Mujallad ready for sprint challenge
CONDITIONS: GOING IS LIKELY TO BE SOFT SO GO WITH RUNNERS WHO LIKE IT WET
Greasepaint is consistent and should be in the placings.
If the weatherman is right, the horse who wins tomorrow’s Grade 3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap over 1000m at Turffontein had better enjoy soft underfoot conditions as rain is forecast for Joburg over the next few days.
There are a number of horses in this event who are better over 1200m and it could be worth taking a look at their form when it comes to picking the winner.
There are quite a few threeyear-olds competing and they are coming in with light weights. The best of these could be Mujallad from the Mike de Kock yard, who is in good form and comes into the race carrying just 53.5kg. His last start was over 1160m at this course and he led all the way to hold off Prince Of Kahal by a neck.
He has had one run in the wet but it is hard to assess from that race whether Mujallad will handle the soft as that race was over 1450m on the inside track and was run in driving rain. It was only in the last 200m that he faded out of contention and it could have been the distance more than the going that resulted in an average run.
Mujallad is one of the fancied runners and is among a group of horses joint-favourites at 6-1.
“He is the form horse, and very honest. It’s the right place, right time and right rating, and he should be right there,” assistant Mathew de Kock said during the week.
The danger could be evergreen Greasepaint who, although sevenyears-old, has lost none of his zest for racing. He actually is running better than ever as he showed when running a 1.25-length second behind Alfolk in the Grade 3 Lebelo Sprint over this course and distance on 30 December.
On that run he holds Mujallad but De Kock’s charge was having his first run back after a break and should turn the tables.
Pure Blonde is another who is at home over 1200m and has had two good runs in the wet.
Trainer Alec Laird has used an apprentice for Pure Blonde’s last three rides but Randall Simons gets the nod this time.
The Mike and Adam Azzie yard have three runners and Adam believes they are all in with a chance. Speaking of Rivarine who will be ridden by Gunter Wrogemann, he said: “He is in form and doing well at home. It’s the right race and right distance, and he should be fighting out the finish.”
Piere Strydom’s mount, Angel’s Power, has rather in-and-out recent form but Adam says, when in the mood he can run close to some top horses. “Piere gets on well with him and knows him well, and he’s in with a chance.”
Their final runner is Splendid Garden. “This may be a bit sharp but he’s down in the ratings and is doing really well. It would have been silly not to run him.”
Gray Alexander trained Tommy Hotspur and he saddles Champagne Haze, who has to give weight all around. “He’s gone through his prep well but this isn’t his ideal trip. We’re looking to the Senor Santa at the end of March and this will bring him on.