The Rising Sun Gold Challenge is a playground of champions, with some truly great horses having taken the honours in KwaZulu-Natal's premier mile event. A random sample throws up such names as the equine titan Politician, the high-class Over The Air and the rather ill-fated Royal Chalice, all of whom went on to win the Rothmans July as it was then known;  so it's something of a travesty that only six horses initially accepted for this Gr 1 prize to be run at Clairwood on Saturday - a number that has since been further reduced by the scratching of Link Man.

Be that as it may, the line-up is not short on quality and, in fact, the small field means that a highly tactical affair is in store and it thus promises to be a fascinating spectacle. Also, while there is a clear pecking order in terms of recent form, any one of the five runners is capable of winning this on sheer ability and past achievement.

Variety Club is the only 3-year-old in the race and he is hot favourite to give the younger generation victory in an event that has generally not been kind to them. The weight-for-age conditions of the race clearly have something to do with that but Variety Club is actually pretty well in here on official ratings. His form this season speaks for itself: victories in the Gr 1 Cape Guineas as well as in the Matchem Stakes, Selangor Cup, Winter Guineas and KRA Guineas, have stamped him as an outstanding miler but his true quality has arguably been best illustrated in defeat. The Queens Plate saw him start from a bad draw and Anton Marcus had to make plenty of use of him early on. He hit the front early in the straight and was only collared on the line by Gimmethegreenlight, a perfectly creditable effort after his early exertions. Then came the Cape Derby, where he clearly failed to see out the 2000m trip, but it was no disgrace to finish second behind a certain Jackson and it was noteworthy that he finished well clear of the rest of the field, despite being so far out of his comfort zone. He comes into the race in top form after disposing of Jackson in the KRA Guineas and, given his ability to sit handy and kick when asked, Marcus will have all bases covered from a tactical point of view, even if means making his own pace.

The biggest danger, on current form, should be Tales Of Bravery. He seldom runs a bad race, is not far off the best middle distance horses in the country, and has twice placed in the Queens Plate, including this year when third. He is well held by Variety Club on that run as they once again meet at weight-for-age, with due adjustment for the five months that have passed, but he kicked off his winter campaign in fine style with an impressive win in the Drill Hall Stakes. The Vaughan Marshall yard is in top form and Tales Of Bravery should give a good account of himself here.

What A Winter turned in the worst effort of his career when downfield in the Golden Horse Casno Sprint but the Scottsville track clearly doesn't suit him and one can draw a line through that effort. It seems to be taken for granted in many quarters that he is an out-and-out sprinter and doesn't get a mile but that notion stems largely from his failure in the Cape Guineas of his year. A closer look shows that he wasn't beaten too far in sixth position in that race and, like Variety Club, is a former Selangor Cup winner, so he actually can get a mile at his best. Given the small field, it's unlikely that Saturday's race is going to be a serious test of stamina and, if it turns into a sprint down the straight, What A Winter is capable of running them all out of it.

Pierre Jourdan is using this race as a warm-up for the Vodacom Durban July but while he turned in a sterling effort in that race last year, it' worth pointing out that he appears to be best over this sort of trip. He comes into the race under something of a cloud after a below-par effort in the Horse Chestnut Stakes, but he was lame afterwards and that was not his true running. One doubts he will be at his peak here, with the July still nearly a month off, but he is a class act and he is more than capable of winning this if everything clicks into place for him on the day.

Castlethorpe completes the line-up and is the lowest-rated runner in the race but he is a smart sort who one ignores at ones peril. Winner of the Winter Guineas last season, he ran a very respectable race in this event last year, hitting the front early in the straight and only tiring late in the heavy going. His subsequent failures in the July and the Champions Cup can be excused as he failed to stay but he got back on the winning trail when returning this season, winning two minor sprints before making late progress in for sixth in the Golden Horse Casino Sprint. He'll prefer this course and distance and it won't be a huge surprise to see him going close here. 

Variety Club is the obvious choice on current form but they all have credible chances here and one could well see a blanket finish, come Saturday afternoon.