Scottsville moved to Saturday
IT has rained a little this past weekend! Four days of wet and gale-force winds have seen the fish-moths evicted from winter woollies and while many will be welcoming the late arrival of winter, the rain will have made an already tricky card scheduled for Scottsville today, even more tricky.
But the rain has had the last say. Today’s meeting has been postponed to Saturday and even with a break of four days and hopefully some sun, if there is one certainty on the card, and that is the going will be on the softer side of good.
However, also in jeopardy is Friday’s night’s meeting and Gold Circle have issued a cautionary.
“The race meeting scheduled for Scottsville today has been postponed to Saturday, 20 May. A track inspection was carried out yesterday morning and it was agreed that there was no prospect of the race meeting going ahead as planned. “Fortunately, Turffontein is a standalone meeting on Saturday and hence, with the blessing of Phumelela, we have made the decision to postpone to this date,” said Gold Circle Racing Executive, Raf Sheik.
More than 200mm has fallen over Greyville since last Friday and a decision regarding the Betting World 1900 race meeting will be made closer to the time. The weather forecast suggests the sun will be out from today but clearly the turf track will need ideal weather conditions for it to dry sufficiently. “For this reason we have kept Sunday as a Plan B option should the track require more time,” added Sheik. “With our major race days on the horizon, we are mindful that we need to avoid causing excessive damage to the racing surfaces while at the same keeping the disruption to the planned racing programmes to an absolute minimum.”
However, yielding going may not be enough to stop top weight New Fort in the Nedbank Handicap over 2 400m.
The Fort Wood gelding joined the Glen Kotzen yard in early March from the Highveld and since his move and the removal of blinkers he is unbeaten, getting off on the right foot for his new stable and making light work of some sticky going at Greyville to win comfortably over a mile. He was subsequently pushed two furlongs further at Scottsville and again won comfortably.
On the Highveld he had shown that an extended trip was well within his compass and Saturday’s 2 400m trip should hold no fears. But although New Fort appears to have come to himself in recent months he will need to have improved as he faces a competitive field.
Calabash is a progressive stayer and Gareth van Zyl has kept him firing since his maiden win back in December last year. Most recently he was touched off over today’s course and distance in soft ground so he looks a likely threat to the top weight.
Paul Gadsby has high hopes for Techno Captain but explains that the gelding has plenty of ability but does have ‘mental’ problems. “He’s still a ‘plank’ at this stage and still has to furnish but will be a top horse if I can get his mind right.”
He stays well and has the best of the draw.
Forbidden Jewel is a smart filly who stays the trip well but the list of possible winners is a long one with One Man Show, Rio De La Plata and Olympic Power some of the more obvious contenders.
Come Friday night – or Sunday – there is big racing as a host of Vodacom Durban July contenders will be put through their paces.
The Gr2 Betting World Greyville 1900 has attracted one of the most competitive fields for some years and the main race is backed up by an Allowance Plate and a Pinnacle Stakes that both have July hopefuls carded. In all it will be a smashing weekend’s racing in KZN – weather permitting!