Mercantour looks to make poly magic again
Danie Toerien
Friday 21 August sees the running of the first leg of the annual Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Poly Challenge and judged by the final field, this year’s opener should be a humdinger.
Mercantour, trained by Alan Greeff, became only the second horse to win all three legs when he managed to snatch victory by some small margins in last year’s renewal of the series and he is back to defend his title as “King of the Poly”. He could well complete the treble again despite being seven years old this time round.
The three-legged challenge is open to all horses and comprises races over 1200m, 1400m, and 1600m.
According to Greeff, Mercantour was specifically prepped to defend his Poly Challenge title. “It was always part of the plan,” he said.
“He does face stiff competition in the first leg, so we will have to wait and see.”
In last year’s first leg he beat Fairy Knight by 0.1-lengths, in the second he finished 0.75-lengths ahead of Guy Gibson, and over the 1600m event he was 0.5-lengths ahead of Bingwa.
The first three past the post in last year’s first leg, namely Mercantour, Fairy Knight, and Golden Pavilion, are all back. Fairy Knight is also from the yard of Greeff while Golden Pavilion is trained by Dean Smith.
Mercantour comes into Friday’s race on the back of two excellent victories on the Polytrack over 1200m and 1400m respectively, making him hard to oppose. Coming into the race on Friday in hot form, Greeff expressed his expectations by saying: “I just hope he carries on in hot form.”
“Unfortunately I won’t be here (in Gqeberha) when he runs, because I will be up in Joburg for the sales.”
Mercantour’s victory in last year’s final leg over 1600m was the only time he has ever won over the distance, which begs the question whether he might find it tougher this year, considering that there are a number of stable companions who should pose a major threat in the final leg.
The first is Kleinzee.
This five-year-old mare is unbeaten in six runs since relocating to the Eastern Cape, with two of those victories coming over 1400m and four over 1600m – all on the Polytrack.
“I haven’t thought about running Kleinzee in the last leg yet,” said Greeff. “It depends on what races are around at that time. I still have to do her vaccinations, so I still have to work all that in for her. She might, she might not.”
Greeff also said she deserves a break soon.
“She’s been a very busy girl, so somewhere along the line I also have to give her a breather.”
Greeff was also openly honest about where Kleinzee finds herself now.
“One thing about Kleinzee, I have placed her very well. I actually still don’t know how good she really is, but I know I’ve placed her well. Maybe I have made her look better than she is, but then maybe she is as good, or better, as she shows. I don’t know. I have picked the right races for her,” he said adding “she’s no slouch”.
And then Greeff also said: “Why can’t Zinovi run in the 1600?”
Zinovi is also unbeaten in his last five races at Fairview, with three of those over 1600m on the Polytrack.
Greeff admits that he might sit with a dilemma the end of the day. “It’s a nice problem to have, as some would say, but listen, we will have to cross that bridge when we get to it.”
With the first leg being run this Friday, the second leg will be on Friday 25 September and the final event on Friday 16 October.
4Racing offers a R250,000 bonus to the connections of the horse that manages to win all three legs of the popular challenge.
The NMB Racing Poly Challenge was first run in 2016. That first year saw the Jacques Strydom-trained Gogetthesheriff win the first two legs, but fall short by just half a length in the final event.
The first horse to win all three legs of the Poly Challenge was Glen Kotzen’s raider King Regent, who scooped the bonus in 2024.
The final field for the first leg of the Nelson Mandela Bay Racing Poly Challenge, in order horse, weight, merit rating, and trainer, are:
1 Cruise Control 62-118 Dean Smith
2 Fairy Knight 62-117 Alan Greeff
3 Mercantour 62-117 Alan Greeff
4 Mover And Shaker 62-112 Kelly Mitchley
5 Guy Gibson 59.5-101 Alan Greeff
6 Black Egret 58-97 Juan Nel
7 Imaginable 58-96 Dean Smith
8 Golden Pavilion 56.5-93 Dean Smith
9 Tripping Thunder 56.5-92 Juan Nel
10 Ingqwele 55-89 Cliffie Miller
11 Warhawk Bomber 52-77 Kelly Mitchley