Jock’s Choice. Anton Marcus rides the smart Rio Carnival on Friday evening
Trainer Charles Laird puts his excellent strike rate under the spotlight when racing returns to Greyville on Friday evening. He saddles three of the seven runners in the 1400m R120 000 Quattro Fever Tree Handicap and has a very strong hand in this event.
The non black type feature headlines a well patronised eight race card on what will be a welcome return to the popular night racing venue that was mothballed in an effort to nurture the racing surface following extreme weather conditions in November and October. The construction of the polytrack also impacted on irrigation and this did not help the cause.
Jockey Choice
The biggest threat to the feature may well be the spectre of possible withdrawals. Two stables field five of the seven runners, but let us not anticipate the unknown. While Anton Marcus has opted to ride Rio Carnival, the 2013 Darley Arabian winner and topweight Distinguished will not be without his supporters.
The son of Kahal is a course and distance winner and won his last two starts easily. Rio Carnival bounced back from a fifteen month break when streaking clear to win the Marula Sprint on his return run. This trip will suit the course and distance winner and if he does not fall victim to the second run hoodoo, he will be right there.
Outsurance
The third of the Laird runners in the Jet Master gelding Umbrella Thorn. He is another who had a long rest and returned to run a fair third to Distinguished on his return. He is now 4kgs better off with Distinguished for a five length beating and the lightly raced 4yo will be very competitive.
Scott Duo
Colin Scott, who is recovering after a bout of ill health, saddles Fourth Estate and Stolen Destiny. The Dynasty gelding Fourth Estate is a game sort and something of a Greyville specialist. He will be ridden by regular rider MJ Odendaal and may prefer this to the Listed Michael Roberts Handicap 1750m of his last run, where he stayed on for a just over four length defeat to subsequent repeat winner Astro News.
Fourth Estate beat the top class Always Al over the course and distance at the end of November, and could bounce back to winning ways here. His stablemate, the grey Stolen Destiny is in under sufferance and ran a poor race prior to his nine week rest.
Dangers
Dennis Drier’s Australian bred Hussonet gelding Tipo Tinto is a smart four time winner who has gradually raised his competition level to beyond the sprints. He ran handily and narrowly went down to Excuse My French over the Clairwood 1450m last time and must have a good chance. He hails from a powerful and in form yard.
Wendy Whitehead’s Coffee Sheik has drawn at 1, which won’t make a major difference in this field, and appears to be struggling a little bit of late. The son of The Sheik is no slouch and is a winner of 7 races. He is noted as a sprinter and could struggle to assert himself against the 1400m specialists here.
Competitive
All told, the race looks very competitive if all seven runners line up. The Laird runners look likely to fight it out and Rio Carnival is a narrow choice to beat Umbrella Thorn and Distinguished.
Gold Circle’s Graeme Hawkins on the state of Greyville this week: “While still not where we would like it to be, the Greyville turf track is improving all the while and is certainly a lot better than for the previous race meeting on 7 February. Most of the cross-cuts where drainage pipes were installed have completely recovered, but there are still a few areas of concern where recovery seems be lagging behind. These are mainly in the 1600m, 1200m and 700m areas.”
Racing For The Rhino
Gold Circle has a social investment programme in place through fundraiser racemeetings which for many years have supported a large number of charities in their efforts to raise much needed funds.
Recognising the need to support the huge efforts already in place to save the rhino, Gold Circle will be throwing its weight behind the cause this year in partnership with Project Rhino KZN. Project Rhino KZN is an initiative of KZN’s conservation sector and unites the province’s state, private and civil society stakeholders.
By working together, PRKZN adds extra levels of support and protection. Rhino poaching threats are continuing to intensify, as consumer demand from Asian countries shows no sign of abating and also driven by increasing numbers of local and international criminal syndicates.
All members of the horseracing fraternity are being invited to stand up for the critical plight of the rhino through supporting a special racemeeting which will take place at Greyville Racecourse on Friday Night 21 March 2014.
