Battle of top sprinters – and stables

IT will last just more than a minute but it is worth going to the Fairview racecourse for today's main race, where some top sprinters will battle it out for the East Cape Sprint Cup.

Former winners of this race include the legendary Hear The Drums and it will take another smart sort to win today's battle.

The focus will be on two of the country's top sprinters. Copper Parade (Yvette Bremner) and Cap Alright (Justin Snaith) are the only horses in the race with a merit rating of more than 100 points. Although a competitive affair, I would be surprised if one of the other horses wins.

The local crowd will be rooting for Copper Parade to bring home the bacon. The local stables are finding it hard to beat the Cape Town raiders in the feature races. The previous time Cap Alright came to visit, he was indeed beaten by Copper Parade.

Snaith leaves his satellite yard in the capable hands of Estelle Blake but hopefully he will join us at Fairview today. His dad, Chris, was here last Friday when the Snaith runners could not pull off a win in the Fillies Nursery or the Breeders Guineas.

Justin is never short of a word and does not lack confidence. He also does not shy away from a challenge, so I am confident to give the young man a challenge if he pitches today. The challenge would be to show more confidence in a victory for Cap Alright than fellow Cape Town trainer Paul Reeves showed with Sea Cat in the Breeders Guineas.

The locals were not convinced Sea Cat was a good thing, with a lot of support for Winter Fantasy. When they were coming into the straight with about 500m to go to the post, Reeves put on his jacket and walked to the winner's enclosure to wait for his horse.

Can you better that Justin or must I ask Copper Parade's connections?

Punters' Pal tips for Fairview:

PA R432

1-2/9/3-4-9/1-4-7/1-2/1-2-5/1-3-4-16

PICK 6 R1800

9/2-3-4-7-9/1-2-3-4-7/1-2/1-2-5-6/ 1-2-3-4-7-8-10-13-16

- Punters' Pal