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With spring in the air and many of the better thoroughbreds returning from late winter lay-offs and horse sickness vaccinations, we can expect some quality racing this weekend and Mike de Kock has filed pre-race reports on seven runners that will represent the stable in Durban in Johannesburg.
First out at tonight’s Greyville meeting is four-year-old Iphiko in Race 1 over 1000 and Mike assessed: “She won her Maiden in good style last time and there was a lot to like about her win, I think she’s a filly with some ability. The handicapper wasn’t shy to slap her with merit rating points so it’s a tough ask for her, only a small percentage of horses win first up after their Maiden. But that Keagan De Melo has the ride gives me more confidence, I’d like to see how she goes, expecting a good run and hoping she can win again.”
At Turffontein’s Inside Track on Saturday, first to post will be Gimmethegreenlight filly On The Guest List, of which Mike said: “She hasn’t shown us much up to now, though she did deliver a slightly improved last run. She has been showing some more enthusiasm working in blinkers at home so we will race her with blinkers here and hopefully that will make a difference a get her to run a better race. She has been a little disappointing, but we give her a Quartet chance.”
Leading older sprinter Ultra Magnus will be having his first run for the stable in the Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m. He has drawn badly at 11 and Mike said: “We don’t know a lot about Ultra Magnus, he has had issues and this race will teach us more. He’s a horse with ability, we know that, but we may have to drop him out from that wide draw. It will be a learning curve for us with him, we’re oping for the best.”
Winter Pearl (Race 8, 1200m) finished just over two lengths off in an attempt over 1600m at Scottsville a fortnight ago: “He never got much of a race under his belt and it was too far for him. He was fighting his rider all the way and never settled in the race. He is better than that, a horse that will win again. He didn’t see it out last time, looks like a 1200m-1400m horse. He comes back to 1200m and has a good draw, so include him, he has a chance.”
Ablaan (Race 9, 1600m) has been a bit disappointing since winning his first two. Said Mike: “He comes off a rest, will improve for the run and has a place chance. My other runner Sequoia was badly cut into behind, when we fancied him last time at Greyville. He also cast a shoe in the race, so that run is best ignored. He is better than that, he has a chance here, bring him into play.”
There is another Kwazulu-Natal meeting at Scottsville on Sunday, and Mike spoke about Flower Alley’s promising three-year-old son Arividicio (Race 2, 1200m). “Arividicio needed his last run off a rest, it was too short and he was brushed at the start. We’re giving him another run over 1200m, he will be best over 1400m and even 1600m. So he’s not at his best yet, this wll sharpen him. But as I’ve said before he is a horse with ability so is one to watch. I’m expecting a good run.”
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The inaugural Global Team Horseracing (GTH) series draws to a conclusion at Greyville tonight with the KwaZulu-Natal Royals vs the Cape Stingers.
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Sandwiched in between is a Saturday meeting at Kenilworth at which it is interesting to note that top jockey Smanga Khumalo has taken three rides for Candice Bass-Robinson in the absence of her stable jockey, Aldo Domeyer. The stable’s Gold Poker Game is a leading contender in Race 2 over 1200m and On The Road Again tries 1000m in Race 7 and could spring a surprise.
Justin Snaith’s colt Future Turn, narrowly beaten in his last two, will be hard to oppose in Race 4 over 1600m and should come to light as a banker for the exotics.
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