A major chapter in South Africa's racing history comes to a close on Saturday, with the Gr 1 Mercury Sprint, to be run over 1200m, the final major race to be staged at the Garden Course before its closure. It is bound to be an emotional occasion, especially given the parade of champions that have made their names synonymous with the track, with perhaps the greatest spectacle of all being provided by the peerless Sea Cottage winning the Clairwood Winter Handicap (as the Champions Cup was then known) under a massive weight and from an impossible position. Punters will have to keep their minds firmly in the present, however, to navigate through a tricky main event.

Given that the race is run at weight-for-age, one would expect it to be decided by the merit ratings, with the highest-ranked runners set to dominate. However, history shows that that is not always the case and the unexpected defeat of champion What A Winter last year is a case in point.

The key to the race is 3-year-old Normanz (pictured), a game start-to-finish winner of the Gr 1 Holden Horse Sprint over this trip at Scottsville. There was a lot to like about that victory but there has to be a caveat that he had the run of the race that day, racing down the inside of the track where the going was superior, and enjoying a handy galloping weight. He now faces a significant weight turnaround with the runners that he beat in that event and the result may well hinge on whether he can raise his game to counteract this factor. Having said that, he has always been highly rated and only seems to be coming into his own now, as a late 3-year-old. Anton Marcus takes the reins and the pair should go very close.

Here Comes Billy never showed in the Golden Horse Sprint - a very rare unplaced effort - but he was conceding weight down the field and did not look comfortable on the track. He is now 6.5kg better off with Normanz and will enjoy the opportunity of racing at weight for age here. This is his best trip and if he can repeat the form that saw him win the Merchants at Turffontein and finish fourth in the Drill Hall Stakes, he is a big runner here.

Copper Parade enters the race with bragging rights after claiming the big scalp of Via Africa in the Gr 1 Computaform Sprint. He went close to winning this race three years ago and has a good record at this track. Piere Strydom stays on board and while a repeat of his Computaform win would be enough to see him take the honours here, there is the slight concern that he can sometimes be a bit inconsistent.

Happy Forever's last effort, in the Post Merchants, can be ignored, as things went terribly wrong and he was pulled out of the race. Prior to that, he ran a cracking race in the Golden Horse Sprint, racing down the worst of the going and still finishing fourth, conceding 5kg to Normanz. He's now 4.5kg better and can make it count, but there are obvious concerns about whether his past soundness issues will have an impact on his performance. If everything is in working order on Saturday, he will go close.

Chave De Oura is a smart sprinter but is another one whose racecourse appearances have been limited by injury problems. He has not been seen out since January, when downfield in the Queens Plate but is better than that and will prefer this distance. It's hard to know what to make of his current wellbeing, but he would definitely be in the mix if at his best.

Barbosa ran Normanz close in the In Full Flight Stakes at this track and then tried to pace it with him in the Golden Horse Sprint, running a big race until the last furlong where he weakened. He's a capable sprinter but probably best over 1000m.

Casual Var, Showmetheway and Midnight Run are all tough and consistent campaigners who need to convince that they can perform in this class, especially at weight for age, but they can usually be relied on to give of their best and any of them could turn out to be the quartet kicker.

The balance look to up against in this field and under the conditions of the race.

It's not a straightforward affair but Here Comes Billy is generally reliable, enjoys the trip and has been lugging his share of weight in handicap company. He may just be good enough to reverse the Golden Horse form with Normanz, although the latter remains a formidable rival. Copper Parade and Happy Forever (if back to his best) also look set to be involved in the finish, with Chave De Oura a contender if he does not need the run.