FINAL FIELD - Rising Sun Gold Challenge

1 POCKET POWER 60.0 120 (120) 10 A B Fayd'Herbe Mike Bass

2 TROPICAL EMPIRE 60.0 118 (118) 8 A S Randolph Duncan Howells

3 KAPIL 60.0 117 (117) 6 A M Byleveld Stan Elley

4 RUDRA 60.0 116 (116) 4 A A Delpech Mike de Kock

5 SMART BANKER 60.0 116 (116) 7 B A A Marcus Charles Laird

6 BIG CITY LIFE 60.0 114 (114) 5 A A Fortune Glen Kotzen

7 REGAL RANSOM 60.0 112 (112) 1 A B Lerena Sean Tarry

8 FABIANI 60.0 111 (111) 3 A D Daniels Glen Kotzen

9 BLUE TIGER 60.0 110 (110) 2 A *A Domeyer Mike Bass

10 MOTHER RUSSIA 57.5 109 (109) 9 A K Shea Mike de Kock

Couplings: (1,9) (4,10) (6,

One of the finest fields to gather in many a year, headed by champion Pocket Power, is due to start in the Grade 1 R750 000 Rising Sun Gold Challenge to be run over 1600 m at Clairwood Racecourse on Saturday, June 12.



The ten-strong line-up announced yesterday, is littered with stakes performers and a measure of the quality of the field is that the multiple Grade 1 winning filly Mother Russia is at the bottom of the ratings.



Trainer Mike Bass has made no secret of the fact that Pocket Power has been specifically prepared this winter with the Gold Challenge in mind but the champion is up against a high class field and faces no easy task.



Pocket Power prepped brilliantly at Greyville last month, coming from a seemingly hopeless position to win over the sharp Greyville 1400 m.



He will be better suited to the left-handed Clairwood mile and with the field cutting down to only 10 runners, his outside draw should not be a problem.



Bass also saddles WPOTA Diadem Stakes (Gr 2) winner Blue Tiger who may well be there to ensure a decent pace for Pocket Power.



Last year’s Vodacom Durban July (Gr 1) winner, the Glen Kotzen-trained Big City Life makes his Champions Season debut and this will be his first race in the build-up to the defence of his July title.



Regal Ransom and Rudra,a short-head separating them in the Champions Challenge (Gr 1) at Turffontein recently, will renew rivalry while Mother Russia, arguably the best filly racing at present, gives Mike de Kock a very strong hand. Smart Banker, twice winner of the Horse Chestnut Stakes (Gr 1) and the Champions Challenge (Gr 1) and seldom out of the money will do duty for Charles Laird.



Duncan Howells will saddle recent Drill Hall Stakes (Gr 2) winner Tropical Empire who was a touch unlucky not to have finished closer than fifth in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint last Saturday after running into traffic.



Kapil, runner-up in this season’s L’Omarins Queen’s Plate (Gr 1) to Pocket Power, had his warm-up in the Drill Hall Stakes (Gr 2) and trainer Stan Elley’s runner should come on from that outing.



Ocean Basket Green Point Stakes (Gr 2) winner Fabiani who finished fourth in the Drill Hall rounds off the field and gives Kotzen a second string to his bow.






Journalist: Andrew Harrison – Gold Circle Publishing

For me crazy the lowest rated horse mother Russia. Probably bar PP the best horse in the .field but yes great field

May i ask what is a rising sun and why can they only afford 750 k for this grade 1 race

Looks the field of the season so far!!!

Trainer Comments


The Mike de Kock yard have a strong pairing in Saturday’s Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge to be run over 1600m at Clairwood Racecourse, the brilliant J&B Met runner-up, Mother Russia, and former Summer Cup winner Rudra.



Nathan Kotzen said on Monday, "Mother Russia is returning from a break but is as well as can be and we're hoping she can win. She was just caught in the Met and I think the mile is a nice trip for her. There is not much between her and Rudra. Rudra has been working well. It's a bit on the sharp side for him, but he has won over a mile before."



A Summerveld Vodacom Durban July entry that will attract a lot of attention on Saturday will be the Herman Brown-trained Orbison, who lines up in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m.



"He's doing well," said Frank Robinson of the rangy Mogok three-year-old gelding, who was an impressive winner of his last start over 1600m at Greyville having run an eye-catching 3,75 length sixth behind Pierre Jourdan in the Grade 1 SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein.



"If he wins on Saturday he should get into the July and won't have another run before then. If he doesn't we will have to go for the Champions Cup."



Orbison was given an eight point raise after his close up finish in the SA Classic, so won't find it easy running with 57kg against older horses.



However, the stable jockey Raymond Danielson has never hidden his admiration for Orbison, describing him once as "by far the best horse in the yard."



The gallant filly, Goat, is looking in fine shape at Paul Lafferty's yard and was pronounced "very well" by head groom, Vusi Ndlovu.



She loves Clairwood, where she has won stakes races over both 1600m and 2400m, illustrating her versatility.



She ran a fine third in the recent Betting World 1900, running on from way back to finish just behind two strong July contenders, Bold Silvano and Aslan, and just ahead of another big July runner, Fort Vogue.



She is currently in the top 20 on the July log and could further cement her position on Saturday.

Shayne Welman Wrote:

---

> For me crazy the lowest rated horse mother Russia.
> Probably bar PP the best horse in the .field but
> yes great field
>
> May i ask what is a rising sun and why can they
> only afford 750 k for this grade 1 race


Shayne

The "Rising Sun" is a weekly community newspaper whose readership is predominately Indian and has it's roots in the KZN South Coast. As for the sponsorship of 750k, I don't think that she have the financial muscle that some of the daily newspapers have.

Thanks East, maybe GC should consider a "top up"?

Smart banker to kill them

Pocket Power and Mother Russia 1-2 at these conditions..

Pocket Powe... NO doubt. Rudra to fill in with Mother russia then Smart Banker

Pocket Power worked well in his last workout at Clairwood Racecourse on Monday and is in good condition ahead of the defence of his Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge crown on Saturday.



He has drawn widest of all in barrier 10 for the Clairwood 1600m event.



Trainer Mike Bass said, "The draw will make it that little bit more difficult. Bernard (Fayd'herbe) is not too concerned though."



"I just hope he's still as competitive over the 1600m as he was," he continued. "He's now seven-years-old so is getting on. He can't just run okay to win, he will have to produce a performance of the highest level to beat horses like Mother Russia."



Bass said of Blue Tiger, who helped set up Pocket Power's victory last year by setting a fast pace out in front, "He came out of his Golden Horse Casino Sprint run okay. He's never a good work horse at home, so it's difficult to tell with him. He won't be a pacemaker as such, but he likes to be out in front and that will help Pocket."

David Thiselton – Gold Circle Publishing


Trainer Mike de Kock was confident of bold showings from his pair of Mother Russia and Rudra in Saturday’s Grade 1 Rising Sun Gold Challenge.



De Kock said of Mother Russia, "We have freshened her up, but I don't think she will need the run, she's very well."



The yard also said Rudra had been working well, although the form shows that Mother Russia will likely be more effective over a mile than he would be.



Stan Elley said of his charge Kapil, "His preparation has been difficult as he's getting old now. It's not just his legs now it's his back, his stifles, all over. But he's as well as we could have him."



Kapil receives physiotherapy three-times a week from Amy de Waal and is also worked on by chiropractor, Brendan O'Connor.



Elley is happy with Kapil's legs and felt fast going would not be a problem although he would prefer it if there were a couple of showers to take the sting out of the ground.



Sean Tarry said that Regal Ransom would only be arriving at Clairwood on Friday.



He said, "He might need the run, it's more of a prep run for him. But we hope he could surprise."



Duncan Howells said of his Drill Halls Stakes winner, Tropical Empire, "He's very, very well. It's a competitive race and will be very hard to win. He is better at Greyville as he tends to run to the right, so if he finds the inside rail on the tight Greyville track it brings out the best in him. But he did finish just 2,5 lengths back in the Champions Cup at Clairwood last year. That was over 1800m, while this is over 1600m, but on the other hand that was a sort of handicap which made it easier for him at the time than this Weight For Age event."