Paul Lafferty’s Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint contender Sniper Shot had an important gallop on Tuesday and came through it with flying colours.

The three-year-old Judpot gelding was the subject of a sales offer recently, but failed the piroplasmosis test, so has missed some work.

Paul Lafferty

Lafferty said, “He’s doing very well. We lost a bit of time with him, but he’s a real bull of a horse. We decided we were going to go for the Post Merchants because he loves Greyville, but then we had a look at the top sprinters around and decided to take our chances here. In his last 1200m at Scottsville he was a tad unlucky and in his last run at Scottsville he won the Fever Tree over 1400m. He’s a top horse, he’s a sprinter-miler and I think he could get a blow in carrying a light weight of 52,5kg if they come back to him.”

Serino Moodley rides him on Saturday and rode him in the gallop on Tuesday.

Lafferty said, “Serino couldn’t believe he had been that fast on a horse. He was really taken aback by his ability. The horse was barely blowing after the gallop. After the Fever Tree he came second in the Byerley Turk over 1400m from a wide draw and was then second in the Daisy Guneas so he’s a very good horse. The speed races are always very tough, but they do go very quickly which could suit us with our 52,5kg, so fingers crossed, we don’t really know, but we’re hopeful.”

*  Robbie Hill runs the well-bred Petra in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson on Saturday and is quietly confident.

This Oratorio filly is out of the Listed-winning Fort Wood mare Loupe and Hill said, “She was very unlucky last time, she is hopefully a serious runner if she can reproduce that run.”

He said she had been doing “pretty well” and she put up a good gallop on the sand of Summerveld’s bottom turn yesterday under Deigo De Gouveia.

She strode out well but Hill admitted she would probably be coming off the pace on Saturday, so the draw of one might be a problem as she might get “closed in.”

However, Lyle Hewitson rides and is in top form. The high-flying apprentice deserves his currents status as national champion jockey elect and the connections can be assured he will do his homework ahead of this important engagement.

By David Thiselton