Fradd seeks change of luck at the Vaal today
JOCKEY Robbie Fradd left Turffontein racecourse last Saturday an unhappy man. His objection on behalf of his SA Classic mount Tellina was overruled by the stewards, which poleaxed his chances of landing the Triple Crown.
It should be a different story at the Vaal today where Fradd teams up with sand specialist Pylon in the seventh race over 1,600m. Trainer Michael Azzie’s four-yearold will be a popular banker with punters in both the jackpot and Pick 6. Pylon boasts six wins from 14 starts and the only runner who could upset the Fort Wood gelding this afternoon is Mike de Kock’s representative Right Beauty.
De Kock is back in SA after another memorable Dubai carnival and faces plenty of travelling in the coming months with his top horses set to compete in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Right Beauty, a R380,000 buy as a yearling, gave notice that a fourth win was not far away when finishing third at today’s track nine days ago. Jockey Raymond Danielson has been booked to ride the grey for the first time.
Pylon’s stablemate, Magic Smoke, could earn a place cheque as he is better off at the weights this time and has promising apprentice Julius Mariba in the saddle. The youngster won on the stable’s filly Miravar at Turffontein on Tuesday night.
Another jockey enjoying a purple patch is Karl Zechner, who notched a double at last Saturday’s big meeting at Turffontein. He teams up with Roy Magner’s Master Entertainer who encountered traffic problems on his most recent outing on the turf.
Fradd could also capture the first leg of the jackpot in which he is reunited with Steve Moffatt’s filly Water Music.
He won on the three-year-old here in January and finished second to Rebel Queen, who has won another three races.
Punters will need to include Stuart Pettigrew’s runner Lucky Hand in their exotic bets as the four-year-old has run some fair races on turf. If she brings her best form to the sand, the daughter of Tamburlaine could pose a threat to Water Music.
Pettigrew also saddles his three-year-old, Elegant Bay, in this 1,450m contest but it is surely significant that stable jockey Marco van Rensburg has opted to partner Lucky Hand.
Although Fradd’s fifth race mount Ampere rates an each-way chance, it may pay to support St John Gray’s runner To Remember. The mare beat Rebel Queen here last November and will have needed her recent comeback run behind Soldiersailor.
Piere Strydom was seen at his very best last weekend and he will be hoping to go close on Dominic Zaki’s runner Keagan’s Jet. The Jet Master gelding has drawn well and a repeat of the course and distance win in January is a distinct possibility.
Yogas Govender raids with a five-horse team from his KwaZulu-Natal base and his fouryear-old Silk Master makes plenty of appeal in the sixth race. It is no certainty that the gelding will act on the sand, which he is trying for the first time, so all of For Freluche, Storm Surf and maiden winner Ampthill Park need serious consideration.