Legal Eagle, 4-10 when he won the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes last Saturday, is 2-1 favourite for the Premier’s Champions Challenge over an extra 400m at Turffontein on May 5.

But the real surprise in World Sports Betting’s early book on the R4 million race is the price of Nother Russia who is joint second favourite at 11-2 with Abashiri.

The Mike de Kock-trained mare was only beaten a steadily-dwindling quarter of a length by Legal Eagle in the Horse Chestnut and his vulnerability over 2 000m is well-documented. He has been beaten in the last two runnings of the Met – second last year and fourth this season – and, although he won the 2016 Premier’s Champion, he was beaten slightly more than a head by Deo Juvente in last season’s race when Nother Russia was a short head away third.

Glider Pilot and Coral Fever are next in the betting at 10-1. SA Classic faller Majestic Mambo is on 12-1 with 14-1 and upwards others. 

Gold Circle