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Trainer Dean Kannemeyer is hoping Hot Ticket can give him his third win in Greyville’s R1.25 million Gold Cup, South Africa’s premier G1 event over 3200m.

“Hot Ticket is arguably the best stayer in the country. He’s a big, strong, strapping horse, a tough bugger, and he’s taking his racing well,” Kanneymey said.

“I’ve never had him moving so well. He’s on top of the world.”

Hot Ticket’s season includes wins under the top weight in the G2 Gold Vase at Greyville on Durban July Day, the 2400m Woolavington at Kenilworth in October, the 3200m Chairman’s Cup in February and the 2500m Gold Circle Derby last month.

“It’s never easy with 60kg over 3200m and there are a few horses with a bit of form at the bottom of the weights who will obviously have it easier but he’s an improved horse, a far stronger horse than eight months ago, and is loving it in Durban,” Kannemeyer said.

“The winter season in Durban was always going to be his main season. So far, touch wood, it’s going well.”

Kannemeyer won the Greyville Gold Cup in 2000 with Colonial Girl and again in 2012 with In Writing.

He has also won the R1 million Champions Cup over 1800m before with Free My Heart in 2002 and will saddle Capetown Noir in the second of the four G1 races on Gold Cup Day.

“The Champions Cup is never an easy race but all is well with him and he is one of the best ‘milers’ in the country, so you can’t write him off,” Kannemeyer said of Capetown Noir.

He put blinkers on Capetown Noir in the Durban July but that experiment did not quite pan out as he hoped with the four-year-old overracing and fading to finish eighth.

The blinkers will be taken off for the Champions Cup.

“I’m starting to think he loves Kenilworth and its left-hand turn, but we’ll give it a go at Greyville,” he said. “I’m just hoping they go a good galloping pace all the way, not like in the July.”

The other two G1 races are both 1600m events for two-year-olds, the Premier’s Champion Stakes and the Thekwini Stakes for fillies.

Kannemeyer’s unbeaten Afrikaburn, winner of the Golden Horseshoe on Durban July Day, and Bilateral, winner of the Golden Slipper the same day, will be in action again.

“Afrikaburn has proven himself. The 1600m trip will not be a problem, he showed a tremendous turn of foot in the Golden Horseshoe and he should still be at his best, so he’s got to be a competitive runner,” said Kannemeyer.

“After this we’ll put him away for the spring and get him ready for the summer classics in Cape Town.”