Surplus Sought. The Right Approach gelding Halve The Deficit looks to be a big runner at Turffontein on Saturday
The R150 000 1800m Listed Drum Star Handicap heads the Turffontein programme on Saturday after a fortnight that has seen SA racing fans starved of their diet of local action. The eleven race card boasts plenty of quality and Piere Strydom and Sean Tarry could put a smile on punter’s faces with Halve The Deficit looking to be a big runner.
It was just a fortnight ago that Tarry and Strydom achieved a splendid Gr3 Hawaii Stakes double with another son of Right Approach in the superbly talented Whiteline Fever, who also campaigns in the Chris Van Niekerk silks.
Treble Trier
While Halve The Deficit has to pull his socks up to break into the same league, he is a promising fellow who is bang in form and goes for a hat trick of wins.
The weather could still be a factor on Saturday and has played havoc in the region with abandoned meetings. Excuses were flying around after the Gauteng Guineas day that saw many left with dented egos and licking their wounds.
Tarry’s Whiteline Fever was not one of them though and he ran a cracker when skating away at the 300m of the Hawaii Stakes to beat the smart 3yo Chekilli easily. The Tarry team is thus on song and Halve The Deficit gets his chance to show his colours here.
Double Or Bust
He beat Captain Lars a short head in an MR 103 Handicap over the Turffontein mile last time out and now meets that one on a half kilo worse terms. Both are well drawn and there will be not be much between the two on that score. The 4yo Captain Lars is a very progressive son of Captain Al who won his three previous starts in KZN.
Much will depend on the state of the going and the fact that they meet over 200m further. On history Halve The Deficit may be better off as he has won up to 1950m, whereas Captain Lars failed at his one 1800m bash and has only won up to a mile.
Underfoot
Dark Horse. Killua Castle needs to prove his Hawaii Stakes run was all wrong
Geoff Woodruff’s Killua Castle is a talented Australian bred son of Churchill Downs who carries topweight in this race. The 4yo moved up menacingly in the Hawaii Stakes but inexplicably ran out of steam late and finished a disappointing nine lengths behind.
He has performed well on the sand but does not appear to enjoy the softer going(maybe the reason for his Hawaii hash?) as much as we might be inclined to believe.
Superb Job
The Gary Alexander Racing Team have done a superb job with nurturing the lightly raced 5yo Meissa. The son of Jallad is 2kgs better off with the under sufferance Move Like Jagger after beating him a half length at his last start. He looks well ready to start making inroads into the feature race arena and is a serious contender for honours at best.
Second Best
Mike Azzie’s Brooks-Club is a fairly consistent son of Strike Smartly who has only won twice from 23 starts but has a very frustrating nine second places to his credit.
That either speaks about his ability or a lack of courage and he will be watched for improvement on the grass after a modestsand run behind The Mousketeer on 13 February.
Alec Laird’s Pessoa ruined his prospects when slow away in the Hawaii Stakes and the son of Go Deputy looks sure to start improving after an extended dry spell. The yard is in top form and he should be pencilled in as a likely quartet kicker.
Gray Duo
St John Gray saddles the overdue Glorious Jet and the stayer Yer-Maan. Glorious Jet has not won in ages but that statement belies this gelding’s genuine ability. He ran on well in the Hawaii Stakes when staying on for a 3,25 length fourth and is a kilo better off with Halve The Deficit for a half length beating over the Turffontein mile at his penultimate start.
Yer-Maan ran on well for second in the 2450m Listed Aquanaut Handicap a fortnight ago and this looks to be a touch short of his best. Ormond Ferraris saddles the Windrush gelding Straw Market who has not won a race in over a year. He has not run for six weeks when running handily and a fair fourth behind the progressive Cagiva.
Right Moves
Louis Goosen’s Daylami gelding Move Like Jagger dips his toe into deeper waters as he steps up to the feature league here. While he is in under sufferance, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this fellow’s consistency and he has probably earned the chance to prove how good he really is.
He was beaten a half length by Meissa last time out and now meets the Alexander charge on 2kgs worse terms. So Move Like Jagger has it all to do, but he won’t lack for the heart and courage required for a big effort.
Watch The Going
In a race where the going is likely to play a major role, Halve The Deficit is selected to beat Captain Lars and our lurker, Killua Castle. Meissa has a chance to prove us wrong and he can be expected to be running on late. Glorious Jet is a worthy inclusion in bigger combinations and he will be more comfortable over the 1800m than his last start in the Hawaii Stakes.
