‘Standard’ on target for Met
GOLD STANDARD, the forgotten man of this season’s three-yearold crop, is now back in training with next January’s Queen’s Plate and Sun Met obvious targets.
Glen Kotzen had the Vodacom Durban July on his shopping list after the colt finished a half-length second to William Longsword in the Cape Guineas and fourth to Whisky Baron in the Met, but he was forced to reconsider.
Next season
He said yesterday: “We found Gold Standard had a small segment on each fetlock and, while he was never unsound, we decided to clean them up and set him up for next season rather than take him to Durban.
“He is now back in work and doing great.”
Gold Standard is rated a long way in front of the three-year-olds who went close in the July.
The handicappers have him on a mark of 115 compared with the 107 of Al Sahem and Edict Of Nantes.
South Side
Kotzen, though, reckons to give South Side only one more run even though the Pathfork three-year-old made it four wins from her last five starts when running the opposition ragged in the 1 000m conditions plate at Kenilworth last Saturday.
He explained: “She is not the soundest of fillies.
“She doesn’t take her runs that well so it’s more than likely that she will be retired to stud at the end of the season.”
He bought her for only R10 000 at the Bloodstock SA Suncoast KZN Yearling Sale - “She was a beautiful filly and very athletic but she had bad legs and bad knees.” RECENT Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint winner Bull Valley, winner of five of his nine starts to date, will be looking to end his season on a high when the takes on a top field of sprinters in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint to be run over 1 200m at Greyville next Saturday. Tarry holds a strong hand with Merchants winner Trip To Heaven also in the line-up.
Trip To Heaven
Trip To Heaven loves Greyville having twice finished second in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge, the first time after being relegated, but he also shows top sprint form having won the Grade 2 Merchants beating Bull Valley and finishing second to star stable companion Carry On Alice in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship.
At time of writing Tarry had yet to declare riders.
Talktothestars
Talktothestars, once the highest rated horse in the country, has found form again and after being unlucky in the Tsogo Sun Sprint where he was a fast-finishing runner up to Search Party in the Grade 2 Post Merchants. Search Party will be in opposition again but faces his rival on 2kg worse terms.
Gavin Lerena has stayed in the country to partner New Predator for Johan Janse van Vuuren before heading back to the UK for a month to finish his contract.