Drummer to pound the beat

With Yvette Bremner calling it quits after the unrest of the grooms at her yard last week and all the horses having been moved to KwaZulu-Natal, Race 4 at Fairview today, the Racing Association Plate over 1400m on the Polytrack, has been well and truly decimated.

Assistant Carl Hewitson, father of two-time champion jockey Lyle Hewitson, will be taking out his trainer’s licence and will work with the horses in KZN.

Nine horses were carded but the withdrawal of Brazil Nut, Fireview and Byridge have left just five to challenge highly talented Global Drummer.

The only question Global Drummer needs to answer his supporters is whether he will be as good on the Polytrack as he has been on the turf.

Trainer Gavin Smith must be well pleased with the Global View gelding as he won some good races and is unbeaten in four starts on the Fairview turf track.

His lone defeat came at Kenilworth on Sun Met day when he travelled to Cape Town to contest the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1200m, won by Erik The Red.

Global Drummer’s front-running style should suit the Polytrack, which he tries for the first time, and there is no real reason to suggest that any of his rivals will stop him. Marco van Rensburg, who rode him in his first two starts, is back in the irons for this race.

However, he does give weight all round and based on merit ratings, he is not the best handicapped runner. That role goes to Alan Greeff-trained filly Herstel who carries just 53kg and will get 7kg from Global Drummer