Saturday is ‘Champions Day’ in South Africa, with the running of three Gr-I’s and five Gr-II’s, including all ages and distances.  The list is composed of the Gr-I’s SA Derby (3yo, 2450m), Gommagomma Challenge (3yo+, 2000m) and Computaform Sprint (3yo+, 1000m), followed by the Gr-II’s Gold Bowl (3yo+, 3200m), SA Oaks (3yo, f, 2450m), SA Nursery (2yo, 1160m), SA Fillies Nursery (2yo, f, 1160m) and Camellia Stakes (3yo+, f&m, 1160m), all run at the Turffontein racecourse.

Most of the local top 3yo’s will square off in the SA Derby, led by Gr-I SA Classic winner King’s Gambit alongside Dingaans winner Lion’s Blood, second in the SA Classic, Senor Versace, winner of the Nijinsky Derby Trial, and stakes winner Causation.

Front running Pick Six, the defending race winner, leads the field in the Gommagomma Challenge, South Africa’s richest race.  Up to challenge him is the upset winner of the recent Colorado King Stakes, Bound by Honor and placegetter Like it Hot, both getting 5lbs, plus the top two  finishers of the Gr-I Horse Chestnut Stakes, Our Giant and Emperor Napoleon, and top mare Stratos, who has been dominant over her sex this year, going 3-3.

Defending race winner Mythical Flight, rated by many the top sprinter in SA, looks like the one to beat, but he will be hard pressed by 3yo J J The Jet Plane, last out winner of the Gr-III Man O’ War Stakes, and Seventh Rock, winner of the Gr 3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap and where he defeated a numbers of his sprint rivals, both of which will get a 5lb break.

The top two finishers in last year's 2-mile marathon, the Gold Bowl, are set to square off as Long Dollar and Pacific Warrior seek to duplicate that event's photo finish.  But both will need to watch out for Prince Asad, although the high weight will be a big factor against, and Membrado.

Leading the field in the SA Oaks will be undefeated Front of House, promising Garota De Ipanema, Jasmine Oaks Trial winner Moon Storm and SA Fillies Classic winner Urabamba, along with that race’s second place finisher Happy Spirit.

Warm White Night, winner of his only race when easily dispatching his rivals in the Protea Stakes, is the headliner in the SA Nursery, while undefeated Merlene de Lago is the one to beat in the Fillies Nursery, most recently easily taking the Gr-III Group Three Pretty Polly Stakes.  And in the final event is Gr-II Camellia Stakes (3yo+, f&m, 1160m), where Gr-I winner Ethereal Lady is the top choice.

Imbongi showed his win in the Gauteng Guineas last month was no fluke as he impressively won the KZN Guineas today over Russian Sage, passing him with a strong finishing move within the last 200m for the win...

And Rei Rei stalked the pace and burst through down the stretch to easily take the Fillies Guineas for her first victory as a 3yo...

It was a very eventful weekend at home and abroad, with some impressive performances by some very impressive horses. So let's kick things off with this week's Derby Ten:

1. Georgie Boy – Next start: Santa Anita Derby (April 5)
2. Pyro – Next start: Blue Grass Derby (Lexington, April 12).
3. Denis of Cork – Next start: Either Illinois Derby (Hawthorne, April 5) or (Aqueduct, April 5)
4. Cool Coal Man – Next start: Blue Grass Derby (Lexington, April 12)
5. Colonel John - Next start: Santa Anita Derby (April 5)
6. El Gato Malo – Next start: Santa Anita Derby (April 5)
7. War Pass – Next start: Wood Memorial (Aqueduct, April 5)
8. Big Brown - Next start: TBD, maybe Kentucky Derby (Churchill Downs, May 3)
9. Visionaire - Next start: Blue Grass Derby (Lexington, April 12).
10. Court Vision – Next start: Wood Memorial (Aqueduct, April 5)

The top 10 is unchanged, but Big Brown was so impressive yesterday that he gets bumped a couple of slots.  He did  not have to take the lead, but he did.  He easily blitzed through fast fractions then had an extra hidden gear to pull away down the stretch.  And he became the first horse to win from post 12 since the Gulfstream track was reconfigured in 2005.  All in all, he has all the tools to win the Derby.  The only knock was that he took the final turn awkardly and veered out, then cut back in midstretch... a sure sign of greeness, the again he's only raced three times.  Only question left is how he will do when either bumped / boxed in and has to fight, as he's won all starts so easy.  We will soon see.

As for the big event of the day, the Dubai World Cup, the US horses left no doubt they are the standard bearers for dirt racing, led by the best dirt horse in the world, '07 Horse of the Year Curlin.  With a deep but not overly stellar handicap divison waiting to take him on back home, his connections can expect tougher competition but a good chance of having a stellar year. 

Also, we will also need to keep a close eye on the champ, to see if his fate falls now in line with the last decade of Cup winners, all of whom ended up with a combination of never returing to form, facing premature career ending injuries and even death.  For more details on the "World Cup Curse", click here.  Good luck!

And finally, a huge recognition must be given to unheralded South Africa, who tied the US with three winners (Jay Peg, Honour Devil and Sun Classique), as well as two seconds and a third, taking further strides for greater recognition in the world racing scene.