Former Vodacom Durban July-winning trainer Glen Kotzen’s string of 21 has arrived at Summerveld from Cape Town, but the disappointing news is crack three-year-old Gold Standard is not among them.

Kotzen said, “Gold Standard had a slight setback after the Met, so has stayed behind, but we might send him later in the season.”

Kotzen said he would be monitored to see how he went, but reckoned at this stage it was likely he would only arrive in Durban in time for the Champions Cup. He would in that case miss the three-year-old classics and the July.

Among the horses in the string which have arrived at Summerveld are Banner Hill, Final Judgement, Party Crasher, Our Destiny, Bon Bon, Gold Image and Princess Peach as well as some promising unraced two-year-olds.

Banner Hill was the winner of the Gr 3 BMW Chairman’s Cup over 3200m in her last start, despite being 3kg under sufferance off her 81 merit rating, and she will be aimed at the eLan Gold Cup, which has been downgraded to a Gr 3 but will keep its R1,25 million prize money. The four-year-old Tiger Hill gelding has won five times, including three wins over staying trips. She will be one of the stayers to follow in the Champions Season as she is still quite lightly raced.

Final Judgement won the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper over 1400m at Greyville last season, when given an enterprising front-running ride. The long-striding daughter of Judpot did not have much going her way in the Cape Summer Of Champions Season, yet still managed a one length third in the Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship over 1400m and a 1,95 length fourth in the Gr 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes over 1600m, as well as two close up finishes in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas and Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m. She will be a big runner in the Gr 2 Daisy Fillies Guineas on May 7.

Party Crasher, a lightly raced daughter of Philanthropist who has won two of her five starts, will also run in the Fillies Guineas but her main aim will be races over further such as the Gr 1 Woolavington 2000.

Our Destiny finished second in the Cape Fillies Guineas last season, but has shown excellent promise since being kept to sprints. Unfortunately, she has issues with the starting stalls and these will need to be sorted out in order for her to be competitive at the highest level.

Bon Bon, who is described as a “decent” filly by Kotzen, is by Bold Silvano and looks likely to improve on her 75 merit rating, so is one to follow in her first few races in KZN.

Gold Image broke the Kenilworth course record over 800m on debut. This daughter of Horse Chestnut then finished a fine 3,6 length third in the R1 million Kuda Sprint, despite being one of only five horses carrying a 2kg penalty for a win. She was the first filly home and beat the colt Barrack Street by 1,55 lengths. The latter won the Listed Storm Bird Stakes over 1000m at Turffontein on Saturday by a facile 3,5 lengths in his only subsequent outing.

Princess Peach, by Captain Al, won very well on debut over 1000m at Kenilworth and the second and third horses have both won since. She was fancied in a Listed race over 1000m on Sun Met day but was undone by an unfavourable high draw and finished unplaced.

Both Gold Image and Princess Peach are both likely to be aimed at the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m on May 27 at Scottsville.

Kotzen will be hoping some of the “nice” unraced two-year-olds in the string will be joining those two in Gr 1 features during the Champions Season.

By David Thiselton