BE WITH AZZIE’S RUNNERS TODAY

Delpech rides both

Trainer Mike Azzie usually sends his horses out looking great and you can be virtually guaranteed that they will be fit and well and two of his runners at the Vaal today look likely winners.

Both Ice Art in Race 2 and Sess in Race 8 could be getting out of the maiden ranks today.

At this time of the year trainers fall over themselves to get the riders battling it out to win the South African Champion Jockeys’ title so it is not a surprise Azzie has booked current leader Anthony Delpech to ride both runners.

Delpech is well clear in this season’s championship and the title looks a mere formality.

Querari filly Ice Art has produced two decent runs and looks ready to win. She showed inexperience on debut but still ran very well when fourth behind stable companion Frederico’s Dream and she won again in her next start.

Put around the bend in her second start Ice Art finished best of all when runner-up behind No More Winners and thirdplaced horse Perfidia ran out an impressive winner at Turffontein on Sunday.

The opposition to Ice Art does not look particularly threatening either.

Australian-bred Sess was a touch unlucky not to win on debut last May but failed to repeat that performance in his second start. However, there was a lot to suggest that his first win would come soon when runner-up, beaten just 0.60 lengths by Defy Gravity last time out.

That was over the 1700m, the same as this event but the one obstacle could be his No 13 draw.

It is only a short distance between the start and the bend so being drawn in that wide could be a problem. But that is where having someone like Delpech up could make a difference.

However, if the draw does indeed affect his performance then Synergy and Justify could play a bigger part in the finish, more than they should be entitled to.

Synergy has improved with the aid of blinkers and is well drawn. Justify was not disgraced on debut and is very likely to improve over this longer distance.