Habib saddles a star on Vaal Classic track
BLINKERS AND 4KG ALLOWANCE TO GIVE ICY STAR THE EDGE Another battleground for Absolute Value.
Trainer Fabian Habib has had 26 winners so far this season, 18 of them coming in the last three months. Based on the number of winners, the Turffontein-based trainer is lying in 11th place on the national trainers’ log and fourth on the Highveld log.
Habib could increase his tally at the Vaal tomorrow when they race on the Classic track. He sends out four runners and at least two of them have strong winning claims.
Best of his quartet could be Ice Star who lines up in Race 6, a MR 90 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m, and Habib’s charge has a number of factors working in her favour.
Firstly, this daughter of William Longsword has the benefit of 4kg claiming apprentice Trent Mayhew in the irons. As the highest rated runner in the field, that 4kg does give her a competitive advantage.
On top of that, Habib has decided to fit her with blinkers for the first time. The headgear might just make all the difference to keep her concentrating all the way to the line.
Her last 10 outings have produced seven top-three finishes, but just a solitary victory. She obviously has the potential, and if the headgear provides just the slightest improvement, a third career win is on the cards.
Ice Star has been running in stronger company of late and her second and third last starts have been in feature races. Three runs back she ran in the Listed National Colour Stakes where she finished
fifth, just 2.50 lengths behind Golden Sickle.
What is more relevant is that she was just 0.25 lengths behind second-placed Alula’s Star with Flowerbomb and Moonshiningthrough hemmed in between them.
After that she contested the Grade 3 Carry On Alice Stakes in which she finished a 2.20-length third behind Mrs Browning.
Further back in the field were Troppo Veloce, Marigold Hotel and Time Fo Orchids.
Three winners have come out of that race so far, winner Mrs Browning, Troppo Veloce and Time Fo Orchids, while Marigold Hotel went on to run third in two feature races over 1600m.
Last time Ice Star found Power
Broker too good but the 4kg weight allowance, coupled with the introduction of blinkers, will hopefully take care of that.
In Race 4, a MR 84 Handicap over 2400m, six-time winner Absolute Value will be aiming to complete a hat-trick.
However, this five-year-old gelding has had some close runins with Battleground with the Lucky Houdalakis-trained runner getting the edge twice before their last outing over 2850m in which Absolute Value came out on top by 0.40 lengths.
However, Battleground is now 0.5kg better off and over this type of distance it could be enough to turn the result around. There are also different jockeys on both runners
this time – Calvin Habib rides Absolute Value while Craig Zackey will be aboard Battleground.
Swingers and Exactas look the way to go in this race.
Sandwiched between Habib’s two best runners, it won’t come as a surprise to see Houdalakis taking the honours in Race 5 with Universal Love.
This daughter of Ideal World has finished in the top four in her last seven outings and is overdue a second career win. She was heavily backed last time out and should make amends. Lining up in a FM 75 Handicap over 2000m, she will have no excuses as she will also be sporting blinkers for the first time.