Gin Fizz has the tonic
FORM: MINIMUM TRIP ON THE TURFFONTEIN INSIDE TRACK SHOULD BE IDEAL
Thumbs Up to get punters off to a winning start.
Weight is reputed to “stop trains” but to what extent will it inhibit Gin Fizz in Race 5 at Turffontein tomorrow, a MR 102 Handicap over 1000m on the Inside track.
Mike de Kock’s charge will be conceding 11kg to Paul Petertrained Ring Of Fire and that will not be an easy task.
The beautifully bred daughter of Soft Falling Rain won on debut over 1000m and since then she has raced over the distance on three further occasions for one second, one fourth place and one unplaced run. The unplaced run was against Mr Flood but that can be totally ignored as she hit her mouth on the starting gate which dislodged a tooth. It was hardly a surprise she failed to fire.
As De Kock has said frequently about this filly - “She is very capable, but she does have her issues.”
But she does not have an issue with either the distance or the course. While she has not raced over 1000m at this course, her record on the Inside track is two wins and two seconds from four runs so this 1000m should be ideal.
Gin Fizz has run with some success against the colts so that should also not be much of a barrier. She also goes well for jockey Callan Murray who takes the ride again.
Ring Of Fire, who is carded to carry just 52kg, gets an additional 4kg off thanks to the claim of apprentice Philasande Mxoli. While the gelding does stand out as a viable danger, he is only a one-time winner on turf and his form might not be good enough to win a race of this nature.
Gimme A Wave has not raced since 12 February but trainer Alec Laird has commented that his charge is “working well and must be included all exotics”.
He has some decent form and that could make him a danger in this line-up.
While punters are unlikely to get a big price Thumbs Up looks impossible to oppose in Race 1. The Johan Janse van Vuurentrained filly has run and placed behind some top horses, including a fourth behind Erik The Red in the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes at Kenilworth on Sun Met day.
Her last run was in the Grade 3 The Debutante over 1200m at Greyville where she finished a 4.30-length fourth behind Ecstatic Green. Back in maiden company this daughter of Gimmethegreenlight should pay her first visit to the winner’s enclosure.
Raymond Danielson takes the ride.
There is a carryover of R250,000 to the Pick 6 which is estimated to reach R2.5 million. Perhaps the best banker in that exotic comes up in Race 7 where Southern Charm is out to redeem herself after a narrow defeat last time.
De Kock’s filly failed to recover from an awkward start last time and went down to Paul Matchett’s Gee For Go by 0.75 lengths, but she now 2kg better off and with that extra experience in her favour is expected to tun that loss around.