Sea Urchin could be hard to hold
BEATEN only once in five starts this term, Garth Puller’s runner Sea Urchin has been something of a late starter. The gelding has come into his own as a seven-year-old and five of his eight successes have come in his last seven starts.
He steps out under top weight in the opening leg of the Pick 6 on the Greyville poly today and there is not reason to doubt that he can go to the well again.
Sea Urchin has crept up the ratings and only got a threepoint raise after his last win where he kept finding under apprentice Jason Gates.
Gates will be aboard again this afternoon, this time only claiming 2.5kg, but he is a much improved rider in spite of his many brushes with the ‘law’.
Ronnie Rocket
Ronnie Rocket has been a soldier for Pat Lunn and he made all to beat the well-fancied Wayward over the Scottsville 1 200m. The gelding gets on well with Keagan de Melo who will know exactly what he is up against have partnered Sea Urchin to victory on two occasions.
Buckleberry and Solid Gold are others to consider.
Brighteyebushytail has had to overcome a myriad of problems and was one of the worst affected by the virus that plague the stable last season.
Duncan Howells appears to MPUMI MAJOKA, who suffered a horrific fall while riding work last year, is almost back to full fitness after spending six months on the sidelines.
“The doctors said that I would be off for about a year, maybe 18 months, but it has been just over six months and I am determined to get back in the saddle,” he said at Ashburton yesterday where he put a dozen horses through their paces.
Majoka, who was riding the crest of a wave before his accident, went crashing through the rails when a stirrup leather snapped while riding work.
His knee was severely injured and a severed artery added to the complications. have nursed him back to form and he caught the eye when just out of the money behind the promising Last Of The Legend, giving the winner 6kg.
He has the steadier of 61kg in the saddle but has dropped in class so should be up to the task. Lyle Hewitson is riding up a storm of late so Zanzibarian must be a contender along with What A Scorcher, promising Clouds Of Witness and Haddington whose stable was in red-hot form on Sunday.
Hewitson and Louis Goosen teamed up with Jo Mambo to close off the meeting on Sunday and Duke’s Dozen TOBIE SPIES had the first Durbanville winner of his long career when Anthony Andrews made all on 27-4 shot Singfonico in the VHM Racing Handicap last Saturday and he runs three, plus a reserve, there this Saturday.
He is based at the Vaal and had his biggest success at Kenilworth on New
“The surgeon said that he could amputate my leg, or I could take a chance as it was a life-threatening injury. I decided to take a chance.”
The 22-year-old, who has ridden 58 winners, said he was about 96% fit but would take it slowly in making his comeback.
Bio kineticist
“I am working with a bio kineticist and will give it another two weeks or so before I ask for rides. Maybe, one or two a meeting if I can get them.”
“I know it will be hard to make a comeback. You know that if you are out of this game people forget about you quickly.
“Hopefully I can get some rides here (KZN) before I go back to Jo’Burg but ideally I looks set to make a winning debut for his new stable as he is stepped up to what looks to be a more suitable trip given his pedigree.
He was touched off over a mile on the poly last time out and rates the one to beat.
The seventh is a wide open affair with any number of runners in with solid winning chances.
The Private only got going when the race was all but over last time and the extra furlong could be more to his liking.
But he will face serious challengers in Noble Joshua, Sovereign Soldier, Victorious Man and local debutant Year’s Eve 1988 with Yardmaster in the Queen’s Plate. He has had a string at Milnerton for the last few months.
He explains: “In Yardmaster’s time we only took a couple of horses for the Cape Town season but this time Van Halen (his most recent Grade 1 winner, in the Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion at Scottsville) was qualified for the CTS 1200 and I thought I might as well take a few others as well and would like to commute back and forth.” The South African Jockey Academy has extended his apprenticeship because of Gimmie A Cohiba to name but a few contenders.
Arrow’s Mark
Punters face a similar dilemma in the last, another extremely competitive handicap. Paul Gadsby could hold the key here with Arrow’s Mark.
The gelding has his third run after a lay-off and takes a drop in trip. He also has a pedigree that suggests that the poly track may be his forte and Gadsby has declared blinkers on his charge.
Grand Maestro and recent maiden winner Maa Nonu look possible threats. stay for a bit. I have around 17 at Milnerton at the moment and I expect we may pull them back to the Vaal in a month or two.”
What does he make of his chances this Saturday? “I haven’t seen the racecard yet so I don’t have a feel for the opposition but Steffi’s Graft (twice a winner at Kenilworth) ran well for a long way last Saturday but got tired towards the end while All About The Bass (second reserve in the last) ran a very nice race to finish third so he must be in with a bit of a chance if he gets in.” the accident and to assist in his re-hab but Majoka only needs two more winners to lose his claim.