Monte Christo can make it count
MONTE CHRISTO has been something of an under achiever after making a winning debut for Alistair Gordon some four season’s back and two stables later he could finally add a fourth victory to his CV when he lines up in the fifth at Scottsville on Sunday.
Monte Christo started his career with a debut win for Gordon before being moved to Charles Laird where he subsequently collected back-to-back victories but has since been winless for close on two years although continuing to threaten the judges.
Anton Marcus knows the gelding well, having partnered him to his last win and in many subsequent races and it could be significant that he will be aboard in the gelding’s first outing for Brett Crawford.
Monte Christo has warmed up in two barrier trials and with a handy galloping weight could prove too strong for the two at the top of the handicap, Macduff and Tribal Fusion.
Shane Humby may well have been reading Damon Runyan, commenting yesterday on two narrow defeats on Wednesday; “That’s racing. Nothing I can do about it now”.
Tribal Fusion boasts some useful form, including a recent victory over subsequent winner and eThekweni Sprint runner-up Woljayrine.
However, he does have the small matter of 62.5kg to shoulder.
Macduff
Macduff is carded with a similar weight but gets 2.5kg relief in the form of apprentice Luke Ferraris.
Macduff regained his best form over course and distance with the blinkers removed and will be a threat.
Punters are faced with mainly small fields as many stables locked down for compulsory African Horse Sickness vaccinations after the end of the season but that does not make finding winners any easier.
New Fort and Impact Zone will have their supporters in the White Horse Function Room Handicap but both may have to take a back seat to Louis Goosen’s charge Haddington.
With apprentice Ferraris’s claim, the giant Ideal World gelding will feel that he’s running loose and the step up to the 2400m of this race should be right up his street.
White Lightning came within an ace of scoring a major upset on debut as he came from the clouds to go down a piece of paper.
On that showing the mile should be well within his compass and with Marcus aboard he can get the Pick 6 off to a favourable start in the third.
In a similar vein, Dunzie came from off the pace when beaten a length at her last start and Duncan Howells has declared blinkers on his charge this time around.
If they have the desired effect she could prove difficult to beat in the fourth.
The seventh is a tricky affair in spite of the small field but top weight Warfarer is over his favourite course and distance and Lezeanne Forbes’s gelding can follow up on his recent win. However, with no speed in the race this could turn into a sprint for home unless Forbes is prepared to sacrifice recent maiden winner Truly Wicked as a pacemaker.
Grecian Laurel
Grecian Laurel can round of the meeting for Howells. She was allowed to start at any price on debut, consensus being that the 1 200m would be on the sharp side, but she kept on resolutely to win as she liked.
It was not the greatest field in opposition but given the extra 200m and the ease of her victory, she could have the measure of Cause And Effect and Marsala.