All set for thrilling Championships Finale

JOHANNESBURG – The 2026 Championships Finale was supposed to be run at Turffontein on April 25, but due to adverse weather conditions, the meeting has been postponed to April 28.

Spanning from October through April, the Highveld feature race season concludes with the highly anticipated Championships Finale, which features seven elite contests on the 11-card meeting.

While there are no Grade 1 events, the meeting includes four Grade 2 races, two Grade 3 contests and a Listed event, all of which appear to be highly competitive.

The 500,000 rand (S$38,500) Grade 2 Colorado King Stakes (2,000m) hosts a full field of seven Grade 1 Durban July (2,200m) entries, namely Fire Attack, Atticus Finch, Choisaanada, The Ultimate King, Field Marshal, Bakwena and Copper Eagle.

Trainer Alec Laird holds two aces with Atticus Finch and topweight Fire Attack.

Atticus Finch, a six-year-old son of Master Of My Fate, last finished fourth behind See It Again in the Grade 1 HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge (2,000m) on April 4 and he can build on that.

His stablemate Fire Attack finished seventh in the same race, but the Fire Away four-year-old colt will have top jockey Richard Fourie in the saddles this time, which point to his chances.

The other three Grade 2 races are the 500,000 rand Senor Santa Stakes (1,160m), as well as the 350,000 rand Camellia Stakes (1,160m) and the 350,000 rand Igugu Stakes (2,000m), both for fillies and mares.

There will be 12 runners lining up in the Senor Santa Stakes slated as Race 8.

The weights heavily favour South Africa’s leading sprinter, Buffalo Storm Cody from trainer Tony Peter’s yard.

Despite carrying 62kg, the 132-point rater is at least 4kg better weighted than his opposition in terms of handicap conditions.

The Buffalo Bill Cody four-year-old gelding also has the advantage of jumping from the outside draw 12 and will again have Fourie, who rode him to his last-start victory in the Grade 1 Computaform Sprint (1,000m) on April 4, back in the irons.

He will be a popular banker on the day, but perhaps another runner who stands out is Olivia’s Way.

The mare was nominated for both the Colorado King Stakes and the Igugu Stakes, but trainer Roy Magner has opted to put her up against her own sex in the latter event.

Her last run was an encouraging third behind See It Again and Okavango in the HKJC World Pool Premier’s Champions Challenge.

Back in fillies’ company, she looks hard to oppose. Jockey Marco van Rensburg gets the ride.

Buffalo Storm Cody and Olivia’s Way will be popular bankers, while many of the other featured events also look highly competitive.

The pair of Grade 3 races, the Protea Stakes and the Pretty Polly Stakes, are for two-year-olds and run over 1,100m.

Keep your eyes peeled on the Fabian Habib-trained Gimme Some Luck in the Protea Stakes and trainer Sean Tarry’s Get Up might just score her second victory third-up in the Pretty Polly Stakes.

Stayers get their opportunities in the Listed Gold Bowl (3,200m) with a prize purse of 400,000 rand and last-start 2,850m Listed winner Enflame can relish the extra distance. 4RACING