Binda aims to strike at Greyville

PRIVATE Highveld trainer Clinton Binda raids the Greyville polytrack meeting tomorrow night with three horses, including the three-year-old Toreador gelding Al Azraq, whom he rates the best horse in his yard. However, he warned there would be a lot of negatives surrounding this horse.

He said, "I am coming down mainly for Al Azraq because the ground up here is too hard to train on at the moment let alone race on and he is a good horse with a future so we have to be careful with him and the poly will be kinder. But there are a lot of negatives about him, the main one being he hasn't had a gallop due to the hardness of the ground, it will be the first time he has travelled and it will also be his first time on the poly, under the lights and over the 1400m trip. But he has the ability and I still expect him to win, although I think my best chance on the night could be with Night Editor, whom I think will enjoy the poly."

Binda does not wind up his horses before their debuts, yet Al Azraq finished third first time out in May over 1000m, at odds of 16/1, to a highly regarded sort Bull Valley, who was backed into 13/10. Furthermore, he finished just a neck behind another classy sort, Nephrite, who went on to win next time out before running a three length fifth to Rabada in the Gr 1 Premier's Champions Stakes over 1600m. Al Azraq came out again in June over 1100m at The Vaal and won by 8,25 lengths under Gavin Lerena. Three horses have won out of that race to date.

Binda explained his reasons for sending him over 1400m, “My theory is that he needs to stay a minimum of 1600m because if he is good enough he can then be entered in the Graham Beck and the Dingaans.

“If I put him over sprints now I will never be able to teach him to settle over further later, but putting him over 1400m I can always bring him back to sprints if he doesn't stay."

Delpech

Al Azraq showed plenty of early speed in his win and also a fine turn of foot, although he was driven out all the way to the line. He should be suited to his pole position draw tomorrow night, due to that early pace of his, and KZN Champion Jockey Anthony Delpech in the irons is a further plus.

On a merit rating of 92 he is rated seven points higher than the Charles Laird-trained three-yearold Red Hot Poker, who is the second highest rated horse in the race, although on jockey bookings the Laird stable elect appears to be Dance On Air. The Tripster and Rocketball are two others that have shown decent form.

Night Editor runs in the seventh race, a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m, and will be ridden from draw five by 4kg claimer Calvin Habib, who won on him over 1160m at Turffontein in his penultimate start.

The five-year-old Right Approach gelding was raised to his highest ever merit rating of 75 for that win, but proved himself up to it when showing good pace and staying all the way to the line next time out over the same course and distance, losing by just 1,5 lengths to the decent sort Talktothestars, who was winning for the fourth time in succession.

Right Approach's progeny appear to enjoy all weather surfaces so he should go close in this race and will have vastly more experience than the class act in the race, the Charles Laird-trained three-yearold Main Submission.

Laird rates Main Submission as one who will improve continually as he gets older, but he also regarded him from early on as "a miler plus". However, Main Submission does possess speed too and his debut win over 1200m at Scottsville in June has proven to be one of the strongest form races this year with the like of Swakopmund, Bunker Bill, Rio de la Plata, Land Of Legends and Rikitikitana behind him.

Ayrton

Binda’s first runner on the night is the five-yearold Silvano gelding Ayrton, a battler who runs in race three, a Maiden Plate over 1200m. Ayrton once finished a 5,5 length third to the useful stayer Solid Speed over 1800 at Kenilworth when trained by Glen Kotzen.

Binda is Ayrton's third trainer. Binda has gained a reputation over the years for his expertise in buying horses-in-training and then turning their careers around.

In six runs for the yard, Ayrton has already managed three places, all over sprints. The gelding has some early pace, but lacks a kick at the end, so with 4kg claimer Habib up he could possibly earn a cheque in this uninspiring field if able to get handy from a tricky draw of eight in the ten horse field.

However, the races involving Al Azraq and Night Editor are likely to be the two most interesting events of the evening.