Gold Standard faces nine opponents for his long-awaited reappearance in the World Sports Betting Matchem Stakes at Durbanville on Saturday. 

The Cape Guineas runner-up has not raced since his fourth to Whisky Baron in the Sun Met with a cautious approach to fetlock problems deciding Glen Kotzen to give the Durban season a miss. Those taking him on include Table Bay who started favourite for the Guineas but was beaten into third.

Anton Marcus’s mount is a kilo better off but has more than three lengths to find. Top weight Always In Charge has to shoulder a 3kg Grade 1 penalty as a result of his Gold Medallion success at two.

Gold Standard is expected to start favourite to give Richard Fourie his second Matchem – he won on Majestic Sun 11 years ago. Favourites have won three of the last four runnings but the eight previous ones were all beaten.

Andre Nel has booked Donovan Dillon for last year’s winner Captain’s Flame in the Diana Stakes but Gimme Six looks like heading the market. Justin Snaith has won three of the last eight runnings and Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount finished a head second in the Woolavington and fourth in the Garden Province after winning the Daisy Fillies Guineas. - Michael Clower for Gold Circle