Someone get Striker on Parental Control
Winter’s Forge goes for second straight win today
Jockey Piere Strydom has been in exceptional form since returning from a minor break and could win another race and in the process give bettors a Pick 6 banker when he rides Parental Control for trainer Stuart Pettigrew in Race 3, a FM Maiden Plate over 1200m on the Vaal Outside track today. This three-year-old daughter of Judpot is the model of consistency and is yet to run out of the money in five career starts. She appears to have found her niche over 1200m having finished second in two consecutive outings, beaten a diminishing 0.20 lengths by Heaven’s Reward in her penultimate and 0.40 lengths by Elbi in her latest. She can be forgiven for that last performance considering she hung out over the last 300m. Her chances are further strengthened by the fact that there’s a winner from that last form line. Pettigrew’s charge is by far the best handicapped runner and that makes her hard to beat. The late scratching of Mike de Kock’s highly rated Silvano gelding Pietro Mascagni makes stable companion Viking Trail the one to beat in Race 5, an Assessment Plate over 1600m. This three-year-old Pathfork colt was beaten by Inexhaustible on debut and learned from that experience, following up with an easy 0.50 lengths triumph over 1450m under the in-form Randall Simons at Turffontein. A performance full of merit considering De Kock’s charge was widely drawn, clipped heels in running and shouldered 2.5kg more than the runner-up Tripple Z. Viking Trail faces a moderate field, carries 54kg and will be aided by an advantageous No 4 draw this time around. That last start also suggests that he will relish the step up in trip. For Swingers and Exactas add in Chris Erasmus-trained Norland whose last run when finishing an uninspiring ninth behind Private Ruler isn’t a true reflection of his ability. Prior to that Norland finished second over this trip and if brings his “A” game will give Viking Trail a run for his money. Race 6, an Assessment Plate for fillies and mares over 1200m, appears a twohorse race between Winter’s Forge and Rings And Things, but it could pay to side with the former. Marco van Rensburg’s mount won well last time, defeating Pearl Of Bahrain over 1600m, a distance clearly too far for her. She drops back to the sprint trip where she’s proven most lethal and could prove too classy for this lot as she’s running off a rating of 91 while the average merit rating of this field is 80. Ashley Fortune-trained Rings And Things has run with some of the best horses the country has to offer and held her own. If can reproduce a performance anywhere near her third place finish behind Undercover Agent in the CTS 1600 (Non-Black Type) she can win. She is the best weighted runner in the field carrying 3.5kg less than Winter’s Forge, which is a massive advantage. Float the pair with the remainder of the fivehorse field in your Quartet.