Final fields for Champions Day have been published and revealed that racing fans are in for a real treat at Turffontein on 4 April.

There are three Grade 1 races and five Grade 2 events on the 12-race card and there will be Hong Kong World Pool betting on four races which will allow TAB punters to bet into massive pools.

There are 11 runners for the Grade 1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m and a really exciting field has been assembled. They are headed up by Justin Snaith-trained See It Again and Okavango, as well as last year’s winner, Alec Laird’s Fire Attack, and runner-up Royal Victory who is now trained by Weichong Marwing.

Interestingly, log-leading jockey Craig Zackey will be riding the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met winner See It Again this time while Richard Fourie will be aboard Okavango.

Laird also has 2024 Betway Summer Cup winner Atticus Finch in the field.

Trainer Tony Peter also has two runners in the field, The Ultimate King and UK import The Equator.

Of particular interest are the two three-year-old acceptors, Sean Tarry-trained Grand Empire and Candice and Tammy Dawson’s Trust, first and second respectively in the Grade 1 TAB SA Classic over 1800m at this course on 7 March. There was just a short head separating the pair and both give the impression they will handle the additional 200m.

The Grade 1 TAB Empress Club Stakes over 1600m sees Snaith-trained three-time Grade 1 winner Double Grand Slam make her debut on the Highveld.

Another Western Cape raider is Candice Bass-trained Rainbow Lorikeet who was narrowly beaten by Double Grand Slam in the Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 31 January. Again, Zackey has picked up the ride for the Snaith yard on Double Grand Slam, while Aldo Domeyer will partner Rainbow Lorikeet.

Alan Greeff had entered Golden Palm for both the Empress Club Stakes and the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks over 2450m, but he has opted for the 1600m race and secured Fourie for the ride.

It comes as no surprise that Ryan Munger will be riding Corne Spies’s charge, William Robertson, in the Grade 1 TAB Computaform Sprint. The 17-time winner is the defending champion, but he will have to face Peter-trained Buffalo Storm Cody, the highest rated horse in the country, this time. Buffalo Storm Cody has the services of Richard Fourie for the big race.

Of course, much interest on the day will be on Spies-trained Hazy Dazy in the Grade 2 Wilgerbosdrift Bridget Oppenheimer SA Oaks as she will be attempting to close out the Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara. She has drawn wide at No 13, but will have apprentice Trent Mayhew up again.

It is interesting that Mike and Mathew de Kock have opted to run Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial winner Curious Girl in the Grade 2 TAB SA Derby where she will take on the colts. The three-year-old Futura filly has drawn well and will have the benefit of a 2.5kg sex allowance.

Photo: Pauline Herman Photography