Strike it rich with Strydom
WINTER TOOK A TOLL, SO LET’S HOPE FOR RAIN Hartleyfour can get punters off to a good start in the first race.
It’s that time of year when our tracks are being rejuvenated ahead of top-class racing in the Highveld summer. The Vaal Racecourse’s biggest meeting of the year is next Saturday, with the 28-horse World Sports Betting Grand Heritage topping the card, and everyone is holding thumbs that preparation of the racing surface goes to plan – with the weather playing its critical part!
Over winter, the turf gets pretty uneven, with bumps and hollows becoming exaggerated. It is necessary to scarify the grass down to the roots and then to apply top dressing. So, we’re all hoping the rain comes along to speed up growth of the new grass.
The huge field in the Grand Heritage can make things tricky in running but, in terms of good form and scope for improvement, favourite Mardi Gras looks the standout horse at this early stage. Mike de Kock stable’s trio are obvious dangers.
I’m riding Kings Archer, who might not seem the most promising ride but could spring a surprise.
Repairing and refurbishing tracks is all part of the process of the racing calendar.
The Vaal has had its problems in recent weeks, but Turffontein also suffers at the end of winter, particularly in the pull-up area where the two tracks join up. The surface is uneven and tired horses at the end of a race can easily stumble.
We race on the Turffontein Inside track today, where Race 1, a Maiden Plate for three-year-olds, offers punters a chance to get off to a good start. Hartleyfour looks very good value at the early price of 11-2.
He has the highest merit rating, is course and distance-suited and is drawn at No 1 – a huge advantage over 1200m on this track. There are a few first-timers to watch out for, but Hartleyfour’s biggest danger might be Chijmes, who has his first outing after gelding.
In Race 2, a Maiden Plate for fillies over 1200m, my choices are the horses drawn one and two, Pink and Golden Spiral. Rock Sensation is my next best and is worth including in Trifectas and Quartets.
The first leg of the Place Accumulator, Race 3, is difficult to assess as a quite a few horses are close together in terms of form. A Little Luck, Irish Wonder Girl and Pretty Border should suffice for the PA.
I’m riding trainer Paul Matchett’s Shezahotti, who is just behind those three on form and, with a bit of luck, could be involved.
My banker for both the PA and the Pick 6 is Indy Ice in Race 4. Bernard Fayd’Herbe comes up from Cape Town to ride this threeyear-old for De Kock and they look very hard to beat.
The fifth race, a FM 66 Handicap, should be fought out by the Dorrie Sham coupling of Itsmydarlin and Gold Dawn. The former was reported to be not striding out last time, which is a small concern, while the latter is trying the distance for the first time, which creates a little doubt. So, it’s difficult to choose between the two.
I would put both in the PA and Pick 6 and hopefully one gets you through.
I’m on Until Dawn for the inform Chris Erasmus stable. She is held on form but has a good draw at No 2 and I’m hoping we can find a place.
In Race 6, a MR 68 Handicap over 1800m, my first selection is my mount, Endofmarch. Trainer Ashley Fortune has a good record of horses winning first time out for her yard and this might be another one of those – moving up from Cape Town with some good form to his name.
Endofmarch hasn’t tackled this distance before, which is a slight concern, but an inside draw and a fast track might negate any stamina issues.
If you don’t fancy us as a second banker, Kurt’s Approval and Aranjuez can be included in PA perms, with Blazing Winter and Patric added to Pick 6s.
If you’re still not confident with that selection in the Pick 6, consider taking the field in Race 6.
The Fortune yard has another bright chance in the next race, a MR 73 Handicap over 1450m, with Rocky Night, who’ll be ridden by Ryan Munger. As a three-year-old, he showed good improvement after gelding to win last time out, on his fourth outing, and would seem to have plenty of scope to get even better.
Rocky Night’s biggest dangers are the slightly older horses Certifiable and Chapel Jive, both trained by St John Gray.
Paul Peter’s Australian import Seventh Of June was carded for this race, has been scratched after notching up victory at Turffontein on Thursday.
If your Pick 6 feels a little light with these two or three runners, you might want to throw in Peter’s other candidate Melchizedek at fairly long odds.
The draw is likely to play a big part in Race 8, a FM 84 Handicap over 1200m. The horses starting from the two inside gates, Ninjara and Twelve Oaks, must be included in the PA. But both are coming off rests, so we can’t be sure about their fitness.
The next best is probably Carmalita, who gets an apprentice claim with in-form Luke Ferraris but who is drawn wide.
For the Pick 6, it might be wise to include Distant Call and Last Chirp – and maybe two more horses coming off breaks, Perfect Tigress and Calypso Dancer.
In the last race Candice Dawson-trained filly Goa has the form and draw to make her my first selection. Unfortunately, she can’t be made a good thing as she has been off the track for 72 days and there are inevitably fitness concerns.
Ilha Da Var and River Ayre have to be included for the PA, while Mademoiselle can be added for the Pick 6.
There are others with chances in this FM 66 Handicap but most of them have shocking draws to overcome.
I’m riding Queen Of War for Grant Maroun. She got hit with a huge penalty after I won on her two runs back at the end of August and the 61kg she carries here makes it tough for her. Hopefully she finds her best form and we can finish in the money.