TRICIA TO CONTINUE STABLE’S RISE
She should enjoy 1600m
Trainer Louis Goosen has his yard in fine form again after a slump, during which his horses struggled with a virus, and Tricia Dupont could be worth following in Race 7 on the Vaal Outside today, a FM 68 Handicap over 1600m.
The Dupont filly has been running over further this year, posting wins in a 2000m race and then over 2200m but she showed earlier that she is no slouch over sprints, so should not be troubled by the drop in distance. There is a school of thought that she will prefer this trip.
Jockey Gunter Wrogemann gets on well with this four-year-old and an inside draw could give her the run of the race.
There are a couple of lively dangers in the form of Sao Paulo and Dangerous Diva.
Sao Paulo took five starts to win a Maiden Plate and followed that first win with a decent second to heavily backed Fort Ember over 1600m last time out.
This distance is not a problem and she is probably better than her current handicap of just 69.
Dangerous Diva has been a bit unreliable and is only a one-time winner from 30 career starts. She has, however, run some decent races this year and her most recent outing, when wearing blinkers for the first time, suggests she is ready to win another race. She finished a 0,85-length third behind Raring To Go over 1200m.
Trainer Craig Mayhew has a small string but has saddled two winners in the last week, so his charge Polar Secret cannot be dismissed. She has placed in her last three starts over 2000m and 1800m and could prefer the drop to 1600m.
Wrogemann also has another good winning chance on improving Trip To Paradise in Race 5, a MR 68 Handicap over 1200m.
This Trippi gelding has been in good form recently, having won twice in his last three starts.
He picked up a fivepoint penalty for winning over 1200m in July and followed that effort with a decent second behind In The Loop over 1450m. Then last time out, the four-year-old quickened nicely late to beat Arpad (third at Turffontein last Saturday) by 0.30 lengths over 1400m.
Trip To Paradise may have escaped lightly with only a two-point hike in his rating so it will not be a surprise if he wins again.
Stuart Pettigrew-trained and Marco van Rensburg-ridden Watabout is 5kg better off with Trip To Paradise for a 6.10 length beating in July. He has ability and could be a dangerous rival.