Top Form. The Captain Al gelding Never Forever can win his fourth race in succession when he contests Friday’s Fairview Merchants
A mobile billboard for moving a horse to the Eastern Cape looks a likely winner of Friday’s R90 000 non-black type Fairview Merchants run over 1200m. Never Forever has been a revelation, winning five of his seven starts in the Windy City, after leaving KwaZulu-Natal a three time winner less than five months ago.
That record is absolutely no reflection on the son of Captain Al’s former trainer, Dennis Drier, who is one of the best conditioners in South Africa.
But when a horse has reached a dead-end where you expect him to be winning, rather send him somewhere that will allow him to pay his way and increase the fun quotient of racehorse ownership.
Competitive
Gavin Smith now trains the 6yo for longstanding owners Mike Fullard and James Drew, and the partnership have a great opportunity of banking a further R56 250 in what looks a fairly competitive ten horse field.
Never Forever has won 8 of his 33 career starts and started his career with a bang, winning on debut and then going on for a Gr3 placing before running fourth to Villandry when he won the Gr1 Gold Medallion of 2009 as Var’s first ever Gr1 winner.
Never Forever fell into a rut thereafter, managing only another two minor wins and running a great fifth behind August Rush in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint of 2011.
He was bundled off to Port Elizabeth at the end of last season, and the Badge Boys have never looked back since. He goes for his fourth win in a row here, and has a tough task at the weights. But Never Forever is a classy capable sort, who keeps answering the call. He will go very close under Aldo Domeyer.
Young And Old
Smith also sends out the good 3yo Sedge and the 8yo Kings Troop. Sedge had won 4 of his first 7 starts, when below par efforts in the Guineas Plate and Racing Association Stakes saw him being given a well deserved rest.
The Champion Juvenile Stakes winner came back to action in early January and showed pace before being beaten 3,75 lengths by Ottimo in an Allowance Plate over the 1400m at Arlington. While Sedge has not won over Friday’s course and distance, he will strip a fitter horse and could challenge for honours off his galloping 53kgs.
Kings Troop, whose better days are probably behind him, meets Never Forever on 8,5kgs better terms than their last clash when he went down rather tamely by 7 lengths. He tends to be outpaced by the younger set these days and has place prospects at bet.
No Act
We were very bullish on Hekkie Strydom’s Act Of Supremeacy at his last run on Wednesday at Arlington. Promising apprentice Luyola Mxothwa took the 4kgs off his back in the 1400m MR 90 Handicap and we tipped him to run a big race. He was eventually beaten 10,10 lengths by the vastly improved D’Angelo, but had excuses.
Dropped out by his young rider, he made his run in the home straight down the inside rail and had to be eased at a crucial time. This cost him major momentum and he was out of contention after that. The excuses aside, he remains a somewhat in and out sort at the best of times, and a lot will depend on the manner in which he is ridden by his new 4kg claimer, Van Der Hoven.
Consistent
Yvette Bremner’s coupling of Copper Parade and Villandry appear to have lost their best form and while both are Group winners of bygone days, they may struggle against the brighter and keener opposition here.
Justin Snaith and Maxime Guyon team up with the consistent seven-time winner Bois De Var, who blotted his copybook with a lacklustre effort last time. A very enthusiastic 6yo son of Var, he ws pulling hard for much of the trip and did not appear to stay the distance in the Memorial Mile when dropping out to 10,3 lengths behind Celtic Fire. This is much more his kind of game, and as a multiple course and distance winner, he warrants consideration.
Turnaround
Three Captains is yet another capable son of Captain Al and the Grant Paddock-trained 6yo comes into the reckoning on the weight turnaround with Never Forever.
He ran second to the Smith gelding at his penultimate start over the course and distance, when beaten 1,50 lengths but conceding 4kgs.
Never Forever has to give him 1,5 kgs here, which means a massive 5,5kg turnaround . Arctic Jet appears held by Act Of Supremeacy on their last two meetings, but won a good race at his penultimate outing in an MR 89 Handicap over the course and distance.
Tick The List
He beat the consistent former Gauteng horse Checklist, Act Of Supremeacy two lengths back in third. There is a 3kg turnaround in Act Of Supremeacy’s favour here.
The Sham’s Victory Moon mare Lunar Lee is another who enjoys the track and trip, but has to shoulder some fair weight against some tough males.
Lunar Lee lacked her usual strong finish last time when a one paced fifth behind Rush For John in the Lady’s Bracelet. Her own- sex form over shorter prior to that was good though. This is a competitive little event, as it always is in Port Elizabeth.
We feel though that the classy Never Forever will be good enough to register his fourth straight win and he is selected to do so at the expense of Bois De Var, Three Captains and Act Of Supremeacy.
