The Korea Racing Association Guineas (Gr 2) tops the bill at Greyville on Saturday and all eyes will be on Dean Kannemeyer's stable star, Capetown Noir. The Cape Guineas and Cape Derby winner looks a notch or two above his rivals, certainly on form, and will be hard to peg back if he is anywhere near his formidable best.

With six wins and two narrow (and rather unlucky) seconds from eight starts, Capetown Noir is yet to really put a foot wrong. He warmed up for his winter campaign with a comfortable enough win in the Byerley Turk over 1400m at Scottsville, a race where he was not seriously challenged and which was probably more about giving him a taste of racing on a right-handed track. That run will have brought him along nicely and, if the form book is to be taken literally, he cannot be opposed here.

There are no certainties in this game, though, and if the applecart is to be upset, the horse to do it could be Mike de Kock's Vercingetorix. The son of Silvano is unbeaten in two starts and had a good look at this course and distance when winning a Graduation Plate here last time out. Strictly on form, that is light years removed from the magnitude of the task he faces here, but he would not be taking his place if his trainer did not rate his chances of at least being competitive in this field. He is completely unexposed at this stage and while the case for him is built purely on the de Kock factor and the prospect of untapped potential, he could turn out to be good enough to trouble the favourite.

Looking at the rest of the field, most of the feature race form in evidence comes from runners who contested the recent Gauteng classics. On a line through SA Classic winner Love Struck, who was well beaten by Capetown Noir in the Cape Guineas and does not line up here, they will have a tough task troubling the favourite, although there a few runners with definite trifecta and quartet prospects.

Gitiano was a close fifth in the Gauteng Guineas and followed up with a respectable third in the SA Classic. He's drawn well and Anton Marcus stays with him, having been on board in the Classic. He looks sure to finish in the first four if he reproduce that sort of form here.

Killua Castle has once again drawn badly and seems best at Turffontein's standside track with its long home straight. However, he has shown some genuine ability in finishing third in both the Dingaans and Gauteng Guineas. He had a hard race there, as well as in the SA Classic, where he finished seventh, before finishing third in a handicap behind promising stablemate Yorker last week. If his busy recent schedule hasn't taken the edge off him, he could make the placings here.

No Worries ran a cracker when fourth in the Guineas and followed up with a fair effort when sixth in the SA Classic. He is another one with place prospects if he can beat a wide draw.

Living With Heart is game and battled away valiantly when second to Capetown Noir in the Byerley Turk, while Wind Trip finished second to Love Struck in the KZN Guineas Trial and followed up with a Novice Plate win and a third in handicap company where he was not disgraced from a poor draw and under a big weight. It's a stretch to see either of them winning here, but both have shown enough to be included for the larger quartets.

Bay Of Bengal showed some early promise before failing to show in the SA Classic. He did beat subsequent Derby winner Wylie Hall when winning the Egoli Mile at his penultimate start and a repeat of that sort of effort could see him into a minor placing.

The rest of the field looks to be up against it in a race where Capetown Noir really looks to be the goods. One can speculate about the unknown quantity Vercingetorix, and he may yet turn out to be something special and the main threat to the favourite, but only the race will tell, while Gitiano, Killua Castle and No Worries look set to fight out the minor placings.