Surprise as big race draw made two months early
Phumelela executive says draws come out at nominations stage as the Champions Challenge will be run at Turffontein on May 4
Top trainer Sean Tarry is among a number of people in racing confused that the draw for SA’s second richest race — the R4m Champions Challenge to be run at Turffontein on May 4 — has already been done. Tarry has a number of his top performers — including Tilbury Fort, Legal Eagle, Zilzaal and Return Flight — entered for the 2,000m race, and said on Wednesday that “he was confused that the draw would be made so soon”. Unfortunately for this season’s leading trainer, this quartet have all drawn poorly with the exception of Return Flight, who drew stall 11 of the 22 nominations. Clyde Basel, Phumelela executive for racing & events, said on Wednesday that “we decided not to have a manual draw for the race. Draws come out at nominations stage unless there is a special draw”. Of course, unlike the Sun Met, Vodacom Durban July and G-Bets Summer Cup, the Champions Challenge does not have a sponsor and this may have influenced the decision. There have been draws near the time of both the Sum...
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