NOMINATIONS AND DRAWS FOR THE SA DERBY 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at 07:48AM 
Pierre Jourdan and Derreck David
(Photo : Robin Bruss)
NUMBER 3 DRAW OR BETTER FOR PIERRE JOURDAN
Pierre Jourdan will have the benefit of No 3 draw or better in the Grade 1 SA Derby on Champions Day 24 April, when he attempts to become only the second horse in South African racing history to win the SASCOC SA Triple Crown.
Nicci Garner writes that Gary Alexander’s charge won the first two legs of the Triple Crown, the Gauteng Guineas and SA Classic, and will compete for the R2-million bonus in the SA Derby over 2450m at Turffontein on Saturday 24 April.
The R1.5-million SA Derby is one of eight feature races on the day with three Grade 1 events. The others are the R2-million Champions Challenge over 2000m and the R1million Computaform Sprint over 1000m.
Pierre Jourdan showed his class when winning the SA Classic, the second leg of the Triple Crown, from a poor draw, but this time jockey Derreck David will not have to worry about that problem. Should Pierre Jourdan win he will follow in the footsteps of the great Horse Chestnut who won the Triple Crown in 1999.
Mike de Kock will also be pleased his principal runner, Irish Flame, has drawn at No 6. He ran third in the SA Classic and at this stage appears to be Pierre Jourdan’s chief rival.
De Kock will also be delighted that Rudra will break from pole position in the Champions Challenge. The 2008 Summer Cup winner has slowly been regaining his old form and looks the one they will all have to beat.
Last year’s winner, Smart Banker, can never be written off and he was reasonably well drawn at No 10. He is one of five runners entered from the powerful Charles Laird yard.
Supplementary entries closed on Monday and the only two new nominations for the Grade 1 races came in the Computaform Sprint where Lightning Lecture and Esterel joined the list of nominations.
Final acceptances fall due at 11am tomorrow.
NOMINATIONS FOR THE
R1,5 MILLION SA DERBY GR1 2450m
Turffontein, 24 April 2010
| Draw | Horse | Trainer | Weight | MR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | CONQUERED DREAM (AUS) | Charles Laird | 57.0 | 85 |
| 4 | DRAW BRIDGE | Robbie Sage | 57.0 | 88 |
| 2 | DREAM ISLAND | Stuart Pettigrew | 57.0 | 92 |
| 5 | FLYING TREISTRAM (AUS) | Charles Laird | 57.0 | 103 |
| 14 | FORT PETERSBERG | Dominic Zaki | 57.0 | 98 |
| 7 | HAPPY VALLEY (ARG) | Mike de Kock | 57.0 | 91 |
| 13 | ILSANPIETRO (BRZ) | Mike de Kock | 57.0 | 89 |
| 6 | IRISH FLAME | Mike de Kock | 57.0 | 106 |
| 9 | IWANNADANCE | Roy Magner | 57.0 | 105 |
| 8 | MIRAGE DRIVE | Tyrone Zackey | 57.0 | 87 |
| 11 | NYAKATHO | Ernie Anderson | 57.0 | 101 |
| 3 | PIERRE JOURDAN | Gary Alexander | 57.0 | 112 |
| 1 | SERVICE ACE | Michael Azzie | 57.0 | 104 |
| 10 | SMANJEMANJE | Tyrone Zackey | 57.0 | 102 |
| 16 | WINNING LEAP | Dominic Zaki | 57.0 | 85 |
| 12 | HERE TO WIN (BRZ) | Mike de Kock | 54.5 | 102 |
