Best-weighted runners shine
BOTH WELL-HANDICAPPED SPRING CHALLENGE WINNERS GO OFF AT GOOD PRICES
Cascapedia will have one more run before the Summer Cup.
The outcome of both the Grade 2 Joburg Spring Challenge and the equivalent race for fillies and mares outlined a good lesson for bettors. When you study the form in your Computaform, take cognisance of the “best-weighted” column.
Sometimes we berate the handicappers but on Saturday they taught many pundits a good lesson. Those who looked at that would have seen that Cascapedia was the best handicapped runner in the fillies and mares’ race while Captain Aldo was fourth on the list in the open race.
In fact, followers of Piere Strydom’s column in Saturday morning’s Citizen will have seen he included both runners in his Pick 6.
Right now the tracks are quite fast and Captain Aldo is one of those front-runners who does not throw in the towel. Jockey Warren Kennedy got his mount to the front as soon as possible and even though he was headed by Alyaasaat with 100m to run, St John Gray’s runner fought back well to get his nose down on the line.
Third place went to 5-4 favourite Soqrat who clearly needed this run and will come on significantly. He somehow failed to find a strong finish but was making up ground on the leaders in the closing stages.
Captain Aldo went off 22-1 while Alyaasaat started at 5-1.
Cascapedia’s victory proved the old adage that while a horse may lose its form, it never loses its ability. Perhaps it is unfair to say she lost her form because it was illness on her trip to Cape Town that created the problems for the Ireland-bred daughter of High Chaparral.
However, all those issues seem to be behind her as she came from third last under Gavin Lerena to mow down the opposition and get up just short of the post to deny Al Danza and Ghaalla.
Cascapedia went off at 7-1 while Al Danza was on offer at 22-1. Just 0.60 lengths behind the winner came Ghaalla who went off favourite at 5-2.
Discussing the performance of Cascapedia on his web site, Mike de Kock said: “She was ill and to have come back so nicely says a lot about her class. We weren’t really worried about her fitness, she was pretty fit, but the distance was too sharp. The way she extended was unbelievable.
“Cascapedia is only maturing now and we’re excited about her. We’ll give her one more run into the Summer Cup, it will be a Pinnacle Plate or the Victory Moon. We want to avoid penalties. Well done to Jessica Slack for this win, she has had ups and downs with Cascapedia but she’s been patient.”
It proved to be another good day for Lerena who came away with three winners, including one on Cumberland for his cousin, Stephen Lerena.
To make it a really good day for the family as apprentice Dylan Lerena also notched up one for family when he won the opening event on How Does It Taste for Candice Dawson.
There was also a treble for Mike and Adam Azzie who won Race 3 with Major Return, Race 5 with Splendid Garden and Race 10 with Rock Pigeon who seems to go well for apprentice Nathan Klink and was also the Racing Express’ best bet on the card. He had lots going for him and he proved excellent value at his starting price of 5-2 even though 7-2 was available earlier.