Confidentially, it's Classify
CONDITIONS: PE-BASED RUNNER HAS LIGHT WEIGHT AND SHOULD SUIT THE STANDSIDE TRACK New Predator a worthy favourite and must be included in carryover Pick 6.
The R1-million Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile is one of the most popular races on the Highveld as it matches horses with celebrities and charities and there is more at stake for everybody than just a simple horse race.
The charity that draws the winning horse will walk away with R150,000 and all 16 charities will earn at least R50,000.
But for racegoers it is all about the horses and finding a winner. It is a handicap which is supposed to even things out but it could pay to go for a horse with a light weight. In this case it could go the way of a six-year-old gelding who one year ago had not seen a racetrack.
Classify spent most of his early life on the farm and was bought by the Sham family at a sale for a mere R5,000.
While trainer Dorrie Sham was expecting something to go wrong with this son of Sail From Seattle as he went into training, nothing did. In fact, he is a big fellow and as such, his late arrival may just have worked in his favour.
He won five of his nine races in Port Elizabeth and which point Sham realised at his merit rating of 95 there were not many races for him in the Eastern Cape. She sent him up to Joburg to prepare him for the WSB Grand Heritage in which he ran second, beaten just 0.40 lengths by Forest Fox.
The two will meet again and this time Classify has a 3kg weight advantage and a better draw in this 1600m Grade 2 race. Francois Herholdt, who rode him in the Grand Heritage, is back on board.
New Predator has been priced up at 5-2 to win his second successive Charity Mile and is unquestionably a worthy favourite. He came back well from a layoff to finish a 2.50-length fourth behind Wonderwall in the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m and should be at his peak for this race.
Gavin Lerena rides again and will be looking for his third successive victory in this race. However, New Predator will have to carry 2.5kg more than last year and will have to concede 9kg to Classify.
Finchatton is one of five runners form the stable of champion trainer Sean Tarry. He has had a perfect build-up for this race and last time finished second to Wonderwall in the Spring Challenge and 0.50 lengths ahead of New Predator. This son of Right Approach is 5kg better off and has the services of Callan Murray but he will have it all to do from No 16 draw.
“He’s had a perfect prep and I’m very happy with everything but unfortunately a poor draw hasn’t helped,” said trainer Sean Tarry yesterday.
Forest Fox is not well weighted against Classify but trainer Paul Peter is happy his horse came through his last run well and is ready to go again. The stable is hot so the son of Count Dubois has to be considered as a possible winner.
Suggested bets for Charity Mile: Eachway bet on 12 Classify; Swingers: 2 New Predator and 12 Classify; Quartet: Double float 2 New Predator and 12 Classify with 1 Hat Puntano, 3 French Navy, 6 Finchatton, 7 Hermoso Mundo, 11 Bezanova, 14 Forest Fox and 17 Social Order. (R50.40 for 10%).