Vote for Big Pleasure
ANTON MARCUS could dominate today’s racing at Kenilworth where the four-time champion has six mounts and five of them are favourites.
He starts with Big Pleasure who in fact has drifted in the market for the TAB Telebet Graduation. World Sports Betting opened the Joey Ramsden three-year-old at 2210 but he has gone out to 28-10 as the money has come for Loadshedder.
The Andre Nel runner has the form to win and is rated to do so but a few of the stable’s runners have performed a bit below par recently (Hoist The Mast in the Southern Cross was a notable exception) and the two due to run last Saturday were both scratched as they were coughing.
In the circumstances the vote goes to Big Pleasure.
Power Of Peace
The once-raced Power Of Peace, on the other hand, has been backed for the mile maiden 35 minutes later and has shortened from 19-10 to 11-10. He also started favourite when only third in a five-runner maiden 19 days ago but is bound to have come on from that. Psychic (4-1) from the Sean Tarry stable, and Parisian Gold (10-1) are close on last time’s run and, together with 9-2 shot Earl Of Warwick, look the dangers.
Perfectproportions steps up to a mile in the Betting World Maiden (race four) and the 1210 favourite could be another for the former champion. The filly probably has most to fear from Anina (9-2) who went close over a furlong less last time. Kampala Campari looks the one in race five, the Play Soccer Handicap, and the Nel runner shares 5-2 favouritism with Marcus’s mount The Great One who is certainly good enough to expose any chinks in the armour of his principal opponent.
Big Mistake is hard to oppose in race seven after his fifth from a wide draw in the Lanzerac Ready To Run but watch out for Purple Mountains who has only gone up a kilo for coming back to form last time and is still rated 20 points below the mark he had a year ago.
“He got sore in his joints when he went to Durban, he went stale and we battled with him,” recalls Glen Puller.
“We sent him to the farm for a break, did physio on him and he has turned around. He has a nice low rating and he has to have a chance.”
Still I Rise
Marcus’s final ride is on 2810 favourite Still I Rise in race eight.
This filly has been a bit a disappointing since making a winning debut and she might be vulnerable under top weight. Prince Oracy’s last run suggests he is the one to get punters off the mark at 5-2 in the opener but it is significant that Corne Orffer rides newcomer Bwana (7-2) in preference to his two more experienced stable companions .
“He is a very nice horse who has been working well although, being a first-timer, he will probably need it a bit,” says Brett Crawford.