Eric Sands has put the unbeaten Winter Guineas and Winter Classic winner Rainbow Bridge into Saturday week’s Matchem Stakes even though he has not been able to get a race into the colt this season.

Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

Last year’s Cape Guineas winner Tap O’Noth has also been entered for the Durbanville Grade 3 and has to give weight all round– Vaughan Marshall’s previous winners of the race include Tales Of Bravery (2010) and Play Catch in 2004.

Our Mate Art, who scored for Candice Bass-Robinson 12 months ago, is also among the 14 entries while Justin Snaith, successful with Changingoftheguard six years ago, has already declared Fifty Cents (Richard Fourie), Copper Force (Robert Khathi) and Star Chestnut (Athandiwe Mgudlwa).

Snaith has also declared three for the Diana Stakes on the same card- Dynamic Diana (Fourie), Angel’s Trumpet (Greg Cheyne) and Miss Katalin (Khathi). The champion trainer has won three of the last nine runnings. Goodtime Gal, successful for Mike Robinson and Anton Marcus in last year’s race, is set to give weight to the other 13 entries.

Marcus, surprisingly, is as big as 20-1 with World Sports Betting for the jockeys’ championship despite being fourth in the log on 24 winners. Muzi Yeni, who heads the list on 33, is 5-2 favourite and Richard Fourie (28 winners) second favourite at 28-10 with Aldo Domeyer (14) next on 4-1. Current champion Lyle Hewitson and former champion Gavin Lerena are both 11-2 chances. Ryan Munger, third on the log with 27 winners, is a 14-1 shot.

By Michael Clower