Season starting to warm up
TURFFONTEIN stages a nine race midweek meeting on the Inside track tomorrow and some fair sorts are being turned out. The most interesting event could be the eighth, a Graduation Plate over 1600m, which has attracted some Johannesburg Spring feature season hopefuls.
Anjaal showed the benefit of a breathing operation when easily winning over 1400m last April and he then split Mac De Lago and Rampant Ice when finishing a three length fourth in the KRA Guineas.
However, he is an unreliable sort and has not set the world alight in two runs since gelding.
However, he could perhaps bounce back to his best in his third run since the operation as he was not disgraced last time in the Jo’burg Spring Challenge over 1400m in a strong field, despite reportedly not striding out.
He will appreciate the step up in trip and also has the blinkers back on.
His draw of seven is tricky but Anthony Delpech is likely to find him a good position in the running.
Mac De Lago
Weiho Marwing’s pair Mac De Lago and Rampant Ice are both entered in the SANSUI Summer Cup and make their seasonal reappearances in this race.
Weiho’s brother, Weichong, will be on Mac De Lago, who is a resolute galloper and stayed on well for a surprise two length second to The Conglomerate in the KRA Guineas.
He then proved it was no fluke by staying on for fifth in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 having jumped from the widest.
He should be running on strongly in the closing stages, but this is likely a come on run for bigger events.
Rampant Ice is by Go Deputy whose progeny come into their own in their four-year-old year and like Mac De Lago he also has a fine turn of foot so will be running at them late.
He is weighted to win the race on official merit ratings, but is also likely to benefit from the outing. MLJet is a talented but disappointing sort. However, he did stay on well last time from the front without blinkers when only three lengths behind the brilliant Same Jurisdiction over 1400m at Scottsville and the headgear stays off.
He also has a first-time tongue tie and a perfect draw of two over a suitable trip.
He has the benefit of having had a run in both August and September and could be a threat, but he has not won since opening his account with two victories as a juvenile.
Front Rank showed his class in the KZN Breeders Million when going within 0,35 lengths of Bezanova when receiving only 4,5kg. That run proved he is capable of running above his 88 merit rating, so he can’t be written off.
Thrust
Another interesting event is the seventh, a MR 80 Handicap over 1000m, as the progressive Thrust will attempt to make it four in a row.
He can progress further and will be running on strongly but his wide draw might just be his undoing.
Will Pays is a talented sort who has a combination of speed and gears so he is the selection from an ideal pole position draw off a merit rating of 82 which he can still rise above.
Isca has a lot of class but is returning from a six month layoff and his wide draw and top weight might find him out in the closing stages.
Lady Al has had genuine excuses in some of her recent runs so can place here from a good draw off a lowered merit rating with a 1,5kg claimer up.
Dream Leader is 1kg better off for a 0,5 length beating by Thrust so could earn.