Lady Luck has denied Whiteline Fever a few times thus far, and those backing the 5-year-old son of Right Approach  will be hoping that the trend reverses when he contests the Gr 2 Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile at Turffontein on Saturday. Sean Tarry’s charge has acquitted himself creditably against the best horses in the country but has been edged out narrowly in such big races as the Gr 1 Horse Chestnut Stakes and last year’s running of this very race, on both occasions after having looked a winner. 

A model of consistency, Whiteline Fever’s recent form shows him as having produced decent performances in defeat in such important Gr 1 events as the Champions Challenge, Gold Challenge, Vodacom Durban July and Champions Cup, the latter two events notable for the fact that he was lugging big weights against top opposition. He then returned from a rest to contest a hot Pinnacle Stakes event where he was only denied late by the impressive Wylie Hall. He now re-opposes that one on a pound better terms and there shouldn’t be much between them again, especially as Wylie Hall will prefer the extra furlong here. 

Wylie Hall’s aforementioned Pinnacle win was remarkable, considering that he won the SA Derby last season, a victory he followed by finishing a flying and rather unlucky fourth in the Daily News 2000. He disappointed in the July but his comeback victory showed that that failure can be ignored. He doesn’t face an easy task under top weight, but he has shown himself to be a classy and progressive sort and should be involved in the finish here.

The crowd favourite is likely to be champion filly Cherry On The Top, and rightly so after her heroics in winning the Triple Tiara last season. She finished off her 3-year-old campaign on a slightly disappointing note when fourth in the Woolavington 2000 in June, but she never looked comfortable on the tight Greyville circuit and it’s worth noting that the winner of that race, Doyouremember, franked the form with a superb third in the July.

Cherry On The Top’s comeback effort was in Wylie Hall’s Pinnacle Stakes. She produced a satisfactory effort by finishing third and will much prefer the step up to this trip. She’s well drawn, to boot, and enjoys the services of champion jockey Piere Strydom. The big question, though, is how she will fare against competitive male opposition, especially lugging a big weight of 59.5kg. That Pinnacle event, of course, showed that she can hold her own in open company, but she is conceding lumps of weight to some talented male runners here and will have to be at the very top of her game to actually win this.

Link Man arguably holds the key to the race. At his best, the striking grey is capable of mixing it with the best, and he is relatively well-weighted here in the context of his best form. He has had his share of problems, though, resulting in a thoroughly inconsistent formline. He was most promising when running on from last to finish second to Potala Palace in the Joburg Spring Challenge and if he regains his best form, he is a likely winner here. It’s been a long time since he ran two good races in row, though, and his supporters will have to take it on trust that he can replicate his last run.

Potala Palace roared back to form with a fine front-running performance in the Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m. That ended a long and disappointing spell in the wilderness for the expensive son of Singspiel. As a former Gr 1 winner over this trip, he must obviously be respected, and a wide draw should not unduly trouble him, given his ability to tack across and make the running. The biggest concern for his backers will be whether he can finally start to show some consistency again, as he has often flattered to deceive in the past. A handy galloping weight bodes well for his chances.

Trainer Geoff Woodruff sends out three runners, of whom Tellina and Killua Castle have the necessary credentials to feature, having finished first and third respectively in the Gr 2 Gauteng Guineas over this course and distances last season. Tellina is undoubtedly a useful sort at his best, but is badly drawn and has his first run since a downfield effort in the Daily News 2000 in June. To come back under those circumstances and win against race-fit opposition of this calibre is a big ask, and he looks to have his work cut out here.

Killua Castle, on the other hand, could take a hand in the finish if he can confirm his recent improvement, highlighted by two runaway wins on the sand. He’s well-drawn, handily weighted and has some decent turf form to his name, so he merits respect here.

Yorker completes the Woodruff contingent and while he has always been highly rated, with some promising earlier form to his name, he has thus far failed to make the step up to feature race company and has a bit to prove here.

Glorious Jet has run well in a number of minor features and is not out of it in this class. Well drawn and handily weighted, he packs a nice finishing kick on his day and is one for the larger quartets.

War Horse has been beset by problems and failed to take to the sand when beaten miles in the Emerald Cup. That run can be ignored and, at his best, he is a Gr 1 winner and was only touched off by Tellina in the Gauteng Guineas. With the benefit of a good draw and handy galloping weight, he could well turn out to be the dark horse of the race, but it’s impossible to predict his performances with any level of confidence these days.

Love Struck hit the big time when shading Tellina in the Gr 1 SA Classic last season but his form since then has been rather uninspiring. His most recent efforts have seen him finish third in a Pinnacle event behind Royal Zulu Warrior, and a close sixth in the Spring Challenge, beaten just two lengths into sixth. He’s reasonably weighted here as a Gr 1 winner and there is an argument to be made that he will now be cherry-ripe in his third run after a rest. However, he still has some work to do from a very wide draw.

Wagner is being aimed at the Summer Cup and while he ran an excellent race in the Spring Challenge, finishing third over a course and distance patently too sharp for him, he is likely to find the specialist milers in this field, many of whom have been targeting this race as a priority, a bit too hot for him.

Royal Zulu Warrior is a horse who could have scaled great heights had his career not been blighted by injury, and his career has been a rollercoaster of eye-catching victories punctuated by a number of disappointments. Having looked an out-and-out sprinter throughout his career, he suddenly bounced back when winning a Pinnacle event over 1450m, beating, among others, War Horse and Love Struck. He’s got the inherent class to make an impact here under a reasonably handy weight, but it’s complete guesswork as to how he will fare over this testing mile.

Here Comes Billy has consistent form and was favoured to win the Emerald Cup but could only stay on for fourth. His turf form is not bad by any means, but he is still untested at this level and his task is rendered even more difficult by a wide draw.

Moon Of Rangoon ran on nicely when fourth in the Spring Challenge, but faces a much tougher field now and his overall profile leaves him with a lot to do here, especially as he is another one who has to contend with a bad draw,

Drawn widest of all is Celtic Fire, who completes the line-up. While he has consistent form in Port Elizabeth, the game veteran looks completely outgunned against this level of opposition.