Ancient Spirit ready to graduate
Saints Alive to find winning form
Jockey Keagan de Melo is riding exceptionally well at the moment, and he rides each-way prospect Regal Graduation in Race 7, an FM 93 Divided Handicap over 1200m on the Vaal Inside track today.
You can put a line through the Oratorio filly’s latest sub-par performance when beaten 5.60 lengths into sixth by Insignis in a 1600m contest at Turffontein. In her defence the trip proved a touch too far, plus she had to overcome the worst of draws.
Not only that, but Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge was also reported to be not striding out so one should expect a lot of improvement
She drops to 1200m, a distance over which she has proven to be most lethal. In fact, her course-and-distance record is most encouraging in that her two runs have produced a runaway 3.50-length triumph and a narrow 0.30-length second behind Fort Vodka.
On recent form the ultra-consistent Paul Peter-trained Nautic Spirit should pose the main threat. This daughter of Your Song made light work of her rivals over the course and distance last time when comfortably defeating Last Chirp by 1.10 lengths.
On that performance she should confirm
superiority over Ninjara and Twelve Oaks having beaten them easily, despite the turnaround in the weights.
Nautic Spirit shoulders 55kg – that’s 0.5kg less than Regal Graduation. Box the pair in Swingers and Exactas. For Quartets float the pair with Ninjara, Twelve Oaks, Onamission and Rouge Allure.
De Melo could strike again for Van Vuuren aboard Ancient Spirit in Race 8, a FM 77 Divided Handicap over 1200m. She was not disgraced in her handicap debut
when beaten 2.25 lengths into second by Swell Time. The three-year-old appears far better than her current merit rating of 72 and with just 56.5kg to carry should resume winning ways.
A daughter of Fastnet Rock, she also has inspiring form, having only missed the first three once in six career outings and on that occasion she ran fourth.
Last Chirp seems to have found her niche over 1200m and sparked noteworthy improvement in her last outing when
1.10 lengths behind Nautic Spirit, but she can be forgiven – she made respiratory noises in running. If sound she will be a big runner.
For the last leg of the Pick 6 all we need are Ancient Spirit, Last Chirp and An Air Of Success.
Apprentice jockey and current national jockeys’ log-leader Lyle Hewitson should extend his lead by winning aboard Sean Tarry-trained Saints Alive in Race 2, a FM Maiden Plate over 1400m.