stable: (2, 5 & 8); (3 & 6); (4 & 7).
R1-million WILGERBOSDRIFT SA OAKS (Grade 1, Leg 3 Wilgerbosdrift SA Triple Tiara) 2450m

1 – 2 ZEPHIRA (G Woodruff) R Fradd 58.0 – 97

2 – 7 MOHAVE PRINCESS (G Van Zyl) P Strydom 58.0 – 93

3 – 12 ASH CLOUD (W Marwing) W Marwing 58.0 – 85

4 – 4 TINSELTOWN (M Houdalakis) B Fayd’Herbe 58.0 – 81

5 – 11 TOUCH THE SKY (G Woodruff) A Aucharuz 58.0 – 80

6 – 3 BARRACK BABE (S Gray) G Lerena 58.0 – 79

7 – 9 CASUAL (R R Sage) G Wrogemann 58.0 – 79

8 – 6 CITY OF ATHENS (S Tarry) R Danielson 58.0 – 78

9 – 1 COBY (G Alexander) K Latham 58.0 – 78

10 – 10 IMPLODE (W Marwing) K Zechner 58.0 – 69

11 – 5 BLUEBELL GLADE (W Marwing) M Yeni 58.0 – 65

12 – 8 SQUARE DANCE (M De Kock) S Khumalo 55.0 – 83

Same stable: (1 & 5); (3, 10 & 11).