GOLD CUP APPROACHES �

A MASSIVE fireworks display will bring Gold Cup day at Greyville Racecourse to a close in the evening of August 3, but earlier in the day there will be plenty of fireworks in the 3 200 metre marathon where 20 of the country`s top stayers will clash in the R500 000, Grade 1 Gold Cup iteself. �

The Gold Cup, traditionally the greatest staying race on the South Africa racing calendar and the second most important race of the Winter Season for the past 80 years, will see a full field of 20 runners burst from the pens in front of the grandstand at Greyville Racecourse. �

Port Elizabeth trainer, Allan Greeff, will be hoping to complete the Gold Cup double having returned with his six-year-old son of Desert Team, Cereus, who was the upset winner of the race last year. Then Desmond Egdes will be looking to complete the "Golden Double" with his Zimbabwean-bred six-year-old Ship`s Gossip who led virtually from start to finish to win the Gold Vase over 3 000 metres at Greyville on Vodacom Durban July day. Jockey Kevin Shea and trainer Mike de Kock will also be looking to score their own double - victory in the Vodacom Durban July with Ipi Tombe and hopefully for them, victory in the Gold Cup with Wolf Whistle. De Kock also runs Badger`s Coast, Oratory and Desert Palm giving him a strong hand in the race but there are some big-chested stayers in the race like Alec Laird`s Argentinian-bred gelding Shadow Hawk who won the Durban Africa 2200 at Greyville from Oratory. �

Buddy Maroun`s Badger Land gelding, Highland Night, loves a testing trip and finished ahead of Desert Palm and Queen`s Consul over 2 850 metres at Newmarket last time out. In addition to Cereus from Port Elizabeth, Jacques Strydom`s Port Elizabeth Gold Cup winner, Me Tarzan, stays all day and his compatriot, Hekkie Strydom`s Sky Rocket, who was third in the Port Elizabeth Gold Cup and won over 3 000 metres in his previous race, will not be throwing in the towel before they cross the finish line. �

As this is a merit-rated handicap event, many of the runners are in under sufference at the weights but in the end it will be staying power that counts and a hard-fought race can be expected.