Pumeza can set punters straight
PUMEZA can overcome a five-month absence to get favourite backers off to a good start in the opening maiden at Kenilworth today. The Eric Sands filly has shown superior form to this opposition and is rated the best of them.
“She got injured and she then had an abscess,” says her trainer, explaining the lengthy absence. But will she needs the run? “I hope not and she has had a gallop here.”
She opened at 22-10 with World Sports Betting on Sunday and was 2-1 yesterday. The Dennis Drier newcomer Sunshine Mint is second favourite at 33-10 with Vice Versa on 7-2. This Brett Crawford runner did not get a clear run on debut and rates the danger ahead of the Snaith filly Spam Alert (5-1). Aldo Domeyer’s mount Waterbaby is a 9-1 shot and has been off since August. “She cracked her pelvis in her last race so she will probably need it a bit,” says Paul Reeves.
His Photocopy
His Photocopy reverts to 1 200m in the TAB Telebet Maiden 35 minutes later and is 22-10 favourite but the shorter trip may not be in the colt’s favour.
“He is not a sprinter but he has been haemo-concentrating,” says the trainer, explaining the drop in trip ( haemo-concentrating does not have as much impact in sprints). “We are hoping to get a win out of him before he is gelded, and he is fit and well in himself.” In the circumstances, though, the vote goes to Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount Count Rosberg (3310) although there is not much in it between him and 5-1 shot Strabo on their last run.
Andre Nel has been having a quiet spell by his standards – even though Hoist The Mast so nearly did it in the Southern Cross – but Washington Square (28-10) may have come on enough to confirm last time’s placings with 19-10 favourite Inertia in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden.
Tyrandeus looks a big price at 15-2 on the form he showed the first time but he has been well beaten twice subsequently. “We gelded him and he is having his first run since,” says Candice Bass-Robinson. “He is a nice horse but he needs to strengthen up more.”
Tease
With the Snaith horses in such form Tease at 2-1 is given marginal preference over 17-10 favourite Dynasty’s Blossom in the Betting World Maiden (race four) while Make It Raine gets the vote in the Supabets Handicap despite the strong claims of Sassy Lady, Sun At Midnight and Swift Dancer.