The Gr 1 Golden Horse Sprint tends to be a race of extremes. In some years racegoers have had the privilege of watching legends such as Jet Master and his greatest sprinting son J J The Jet Plane proving their supremacy as the best in the land (both father and son won the race twice) while Shea Shea is another recent winner who has since proven his mettle on the world stage. Often, though, the race is something of a lottery, with no stand-out runner in sight and this year is a case in point. What A Winter is a notable absentee, his dislike for the track apparent after two previous failed efforts here, and with no clear-cut pecking order to be seen in this year's line-up, one can well expect a shock result on Saturday.

The selection - and a highly tentative one at that - is Charles Laird's Contador. The son of Var won the Umkhomazi Stakes over this course and distance last season, but was demoted to third. That run did, however, hint at some ability, especially as he showed great tenacity that day after making the early running. This season started promisingly enough, and he reeled off a hat-trick, including a runaway nine-length win in a Vaal sand feature, before being put in his place by the rejuvenated Captain's Secret. Then came the Man O'War Sprint where he faded right out after being sent off a strong favourite. That run looked too bad to be true and he can probably be forgiven for it, especially as he was lugging 60kg and conceding chunks of weight to some very fast contemporaries. He now comes in on a very handy 53.5kg and while Anton Marcus has deserted him for Northern Emperor, the booking of Piere Strydom is a very eye-catching one indeed. He is likely to go off at a good price and, given that many of his key rivals have to concede him some serious weight, may turn out to be the value bet of the race.

Northern Emperor appears to be held by both Contador and Captain's Secret on previous meetings, but he did impress when drawing off to beat a very competitive Pinnacle field over this trip at Clairwood. He seldom runs a bad race but does have to lug 59kg and his spot in the handicap does dampen enthusiasm for his chances. Having said that, one need look no further than Delago Deluxe's victory in this race last season for proof of Marcus's knack of picking the right one and if Northern Emperor pulls it off, it will be two-in-a-row for jockey and trainer as well as owners the Joostes.

Cape Royal is arguably the runner with the biggest reputation in the field and he has won some impressive races, including the In Full Flight Handicap two runs back. However, he has been know to fluff his lines on the big occasion, failing to place in his two previous Gr 1 attempts and he appeared to have every chance when beaten into third by Northern Emperor in that one's Pinnacle victory. Cape Royal certainly looks a class act when he puts it together but his failure to land a big one so far means that he faces a pretty stiff task, especially as a 3-year-old, under 59kg here.

Snowdon represents class and consistency and was placed in this race last year. He seems best over this sort of trip these days and ran a fine race when touched off by Merhee in the Senor Santa Handicap despite conceding 6kg; and then reversed the form when winning a Pinnacle event narrowly next time out. He's also pretty high in the weights, but has proved himself at this level and should be involved in the finish.

Trainer Mike de Kock sends out two runners, neither of whom can be discounted. The well-bred Merhee showed his ability when winning the Senor Santa Handicap but then disappointed when fifth behind Snowdon in a Pinnacle event, that one gaining his revenge for the Senor Santa defeat on 4.5kg better terms. However, he is handily weighted and a repeat of his Senor Santa will bring him right into contention.

Stablemate Desert Sheik is the least experienced runner in the field, having only run six times to date. He notched up an early hat-trick, apparently failed to stay in the Dingaans and then bounced back with a narrow second to Snowdon in the aforementioned Pinnacle Stakes. De Kock has shown time and again that he can pitch his less experienced youngsters into the deep end and come up trumps, so Desert Sheik warrants plenty of respect, especially with just 52kg on his back.

Sharing bottom weight with Desert Sheik are Tevez and Barbosa. The former looked headed for the big time early on, but has struggled to add to his second career victory. His form is not that bad, and his last three efforts, all placings, show that he is well within range of Barbosa and Cape Royal. He will need to raise his game, though,to actually win this.

Barbosa is well thought of and now gets a chance to land a really big one and justify his reputation. He was well beaten into second in Northern Emperor's Pinnacle win but is now 3kg better off with the winner. He's also 3kg better off with third-placed Cape Royal, giving him a great chance of confirming the form. Significantly, this is his third run following his return from Cape Town and, assuming that trainer Dennis Drier has earmarked this race for him for some, it could well be a case of a plan coming beautifully together.

Cap Alright is as game as they come and performed admirably against What A Winter, even upsetting the champion in a pinnacle event during the summer. He deservedly picked up a feature victory when  winning the Merchants in Cape Town and was placed in both the Diadem Stakes and Cape Flying Championship. If the track is running fast, he will be in his element, as he is well capable of running them off their feet. However, he does have to carry top weight of 60kg and, overall, is best over slightly shorter. He may just prove vulnerable in the last furlong.

Captain's Secret was, during the middle stages of his career, remarkably consistent, but found it impossible to win. He's finely regained the winning thread this season, winning twice in his last four starts, but he is now proving a bit in-and-out. Despite a big weight, he has shown enough ability in the past to be a contender here and he could make the frame at his very best.

Royal Zulu Warrior is the enigma of the race. His career cruelly curtailed by injury, he made a stunning return after a break of nearly two years to win the Lebelo Sprint in January, before plodding into fourth in the Tommy Hotspur Handicap. His subsequent effort in the Computaform Sprint was somewhat inconclusive - by no means disgraced in finishing fifth, he nevertheless failed to show enough spark to suggest that he has fully shaken off his past issues. If he finds his best form, he could certainly blow them all away, but it's not easy to gauge his current wellbeing.

Coffee Sheik could be a factor if reproducing his third in the Merchants at Turffontein but his last two runs have been disappointing and he will have to improve significantly on those to get a look in here.

Post Merchants winner Mike's Choice is very well-weighted on his best form and would be a major contender if on song, but his last two efforts have looked really flat and it's not easy to make a case for him on current form.

Former juvenile Gr 1 winner Copper Parade has placed in this race (as well as the Mercury Sprint) previously, so he is one of the better-performed runner in this race. However, a string of beaten efforts in Port Elizabeth suggest that he has not been able to reproduce that sort of form for some time.

Always Al is likely to find this too sharp, and has not raced down the straight for some time, while Wild Type simply looks outclassed on current form.

Contador is a somewhat hopeful selection in a race that looks to be a minefield. Snowdon should be in the shake-up at his best but chances abound throughout the field. Overall the best chances may reside at the bottom of the weights, in which case the de Kock runners and Barbosa look to be the biggest threats.