Speed Monitor in Strydom’s hands
Winners of the KZN Racing Awards
THE Vaal stages an eight race meeting on the Classic Track tomorrow and there are three interesting runners who could provide value. In the last race, a MR 72 Handicap over 1450m, King Gerard is of each way interest. This horse always gives the impression he loves to gallop and if able to get a suitable fast pace he can be effective as he has a good cruising speed.
However, he tends to over race if unable to use his considerable stride, which can almost be described as a bound. Tomorrow, from a plum draw of two, he has the frontrunning sort Diva and the speedy Vulcan on either side of him so he could get the pace he needs and will likely be sitting right behind it without having to be used up to get there. He has dropped to an attractive merit rating and this trip is ideal..
In the third race, a maiden over 2000m, Speed Monitor makes some appeal. This is a nice looking gelding by Traffic Guard, who to date has had the unfortunate tendency to over race early when going around the turn.
However, last time over 1700m he still managed to stay on for third. A step up to 2000m does not augur well for his chances of settling any better. However, one factor in his favour is the turn is a lot further from the start in a 2000m race on the classic course than it is in a 1700m race on the Inside course.
Therefore, he will not need to be tucked in as quickly after the start as he was last time, which might have caused him to pull in the first place. Furthermore, he will be in the hands of the maestro Piere Strydom, although the hands of Andrew Fortune who rode him last time are probably just as good. If things do pan out well for Speed Monitor he will go close.
The next interesting runner is Just A Jag, who runs in the sixth, a MR 68 Handicap over 1200m.
On Cape Town form this A P Answer gelding is well handicapped. Last June, for example, he finished just 2,25 lengths behind Victorious Jay over 1400m, although admittedly the latter was only a two-year-old at the time while Just A Jag was three.
Victorious Jay went on to finish a nar- row second in a Gr 2 over 1600m.
Just A Jag was later sent to Kimberley and has accumulated two wins and five places in seven outings, both wins being over 1200m. He has risen to a merit rating of 75. However, tomorrow he runs off his turf rating of just 61.
The race will tell whether he is a sand specialist, but his consistent Cape Town form would point to him being effective on turf.
The race will also tell whether he will need the run as he hasn’t been out since March.
He might get away with it on fast ground over this trip and trainer Brett Warren has been seen to bring horses back from rests to run well.
King Gerard
However, King Gerard is the one of these three aforementioned value bets who make most appeal and looking at his form he could be the biggest price of the trio too.
The first race on the card over 1000m is competitive, but Edgbaston makes most appeal as blinkers could well suit him.
Last time he showed pace while looking a bit reluctant to let himself down and he was rallying at the finish, so the headgear might bring the best out of him.
Mind Shade beat the former by over a length last time and can go close with a repeat.
The obvious choice looks to be Alpine Glacier, who finished behind the former pair when making his debut. He was backed into 12/10 that day so obviously shows a lot at home and he should have benefitted from the experience.
The question is whether he can make more than two lengths improvement to beat them.
Another horse who could be of interest is the Irish-bred Strut Your Stuff, who runs in the fourth race, a Maiden over 2000m. This High Chaparral filly will relish the step up to 2000m on pedigree.
She was a bit hot on debut over 1600m and over raced too, so it is once again a question of whether she will settle.
Anthony Delpech is in the irons and she has a plum draw of two.
If she does relax she could win, but otherwise Consequentially will likely pick up the pieces.
The latter jumps from a high draw but relaxes well in the running and is a long striding sort who will relish the trip.
Laurel Cherry
In the second race, a MR 79 Handicap for fillies and mares, Laurel Cherry should be coming into her own as a big four-year-old daughter of Ideal World. She did her best work late when winning over this trip at Turffontein on June 12.
The third horse was beaten seven lengths and yet five winners have come out of the race, so the form looks strong and she can overcome a five point raise.
In the third race, a Maiden over 2000m, the stoutly-bred Excellency should relish the step up in trip and could be a PA banker.
However, as mentioned earlier, Speed Monitor must be given healthy respect and Stunned has to also be considered for the Pick 6.
In the fifth race, a MR 64 handicap over 1600m, Cape Marigold has pole position and the form of her last start has been franked with Movie Award winning yesterday. Gavin Lerena is aboard and the filly can go close as she will likely be ridden more conservatively than last time when a decision was made to go to the front from a wide draw.
In the seventh race over 1000m, Speed Gonvarelez has had a big reputation from day one and is another who can carry topweight to victory.
She has plenty of speed and although raised two points for her excellent second last time out in tough MR 92 handicap, she now has a 4kg claimer up and will likely also relish the fast going conditions.
Habib eyes Cape Town
DEVIN Habib, ruled out of racing for five years, is now flying from Johannesburg every week in a bid to establish himself with Cape Town’s trainers and resurrect his career, reports Michael Clower. Habib,28, nephew of former top jock Donovan Habib, was flying high winning races like the Golden Slipper and the Emerald Cup when he was nearly killed in a car crash near Oliver Tambo airport in July 2010.
“I suffered severe head injuries and I was in hospital for a month while they released the pressure on my brain,” he recalls.
“When I recovered I started a small tyre business because I didn’t think I would be able to return to racing.
I still have the business and it helps me financially but now my main aim is racing once more.”
He returned ten months ago after getting his weight down from 70kg to 55kg - “it meant healthy eating and a whole new lifestyle” - but, although he managed 231 rides by the end of last season, he found winners hard to come by and he partnered just five.
It was a far cry from the heady days of 2008/09 when he was in such demand that he had 770 rides and 57 winners.
At the beginning of last month he began commuting to Cape Town.
“I had never ridden there before but I decided to look for a job , or at least a chance to ride there.”
“If I do get a job I will move down but it's tougher coming back this time because I'm not getting the chances.
I’ve had seconds and thirds at Kenilworth and Durbanville but I need a winner or two to get going - and I am going to persevere until I get there.” EQUUS Champion Marinaresco was crowned KZN Horse of the Season at the Gold Circle KZN Racing awards held at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban on Friday evening.
Second in the Vodacom Durban July and winner of the Gr1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup on the last day of the season, Marinaresco hit the headlines from the time he was pencilled in for the July, forsaking the final leg of the Cape Winter Series having already won the Tekkie Town Winter Guineas and the Winter Classic.
Marinaresco was trained by Mike Bass and provided a fitting finale to the veteran trainer’s career as he handed over his yard to daughter Candice the following day.
Ashburton-based trainers dominated the awards with Duncan Howells collecting three trophies.
Dawn Calling, owned by Dave MacLean, collected the Best performance by a Two-year-old Filly where Howells had all three nominations including A Womans Way and KZN Million winner Lunar Rush. KZN HORSE & GROOM OF THE YEAR BEST PERFORMANCE BY A TWO-YEAR- OLD FILLY Dawn Calling Trainer: Duncan Howells Owner: Mr D D MacLean Breeder: Mr&Mrs A W Procter BEST PERFORMANCE BY A TWO-YEAR OLD MALE Gunner Trainer: Paul Gadsby Owners: Mr N Lalla&Mrs A Lalla, Mr H Adams, Mr K T &Mrs M I Carelse& K & K Syndicate (Nom: Mrs K S Mahabeer) Breeder: Nadeson Park BEST PERFORMANCE BY A THREE-YEAR- OLD FILLY Cosmic Light Trainer: Duncan Howells Owners: Mrs H Kuhn & Red Jack Trading (Pty) Ltd Breeder: Maine Chance Farms (Pty) Ltd BEST PERFORMANCE BY A THREE-YEAR- OLD MALE Exit Here Trainer: Charles Laird Owners: The Fire Racing Trust (Nom :MrAlesh Naidoo) &Mr M J Jooste Breeder: Moutonshoek BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN OLDER HORSE - FEMALE Same Jurisdiction Trainer: Duncan Howells Owners: Drakenstein Stud (Nom:Mrs G Rupert), Messrs D C Howells, L C Vermaak, Dr R H Katzwinkel&Mrs M A M Powell Breeder: Klawervlei Stud BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN OLDER HORSE - MALE Mac De Lago Trainer: WeihoMarwing Owners: Messrs H Adams, C F Delport, D Chinsammy, Lawrence Pillay, T J Smith & O D T Visser Breeder: Mr G Downey, Vic, Australia BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SPRINTER Triptique Trainer: Dennis Drier Owners: Messrs A J van Huyssteen, William Henderson & J W Rauch Breeder: Moutonshoek BEST PERFORMANCE OVER A MIDDLE DISTANCE Mac De Lago Trainer: WeihoMarwing Owners: Messrs H Adams, C F Delport, D Chinsammy, Lawrence Pillay, T J Smith & O D T Visser Breeder: Mr G Downey, Vic, Australia BEST PERFORMANCE BY A STAYER Enaad Trainer: Mike de Kock Owners: Al Adiyaat South Africa (Pty) Ltd Breeder: Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum. CHAMPION KZN APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR CHAMPION KZN JOCK EY OF THE YEAR CHAMPION KZN TRAIN ER OF THE YEAR CHAMPION KZN BREED ER OFTHE YEAR KZNOTA OWNER OF THE YEAR CHAMPION KZN OWNER OF THE YEAR ANITA AKAL PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR KZN RACING PERSON ALITY OF THE YEAR KZN RIDE OF THE YEAR Piere Strydom (The Conglomerate) Vodacom Durban July