adminSuper Trouper won the Redan Petroleum Pinnacle Plate over 1 200m and Terzi is now hopeful that his lone runner in the field will be able to get the jackpot in the 1 800m event when he lines up against 16 other horses.
Super Trouper is the only representative from the Terzi yard while his rival Seb D’Aquino has six runners and Lisa Harris brings in four.
But the youthful trainer, Terzi, remains upbeat with his lone ranger in the field although he admits it will be a tightly-contested race.
“I think he is up among the favourites in the race. Quantity is not an issue for me but quality is better than quantity,” said Terzi.
“My horse won a very good race last Sunday, and it was only 80 percent ready and this is the race we are aiming for so he will be 100 percent ready on June 8.”
A total of 17 runners were yesterday officially unveiled to run in the 25th edition of the OK Grand Challenge at Borrowdale Park and the race becomes the sixth leg of the Open Series.
“I think he (Super Trouper) deserves to be the favourite and I hope he will be the main runner for the day,” said Terzi.
“His biggest challengers could be Genpri and Approval Rating because they have lighter weights than him. But my horse has been running in South Africa and he knows what is expected of him and I think he will be hard to be beat.”
Super Trouper’s owner, Spencer Murray, could be placing a huge bet on his runner after seeing him win the last race.
When he won the Pinnacle Plate, Super Trouper had Corne Orffer as jockey but this time he will get the services of Donavan Mansour.
Orffer has taken up an offer to ride in the more lucrative industry in Mauritius but Mansour will not be a stranger to the yard as he won the Republic Cup for Terzi two years ago.
Genpri by Seb D’Aquino came second in the Castle Tankard when he finished four lens behind A King is Born, who has also been entered for the OK Grand Challenge while last year’s Grand Challenge winner Earl of Surrey has not been nominated.
Jockey Lance Pagel, who will once again ride Alula Borealis after getting fifth place during the Castle Tankard, and the horseman says he will get it better this time.
Pagel said there was bit of cramming when his horse was suffocated for space to burst ahead during the Tankard.
“I have been sitting on his back and he is quite a powerful animal and I am trying to work a few things out and hopefully it will work out,” said Pagel.
The Harris yard will be trying their new horse Charro Negro that came from South Africa and will have S’manga Khumalo holding the straps while the stable’s best bet could be placed on Platinum Moon, who will be better off the weights at 52kgs.
Randall Simons is expected to pilot the horse that has been given a good draw while Kirk Swanson saddles Triple Crown winner — Madigan — but the horse has lost form since running in the Castle Tankard early this month .
Swanson, however, hopes that one of his horses will get a good finish as he also brings in another big run in Captain’s Tiger, who has Sherman Brown.
“We have got two guns in there and hopeful one of them will be able to fire and win,” said Swanson.
Speaking at the unveiling of horses yesterday, OK Zimbabwe chief operating officer Albert Katsande said their retail concern was pleased to note that their OK Grand Challenge has continued to grow into one of the biggest promotions in Zimbabwe.
“The partnership with MTC has grown into leaps and bounds and for this year we have 32 vehicles up for grabs and we are hoping for a record crowd,” said Katsande.
Runners Jockey Trainer
12 Captain’s Tiger Sherman Brown Kirk Swanson
11 Alula Borealis Lance Pagel Lisa Harris
17 A King is Born J. Sampson Alyson Wright
3 Madigan Quinton Riddle Kirk Swanson
1 Choisir (Arg) TBA Seb D’Aquino
6 Super Trouper Donavan Mansour Gokhan Terzi
15 Orbit War (Arg) G. Wrongemann Alyson Wright
14 Royal Arrow (Aus) B. MacNaughton Seb D’Aquino
7 Approval Rating R. Peters Nuno Nur
13 Burmese Cat TBA Seb D’Aquino
10 Candymancan K. Zechner Lisa Harris
8 Ginepri (Arg) Francois Herholdt Seb D’Aquino
4 Platinum Moon Randall Simons Lisa Harris
2 Final Fling TBA Seb d’ Aquino
5 Pleasant Valley M Nyamagwete Seb d’ Aquino
16 Directorate N. Juglall Kumaran Naido
9 Charro Negro S. Khumalo Lisa Harris
Online Reporter