Rain to fall ‘Wright’
RETURN TO A SPRINT COULD WORK WONDERS FOR JERUSALEMA RAIN ʂ Dark Winter to get Grant off to a good start.
Areturn to 1200m could do the trick for Jerusalema Rain in Race 5 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth tomorrow. The three-year-old Captain Of All gelding has not performed as expected since joining Candice Bass-Robinson's yard in July last year but he has been raced over further than sprint distances in the majority of his races.
He made his first appearance in a Progress Plate at Hollywoodbets Durbanville over 1400m last October, but he did suffer quite a bit of interference and finished ninth of the 10 runners, 7.05 lengths behind Hluhluwe.
His next run was over 1200m at Kenilworth in which he finished a one-length fourth behind Future Variety and it appeared that a win was not far off.
However, Jerusalema Rain's next outing came in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas over 1600m where he finished 10th, 6.60 lengths behind Snow Pilot. He did suffer interference around 150m from home but that was unlikely to have made too much difference in the outcome of the race for him.
From there he was tried in a Graduation Plate over 1400m and he was never really in it and ended up 6.55 lengths behind Itsrainingwilliam.
Despite the disappointing performance there was one positive coming out of it – his merit rating came down four points, which translates into 2kg.
Bass-Robinson brings him back to 1200m up the straight in this Class 2 event and Gareth Wright picks up the ride for the first time.
One needs to invoke the old adage that while a horse may lose his form, he does not lose his ability and with the drop in all of distance, class and merit rating will see the gelding return to his Highveld form when he won two races.
One must not forget that one of those wins was against Gauteng Guineas winner Sandringham Summit who went down a neck over 1160m at Turffontein, which proves Jerusalema Rain is no slouch.
One is likely to get a decent price and an each-way bet could well pay dividends.
Grant van Niekerk has picked up some good rides on the day and he should be able to get the meeting under way with What A Winter filly Dark Winter.
She made an encouraging debut over 1000m in mid-December and she needn't improve a great deal with the benefit of that experience to get Justin Snaith and Van Niekerk off to a winning start in Race 1 over 1200m.
It is worth noting that the form of that race has worked out well with two direct winners, including Gimmefabulous who finished just 0.45 lengths ahead of Dark Winter.
Igugulethu - which is of Zulu/ Xhosa origin and translates to 'our pride' - is Van Niekerk's ride in Race 3, a Maiden Plate over 1000m, and presents him with an opportunity to give Bass-Robinson an early winner.
Igugulethu filled the runnersup berth in his only start over 1000m so a return to this trip in Leg 1 could get the Pick 6 off to a good start.