Abercrombie can step up
MIKE Bass runs the somewhat disappointing Abercrombie in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 at Greyville on Saturday and also has two livewires, River Crossing and Jeppe’s Reef, in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2 400m.
As a two-year-old Abercrombie won his second start over 1 200m in good style and then started 2-1 favourite for the Grade 3 Cape Nusrery in which he was touched off by the useful The West Is Wide. A measure of the Trippi colt’s standing at that stage was that he then started odds-on favourite for the Gr 3 Langerman. However, he finished unplaced behind another horse who is in this year’s Vodacom Durban July field, King Of Pain.
In his last start of an overall disappointing three-year-old campaign to date, he showed signs of progress when finishing just 1,1 lengths back in fifth place in the Investec Cape Derby. It has to be said that it wasn’t a vintage Grade 1 field even if the winner, Capetown Noir, is one of Saturday’s Daily News favourites.
In Abercrombie’s first KZN start he finished 2,1 lengths back in a Graduation Plate over 1 600m at Greyville and the form of that race has worked out well considering the winner Vercingetorix went on to win the Grade 2 KRA Guineas and secondplaced Rock Cocktail finished runner up in the Betting World 1900.
Fayd’Herbe
Robert Fayd’Herbe, who runs Bass’ Clairwood satellite yard, said, “He’s doing well and galloped well last week. He has been improving and is coming right. He’s still a big baby, but is starting to mature and is getting better all the time.” Abercrombie is drawn wide, although he should come in to draw eleven if the reserve runners come out.
Fayd’Herbe said, “He can race from anywhere. We’ve put blinkers on to help him concentrate. But we will leave it to the jockey (Stuart Randolph).”
Abercrombie could land a J&B MetVodacom Durban July double of sorts as Martial Eagle appropriately won the former race that had the theme “Made To Fly” and he has the most fitting name for the July theme, “Posh Oh My Gosh”, considering Abercrombie and Fitch is an upmarket clothing range.
However, he is way out at 150-1 in the betting and off a merit rating of 94 will need a huge run on Saturday to get into the final field.
River Crossing, a four-year-old Caesour gelding, is a very consistent staying type and won a Non-Black Type event over 2 500m at Clairwood last time out, a win that earned him a six point merit-rated raise to 98.
Fayd’Herbe said, “He’s doing very well. He’s come on since that last run. I thought he would have needed it a little bit, but he’s come out of the run well. He’s improving all the time and is turning out to be a decent stayer. The handicapper punished him a little bit considering some of the top horses he beat needed their runs. It’s going to be harder for him on Saturday.” Sean Cormack rides.
Fayd’Herbe said of Jeppe’s Reef, “He needed that last start very badly. I hoped he would be dropped out and run on, but he went handy and wasn’t fit enough to go up like that, so fell in a hole. But he had a good gallop and has come on since then. He is fit and well and this is his game. If he reproduces his Cape Town form he will be right there.”