THE R400 000, Grade 1 Gold Challenge over 1 600 metres at Clairwood
Racecourse in Durban on Saturday is being seen in many quarters
as a match race between two exceptional thoroughbreds, dual Grade
1 winner Yard-Arm and lightning fast sprinter – stayer, Key Of Destiny.
Geoff Woodruff’s Yard-Arm is favourite to win the R1,5-million
Vodacom Durban July and goes into his final prep race for the big
event tomorrow as favourite while Key Of Destiny has shaken the
country with his devastating performance in the Golden Horse Sprint
where he smashed his own course record for the 1 200 metres.
Having won the KwaZulu-Natal Derby as a three-year-old before breaking
down in preparation for the Summer Cup of 2002, Key Of Destiny’s
versatility has made him one of the shorter-priced contenders for
the Vodacom Durban July and a potential threat to Yard-Arm in the
Gold Challenge.
The meeting at the southern Durban course also sees the running
of the R125 000, Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1 800 metres where Geoff
Woodruff also holds a strong hand with three runners – Monet, Cousin
John and Golden Moment - who are all entries for the Vodacom Durban
July.
The trio have some stiff opposition making this an open race just
like the other feature on the card, the R150 000, Grade 2 Tibouchina
Stakes, where Woodruff has no less than four runners of which Duchess
Daba, Dunmore West and Lady Caroloty have chances of finishing in
the money.
Opposition to the Woodruff runners is formidable in this race as
well with the likes of Battle Maiden, Akinfeet, Burnt Savannah and
Real Red all bidding to prevent a Woodruff clean sweep in the three
feature events.