Improving. St John Gray’s Jam Alley gelding Yer-Maan will be running on late
A dearth of genuine staying races around 3200m throws the cat amongst the pigeons when looking for a likely winner of the R225 000 Gr3 Racing Association Handicap at Turffontein on Saturday. With relevant collateral form on the thin side, Sean Tarry’s Kolkata looks the best of a rather ordinary bunch.
The often debated topic of why the South African racing programme hardly does anything to encourage the breeding of good quality stayers is best kept for another day and a different forum.
The Right One – Kolkata stands out head and shoulders amongst an ordinary bunch of stayers
Capitalise
Cleverly named after the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, Sean Tarry’s very able staying 5yo Kolkata won’t find an easier route to a first stakes success and the son of Requiem appears to have many factors in his favour.
A winner of 5 of his 22 starts, incidentally all of them down in the more soothing climes of KwaZulu-Natal, the gelding was quietly fancied in the Gr1 Ladbroke’s Gold Cup, but things didn’t go his way with him finishing tamely in eighth and 4,85 lengths off the winner.
Kolkata has won 2 of his subsequent 3 starts, both in Pinnacle Plates, and only blotted his copybook in the Listed Michaelmas – which was too short for him.
Last time out he beat subsequent easy winner Posh Boy by 1,75 lengths in a 3000m Pinnacle Stakes.
Fit, well and bang in-form Kolkata must have an undeniable chance from the 2 draw with Anton Marcus up.
Threat
St John Gray’s Yer-Maan is an interesting runner, who may prove a threat to the Tarry aspirations.
The gelded son of Jam Alley has been knocking hard of late and looks to be an improving sort.
He tries this kind of trip for the first time, but is a relaxed sort who is best when ridden with confidence off a good pace. He ran the Charity Mile winner Mujaarib to 0,75 lengths at his third last start in an MR 94 Handicap over 1800m and then went second 2 lengths off Soul Master in the Listed Java Handicap. He maintained consistency last time with a good third to the rated Wagner.
De Kock Trio
Dunraven is probably the pick of Mike De Kock’s three-way coupling, which includes two out of form sorts in the mare Atlantic Beach and the gelding Hawk’s Eye.
Dunraven is a rather average three-time winner, who is placed over 2800m and lost his jockey the only time he tried 3000m.
He stayed on one-paced when running within three lengths of his well thought of stablemate Main Dane over 2000m last time. He was conceding 3 kgs, and as Main Dane won again last week, that run was not as ordinary as it may look.
Gavin Lerena and Dominic Zaki team up with the 2010 Gr2 Gold Bowl winner, Winning Leap, who is one of the few course and distance winners in the race.
The front-running Malhub gelding is a solid one –paced dogged stayer and he ran a fair fifth in the Michaelmas after being handy for a long way.
Desirable
The Pettigrew coupling will be a popular inclusion in this final leg of what should be a bumper Pick 6 pool. Winter Desire and Salutation are both capable of winning if things go their way.
Winter Desire tries this level of ground for the first time, and has been threatening to add to his record of 2 wins from 14 starts. This race represents quite a jump up in class for him though and he must have a shout under 52kgs if he stays.
The 6yo mare Salutation seems to have been around forever and has won 6 of 38 starts.
The daughter of Requiem bounced right back to form at the end of June with a smooth three length win over 2600m in a Pinnacle Stakes at Turffontein.
A repeat of that over this trip would give her a chance and she certainly has the blood to go the 3200m.
Cash Flush
The 6yo gelding Money Flows is one of the last Houston Connection progeny still racing.
He won his last start going away by a half-length in an MR 77 Handicap over the Vaal 2000m. He beat Winter Desire there receiving 3kgs, and now meets the Pettigrew horse at level weights – which makes this tougher. Interestingly he has won twice over the Turffontein 3000m, so definitely stays the ground.
The Corne Spies coupling of Campo De Santana and Heyouneverknow do not inspire too much confidence.
Piere Strydom is probably the stand out feature of this pairing, and his laid-back style may suit Campo De Santana. This heavily campaigned son of Camden Park must be one of the fittest horses in training , having his ninth outing this season on Saturday.
His last two wins were achieved in Kimberley and prior to that he won South Africa’s longest race, the PE Gold Cup.
Weiho Marwing’s 4yo Albert Hall filly Avenue Of Gold showed a flicker of a form return, when staying on for fourth in the Java Handicap last time. He form prior to that is largely unimpressive, and she will need to improve dramatically to feature.
At the bottom of the handicap, Venture and The Who, who won his last start by 7,50 lengths, are in under sufferance and while both are game and fairly consistent they should struggle against the more proven staying sorts.
Summing Up
Kolkata looks the right horse here and a cut above anything else.
Marcus partners him and he is a fit horse who stays every inch of the 3200m trip.
Yer-Maan is improving and will be staying on strongly, while the Pettigrew pair of Winter Desire and Salutation are worth including in bigger permutations.
Beyond them, it could be a serious lucky-dip.
