Silver linings on a stormy day
PROGRESSIVE: HARTLEYTHREE THE BEST BET AT HASTILY ARRANGED MEETING
Smith and Yeni pose threat with Cowgirlinthesand.
Port Elizabeth’s trainers have put together a race card from scratch in just one day, showing what a focused and dedicated bunch of horsemen they are, fingers very much on the pulse of the game in the Windy City.
After their combined efforts in arranging the brand-new meeting on the Fairview Polytrack tomorrow – involving nominations, acceptances, draws, jockey bookings, and more – it would seem fair for the willing band to share out the spoils somehow.
That won’t happen, though. Stable strength and depth will prevail and there’s no more powerful yard in PE than Alan Greeff’s. He should take home most of the prize money and punters must include his runners in most bets across the card.
The affable conditioner and his ace jockey Greg Cheyne have good chances in almost all races but their best bet on the day appears to be in Race 6 with progressive filly Hartleythree.
This three-year-old has only gone racing three times, but has shown admirable adaption and improvement, finishing third, then second, then first.
She is pitched straight from the maidens into this FM 74 Handicap, up against a few multiple-time winners – at not a particularly advantageous weight of 56.5kg.
But the way this daughter of Eightfold Path won that race by 5.25 lengths – from the widest draw of 13 around the Polytrack turn over 1200m – suggests she is a talented individual who can only get better.
Cowgirlinthesand from Gavin Smith’s stable might pose the biggest threat to Hartleythree. This four-year-old is a two-time winner from 14 starts and is a game performer. If she’s in the right mood when jockey Muzi Yeni gets aboard she could do well from the No 3 gate.
Game Girl and Firstimesacharm are also useful.
Greeff and Cheyne look wellarmed in all early races.
Adalberto is the standout in Race 2, a Maiden Plate over 1300m. This son of Crusade is overdue his first victory, having posted a string of places in his nine outings to date.
It seems that nervousness has been his undoing and if Cheyne can soothe the three-year-old gelding he should have the wherewithal to beat this field.
Guadalupo is another maiden who has hinted at having some talent in his four outings thus far and could put another one on the board for Greeff and Cheyne in Race 3, a Maiden Plate over 1600m.
In the fifth race, the GreeffCheyne team field What A Player, who won handsomely over this track and trip 10 days ago and looks capable of following up.