TOP SPRINTERS LINE UP FOR POST MERCHANTS
Friday, June 18, 2010 at 08:06AM 
Noble Heir - Computaform Sprint (Grade 1)
(Photo : JC Photographics / Summerhill Stud)
POST MERCHANTS (Grade 2)
Greyville, 1200m, 18 June 2010
Winter has arrived with a vengeance in sub-tropical KwaZulu-Natal, but tonight’s racing action at Greyville promises to be sizzling hot. A full field of tip top sprinters go head to head in the Grade 2 Post Merchants, where Dennis Bosch’s grey Noble Heir (Kahal) will attempt to add her name to those of Sunera (1986) and Marie Galante (1992) as only the third filly in the past 25 years to capture this 1200m sprint.
The race had its first running back in 1936 and was won in that year by one of the all time greats of the South African turf, the Syd Garrett-trained Moonlit, who won the Met in both 1936 and 1938, carrying 145Ib (65,77kg) in the latter. Two other great horses that won the Merchants were 1952 July winner Mowgli and 1968 Met winner William Penn.
The 1979 July runner up, Sun Tonic, 1987 SA Guineas winner, Sloop, and the 1970 Cape Guineas winner, Shah Abbas, are three other versatile types to have won the Merchants. In fact even last year’s winner, Sharks Bay, could be considered a sprint-miler having finished third in last season’s Grade 2 KRA Guineas.
A noted frontrunner, who has recorded all eight of her wins over the minimum trip, Noble Heir came from off the pace to beat the boys in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint, which suggests that the extra 200m should be well within her scope. She has won twice at the track and on current form, has strong claims to add a third Graded win to her record.
Kitalpha gelding Moroccan caught many by surprise when third to JJ The Jet Plane in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint last time out and a repeat of that effort could bring him right into the picture. Despite a wide draw, Moroccan is not without a chance.
Former Champion Sprinter Mythical Flight (Jet Master) has yet to visit the winner’s box since his return from an overseas campaign. He showed his customary pace in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint before running out of steam in the closing stages to finish about seven lengths off the winner.
Amazingly, this will be Mythical Flight’s first run at the Durban track, but he is well drawn and always merits respect.
FINAL FIELD
| # | Horse | Kg | MR | Dr | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | GAULTIER | 60.0 | 109 | 4 | B Fayd’Herbe | Mike Bass |
| 3 | THUNDER KEY | 60.0 | 109 | 5 | I Sturgeon | Glen Kotzen |
| 4 | CASEY COOL | 59.5 | 108 | 9 | K Shea | Darryl Hodgson |
| 5 | EXTINCT | 59.5 | 108 | 13 | M Yeni | Colin Scott |
| 6 | INTELLECTUAL | 59.5 | 108 | 8 | R Danielson | Herman Brown |
| 7 | IVORY TRAIL | 59.5 | 108 | 12 | P Botha | Joey Ramsden |
| 8 | MYTHICAL FLIGHT | 59.0 | 107 | 2 | G Lerena | Sean Tarry |
| 9 | NOBLE HEIR | 59.0 | 107 | 3 | A Delpech | Dennis Bosch |
| 10 | RED FLYER | 58.0 | 105 | 18 | S Randolph | Alistair Gordon |
| 11 | CYBER CASE | 57.0 | 103 | 10 | A Marcus | Charles Llaird |
| 12 | CLEARLY SILVER | 56.5 | 104 | 15 | A Forbes | Dennis Drier |
| 13 | BUSH PIRATE | 56.5 | 102 | 14 | K Teetan | Joey Ramsden |
| 14 | MOROCCAN (ZIM) | 56.0 | 101 | 16 | F Coetzee | Weiho Marwing |
| 15 | GALANTHUS | 54.5 | 100 | 7 | *D Mansour | Tyrone Zackey |
| 16 | MR TOP (ARG) | 53.5 | 96 | 1 | K Zechner | Sean Tarry |
| 17 | TWO TONE | 53.0 | 97 | 11 | - | Wendy Whitehead |
| Late Scratchings | ||||||
| 1 | FORT VOGUE | 60.0 | 109 | 17 | * Domeyer | Mike Bass |
| Reserve Runners | ||||||
| 18 | COOL SPENDER | 52.5 | 94 | 6 | Reserve 2 | Sean Tarry |
