No horse has won the R600,000 Emerald Cup twice but Alimony and Phunyuka will be hoping to break the mould when they line up for the Grade 2 race over 1450m on the Vaal sand track on Saturday 25 September. They were among the 36 nominations for the richest sand race run on the African continent. Alimony has done well by winning in 2008 and then finishing a 1.35-length third to Phunyuka last year. However, the race is becoming more popular every year and this time there will be a strong challenge from the Mike de Kock pairing of Storm Crossing and Braggadacio. Phunyuka pulled off the Listed August Stakes and the Emerald Cup double last year and Storm Crossing will be attempting the same feat this year. The Western Winter gelding won the August Stakes by 6.25 lengths and certainly laid a claim to the Emerald Cup title. Braggadacio finished second to his stablemate but the champion trainer has added a further string to his bow with the nomination of Immelman, who is ideally distance suited. Roy Magner will be laying down the gauntlet to De Kock with the likes of Phunyuka, Eastern Cobbler, Fuzzy Cuzzy and top-class filly Cinnamon Sugar. She has won six of her seven starts at the track and is unbeaten over the course and distance in four outings. Geoff Woodruff has his stable in excellent form and he has entered Don’t Tell Titch and Flybyme, while Sean Tarry has nominated two course specialists – Incomodo and Sayadaw Supplementary entries close at 11am on Monday 6 September after which the Weights will be published. Final declarations take place on Wednesday 15 September at 11am and there will be a live draw on the evening of Wednesday 15 September.

NOMINATIONS EMERALD CUP (G2) R600,000 1450m

ACRISIUS (D Zaki);

AL FELON (W H Tolmay);

ALIMONY (S J Gray);

BOY OH BOY (J S Roux);

BRAGGADACIO (M F De Kock);

CINNAMON SUGAR (R R Magner);

CLUB VICTOR (T Lowe);

COMEDY CARAVAN (G Paddock);

DEEP WATER (C Laird);

DON'T TELL TITCH (G V Woodruff);

EASTERN COBBLER (R R Magner);

EMIR (G M Alexander);

EXHILARATION (D Zaki);

FEARLESS GUN (M N Houdalakis);

FENERBAHCE (G M Alexander);

FLYBYME (G V Woodruff);

FUZZY CUZZY (R R Magner);

ILIAD (R R Sage);

IMMELMAN (M F De Kock);

INCOMODO (S G Tarry);

IRON CURTAIN (R R Sage);

JET TYCOON (G V Woodruff);

LITTLEREDCORVETTE (MDC McLachlan);

LOCHLORIEN (M G Azzie);

MAHOGANY (P F Matchett);

OZZIE DUDE (B O Wiid);

PHUNYUKA (R R Magner);

QUEEN'S BAY (M G Azzie);

RAGA MUFFIN (B D Botes);

ROYAL EXPRESS (R P Lerena);

SAYADAW (S G Tarry);

SHARKS BAY (D R Drier);

SONIC BARRIER (C Laird);

SPEED FOR GOLD (D R Drier);

STORM CROSSING (M F De Kock);

WATCHFUL (M G Azzie)