Ryker to prove himself
INCLEMENT weather seems to be the order of the day this summer and tomorrow’s meeting on the Greyville turf is in danger of being transfer to the poly track - but there is still hope.
By early yesterday morning Greyville had recorded 58 mm. Gold Circle Racing Executive Raf Sheik said that a pen reading would be taken late yesterday afternoon (too late for this column) and with the weather forecast taken into consideration, a decision would be made on whether to switch to the poly track sometime this morning.
“It’s a case of damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” said Sheik adding that during the last storm, over 100 mm of rain fell in a couple of hours but two days later – if there had been racing on the turf – it would have gone ahead. The rain is due to have cleared by yesterday afternoon so we live in hope!
Guineas Trial
“I had the Guineas Trial in mind but now I’m not so sure,” puzzled Puller after Ryker had blown away a useful field of older sprinters on the first day of this month.
“I freshened him up for this race,” confirmed Garth Puller after his 1 000m triumph.
“He’s a big-striding horse and I was a bit surprised.”
“But he’s a horse that will go a mile,” he added and Ryker gets to prove that assessment when he lines up in the said Guineas Trial tomorrow.
“The five (furlongs) was a little bit sharp for him,” confirmed rider Anthony Delpech, who has stuck with his mount. “He’s a smart horse and going to win races.” Mike de Kock has his sophomore contingent wound up as taut as a violin string. Sir David Baird may not be up with his stable companions who have swept most before them so far this Highveld spring so the trip to Durban may have been an easier option.
Darkest Hour
Callan Murray was roundly criticised for his ride when runner-up to Darkest Hour second time out but the gelding could only manage fourth at his next outing which may have been some vindication for Murray. That could all change tomorrow. The cleverly named Hard To Pay steps up to a mile for the first time for Wendy Whitehead after winning his first two and finishing runner-up to the speedy Di Mazzio last time out. Pedigree suggest that he should see out the trip.
The Dazzler lived up to his name when thumping a field of winners on debut in what was a thoroughly impressive performance.
He has been surprisingly winless since be seldom far back.
He races in a tongue-tie tomorrow and can give James Goodman a rousing sendoff as the veteran trainer hands in his brief at the end of the month.