Formerly known as the August Stakes, the Gr3 Spring Spree Stakes (Powered by DB Fine), due to be run at Turffontein this Saturday, is the first graded race of the 2016-2017 South African racing season.

This R250 000 contest, which will be run over 1200m on the inside track, has attracted a field of eleven.

Former Gr2 Post Merchants winner Kangaroo Jack (Querari) is the top weight, with the four-year-old set to carry 61 kgs. From the yard of Gary Alexander, the top class performer gets the services of former champion jockey Andrew Fortune –who has ridden Kangaroo Jack on five previous occasions. Kangaroo Jack is worse of all with all of fellow Spring Spree runners Buckland, Moofeed and Amazing Strike for their meeting in the Merchants, and will also be making his first racetrack appearance since winning that June feature.

Buckland (Western Winter) is the second highest rated horse in the race with a merit rating of 103 (Kangaroo Jack is rated 106). From the yard of recently crowned Champion Trainer Sean Tarry, Buckland is another returning from the Merchants run. He was beaten nearly six lengths by Kangaroo Jack on that occasion but is considerably better off at the weights. Buckland’s stablemate, Lunar Approach (Right Approach) will be making his first start since April when unplaced behind Abashiri (Go Deputy) in the G1 SA Classic.

Moofeed (Duke Of Marmalade) is a smart sort on his day (he won the 2015 Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap and was third in the same race this year) but needs to improve considerably on his last effort, while the Alec Laird trained Amazing Strike (Ideal World) looked unlucky in the Merchants where cramped for galloping room and could deserve another chance here. Prior to his KZN run, Amazing Strike had accounted for the talented Thrust (Toreador) in a MR 88 handicap.

Thrust, however, is considerably better off at the weights with his erstwhile conqueror here, and this up and coming gelding (who has won or placed in ten of his 11 outings) looks a genuine contender here.

Mod Barley (Antonius Pius) ran a good race when second to the talented Doing It For Dan (Merit Rating of 103) last time out and must have a shout on that performance.
Blue blooded Vincente (a Var full brother to Equus Champion Val De Ra) is a horse with loads of ability and has a trainer, Louis Goosen, who knows what it takes to handle a high class speedster. However, Vincente (who has made all but one of his career outings over 1000m) is an unknown factor over 1200m, which must be a concern, and was beaten in Flamingo Park last time out –which makes him hard to fancy in this graded feature.

The Coenie De Beer trained Kostya Zu (Lithuanian) has a merit rating of 70, which suggests he has it all to do here, while neither Prince Of Orange (Indigo Magic) or Angel’s Power (Miesque’s Approval) have won in over a year –although the latter did run third to Thrust last time out.