Trainstopper. The gallant Seal goes for a double in the Aquanaut
The stayers bump heads in the R150 000 Listed Aquanaut Handicap which is run over 2450m and closes what could be another record Pick 6 at Turffontein on Saturday. They say that weight stops trains. Will that maxim be the undoing of the class horse and last year’s winner, Seal?
Weight is proportionately more of a burden the further we go over ground and the very gallant Seal has earned every gram of that backbreaking 63kgs that he is going to be called upon to lump around the Turffontein circuit. But we believe that this is one train that could go all the way.
Top Horse
The 6yo son of Silvano has won 9 of his 38 career starts and has a perennial annual form cycle that blossoms and goes off colour year in and year out. Seal came to form with a smart win in this race last year when carrying the same weight and giving away 11kgs to the smart Canterbury Tale .
He won the Jubilee Handicap (an excellent effort over the 1800m!) in June but ran unplaced in the Gold Cup and has been quiet ever since. His trip to Cape Town appears to have been something of an exercise in futility.
That was until he showed the old spark again at his last run when he charged through strongly for a fourth placed under three lengths behind Halve The Deficit over the Turffontein mile.
Shallow Waters
The depth of the rest of the field is lacking and beyond the next three top rated runners, it is difficult getting too excited. The biggest opposition to a win for Gavin Van Zyl could lie with the Sean Tarry coupling of Baracah and Tresco. Piere Strydom was aboard Seal when he won this race last year and he now partners the Dynasty mare Tresco, who goes for five wins in a row.
While Tresco has only beaten her own sex, she has proven to be a very good stayer and as a course and distance winner comes into the reckoning. Her stablemate Baracah is a six time winning son of King Of Kings, who is held in very high regard by his trainer. Baracah got back to winning ways last time and appears to have regained confidence (and form) since overcoming his tardy start issues.
Jet Lag
Jockey Weichong Marwing will hopefully not be suffering from jet lag after his long flight from Hong Kong and he gets aboard S’Il Vous Plait for Ormond Ferraris. Another son of Silvano, he looks to have a tough task and needs to find 1,5kgs on the revitalised Baracah.
Robbie Fradd rides the Tiger Dance gelding Tiger Play for Brian Wiid. At his penultimate start over 2400m at the Vaal he was well beaten by over eight lengths by Baracah and now meets the Tarry runner on 5kgs better terms.
Delighted
St John Gray saddles an outside coupling of Yer- Maan and the mare Turkish Delight. Jam Alley’s son Yer- Maan ran on well over shorter last time when fourth behind Henry Higgins. He will strip fitter here and is a fair sort of stayer who will be applying himself late in the race.
Turkish Delight had her second run after a rest when staying on nicely for second in the Allez France Handicap to the runaway Oaks prospect, Zephira. She may battle against the males but stays well and could run into place money.
Marwing Duo
Weiho Marwing saddles Sky Rise and The Barbadian. The Fort Wood gelding Sky Rise is a plodder in every sense of the word and takes forever to wind up. He has not shown at his last two outings but could enjoy staying on late off a fast pace. The Barbadian is a smart looking 4yo son of Mullins Bay who won 3 of his 7 starts, but went wrong when running a poor race over the Turffontein 1800m last time out.
If we put a line through that effort, then he deserves another chance and it is worth noting that he appears to be better off when running handily. Of the rest, Dom Zaki’s Jet Master gelding Storm Warning is an improving and maturing 4yo stayer that faces his toughest test to date.
He won well over 200m further last time and will not be stopping in the final stages. He certainly holds Lance Wiid’s Belmonte and it is difficult seeing the latter coming into play in this contest.
Tactics
Piere Strydom knows Seal like the back of his hand and he will give Tresco every chance of getting the better of the gelding. Baracah looks over his starting issues and he could confirm his improvement with a good performance. S’Il Vous Plait is always thereabouts and must be included in larger exotics.
