In-form De Melo rides
Blinkers did not work on Bold Coast but gelding may well have done the trick. Stanley Ferreira’s charge won well over 1400m at the Vaal in June and can follow up over the course and distance in Race 7 today.
Bold Coast had started his career well enough but lost some of the gloss before the connections decided to geld the son of Bold Silvano and he immediately achieved success when, with Keagan de Melo up, Bold Coast slammed Vulcan by 2.20 lengths.
De Melo, who is riding at the top of his game, has retained the ride.
Interestingly, Vulcan has held his form well since then and was beaten by narrower margins in his next two starts.
Var’s Your Daddy, Gold Status and Carve The Turkey have been scratched and the only real dangers appear to be Penultimate and Play Misty For Me.
Sean Tarry-trained Penultimate ran his best race for some time when fourth behind Prince Of Kahal recently but will need to confirm that form before one can be confident with him.
Play Misty For Me has won over the track and trip and was not been beaten by far in his next two starts so has to be given respect.
Noceur can get punters off to a winning start as the Alec Laird-trained filly looked much improved when returning from a break earlier this month.
This Mambo In Seattle filly showed promise on debut when third behind Northern Legend last year. Noceur did not repeat that run in her second start on a soft track when well beaten.
Clearly the three-yearold filly has strengthened up and the increase in distance to 1600m should suit Noceur.
Another runner who could be bankered in all the exotics is Roy Magner-trained Pillaroftheearth in Race 5.
The King’s Chapel colt ran up a string of three runner-up berths in his first three starts but put that behind him with a solid win over Vaal 1000m in June.
Pillaroftheearth was not disgrace when third behind So Var earlier this month and back over the course and distance of his success could find Pillaroftheearth back in the winners’ enclosure.