THE RISING SUN GOLD CIRCLE RACING CARNIVAL

The R100 000 Rising Sun Easter Handicap over 2 000 metres has a long history and has always drawn good crowds to the southern Durban venue and this year racegoers will have an additional feature on the card, the R125 000 Grade 3 King’s Cup over 1 500 metres.

The 10 races on Sunday’s card have all drawn competitive fields and the racing promises to be of the highest standard. Eight runners are carded to face the starter for the Rising Sun Easter Handicap and Des Egdes’s Medicine Man, who won at Clairwood in his last outing, could be the one they have to beat.

At his best over the 2 000 metres of Sunday’s race, Medicine Man enjoys making play from the head of the field and if he is allowed to dictate the pace he could take some beating.

Paul Denysschen’s gelding, Rusedski, has a lot of class and on his gallant run in the J&B Met when 4.5 lengths behind Alastor, he has a big chance of taking the honours as well. He may find the distance a touch too far but in this company he could still pull it off.

Sharp Salute won well for Patrick Lunn at Scottsville in his most recent race and Dennis Bosch’s Rough Magic proved too good for his opposition when he led from start to finish last time out to win at Scottsville.

Mark Dixon’s Smithy’s Last has won over the course and distance and in his last outing just got up to win over 2 000 metres at Scottsville.

The Busker is stable companion to Medicine Man and Op-En-Wakker is from the same stable as Rusedski. She ran a to-class race over 2 000 metres at Scottsville in her last outing when second to Hearts In Atlantis and she must be respected with Tony Nassif’s Rambo Dancing gelding, Dancing Alliance, making up the field.

The King’s Cup has drawn a field of 13 and finding the winner is not going to be easy.

Gauteng trainer Alec Laird is in devastating form and his Sportsworld gelding, Vertical Sport, must be rated as a potential winner. He has won and been placed in his last three races over 1 600 metres at Turffontein and, although drawn a little wide, should have a big chance.

Paul Denysschen has two runners in this race, as he does in the Rising Sun Easter Handicap and the best of the pair could be the Becker gelding, Becker’s Theme. He has been in the money in his last four races and ran a great second to Geoff Woodruff’s Ice Cube at Kenilworth in January. Stable companion Punters Dream put up a tremendous performance in his first race back from the Cape with a neck second to Port N’ Lemon over the mile at Greyville.

Brett Crawford sends out My Choice who has good form over the distance and Des Egdes saddles Night News who has finished in the money in his last two starts.

Mark Dixon’s Kickback has been second best in his last two races, the most recent over the course and distance, and in-form Alistair Gordon will be represented by Cleverconversation who has filled third place in his last two starts.

Mike de Kock’s Mr Bones was less than a length behind Medicine Man last time out and Neil Bruss’s Laurels was in the first two in the last three races he ran over the distance.

Selvan Moodley’s Tamarino Bay, who looked set to cause an upset in the Gommagomma Summer Cup in November, has shown the class to win this type of race. Wendy Whitehead’s yard is in top form and her runner City Edition must be respected.

Highland Night, who was the winner of the Canon Gold Cup in 2002 and 2003 but has not raced for 603 days, makes his return to the track from the yard of Dennis Drier and Ivan Moore sends out the former Darryl Hodgson runner, Delaware Park, to complete the field.

Both feature races promise to be exciting events and, with a host of food stalls and a range of other entertainment throughout the day, the Rising Sun Gold Circle Racing Festival on Sunday should be a great success.