Three-year-olds ready to shine

TALENTED: LAIRD-TRAINED FIRE ATTACK STANDS OUT IN R2-MILLION CHAMPIONS CHALLENGE

- Jack Milner

Champions Day is always a great occasion for South African horseracing and tomorrow's meeting on the Standside track at Turffontein is no different.

Four Grade 1 races, four Grade 2 races, three Jackpots, two Bi Pots, Hong Kong World Pool betting on Races 6 to 11 and a prospective R5-million Pick 6 pool — it's about as good as it gets.

This year it should a great day for three-year-olds.

Topping the Grade 1 pool is the R2-million HKJC World Pool Premier's Champions Challenge over 2000m and this should be a real thriller.

Jockey Muzi Yeni will be chasing a record-equalling fifth win in this race aboard defending champion Royal Victory while last year's Grade 1 SA Classic and SA Derby champion Purple Pitcher will be looking to clinch a third Grade 1 triumph.

With the Grade 1 SA Derby also run on the day, it is quite rare to get the top three-year-olds contesting this race but that is not the case this time and trainer Alec Laird has opted to run highly rated Fire Attack.

This Fire Away colt had to be withdrawn from the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas with a virus and his warm-up for the SA Classic was washed away due to inclement weather.

As a result, he came into the Classic underdone and still managed to fly up late to go down just 0.70 lengths.

He will be fully fit for this race, he is looking for this distance and with champion jockey Richard Fourie in the irons this time Fire Attack is the horse to beat.