Top Class. The Argentinian bred Bouclette Top spearheads the Alec Laird attack
Serious rewards of a fiscal and reputational nature are at stake for the sixteen 3yo’s that line up to contest the R1 million Betting World Gr2 Gauteng Guineas at Turffontein on Saturday. The first leg of the R7 million 2014 SASCOC Triple Crown has attracted a core of top quality racehorses. If you haven’t watched a race all year, we would recommend you take time out to savour this one.
The Cape’s Summer Of Champions has come and gone and with those treats packed away we turn our attention to the Highveld and challenges of a different kind. Besides the R625 000 first cheque payable in this race, the Triple Crown bonus of R2 million is a golden carrot that has attracted the best of the 3yo crop from the North. This race is the first giant step to Triple Crown Glory.
Laird Quartet
Handicapper’s Choice. The Judpot colt Forest Indigo will go very close if he stays the mile
One man whose hand stands out is Alec Laird, who surely has the strongest attack seen in many a year in this race. Laird’s quartet have won 13 races between them and any one of them look capable of winning here. The highest rated is the smart Judpot colt Forest Indigo, who showed his well being with a good return home win in a Conditions Plate at Turffontein last time.
The 2013 Gr1 Golden Horseshoe winner ran a 1,25 length fourth behind Elusive Gold in the Gr1 Cape Guineas at his penultimate outing. Forest Indigo will win this race easily if the handicapper is to be taken seriously. But a quation mark exists against his ability to extend his brilliance to a mile and that could well be his vulnerable spot. But he is well drawn and with Kevin Shea in the saddle, he will still take a power of beating.
On Top
The Argentinian bred Bouclette Top came into his own last time when beating Mr Mulliner in a good finish to the Gr3 Tony Ruffel Stakes run over the 1450m at Turffontein. He was hampered in the Graham Beck Stakes in early November, but showed his ability when running on for third in the Dingaans behind Willow Magic over Saturday’s course and distance.
Mister Cricket is an intriguing colt. Carl De Vos of Varsfontein Stud must be doing cartwheels as like Forest Indigo, Mister Cricket is a son of Judpot. Undefeated in three emphatic wins he now gets stepped out into the big league and the test on Saturday will show just how good he is. Anton Marcus rides him from a midfield draw and , like most good horses, he is versatile and can run from anywhere.
Your Choice
The fourth of the Laird runners is the Tiger Ridge colt As You Like. A winner of 3 of his 5 starts, he showed good pace in the Dingaans before running just behind Bouclette Top.
He showed lovely improvement though after a rest when asserting himself well to beat Zanzibar Man and Lance in great style a month ago. Marthinus Mienie is replaced on the Jooste owned Mister Cricket by Anton Marcus, and he will no doubt dearly want to win this race. They are coincidentally drawn right next door each other.
Bulk Buys
Ten of the sixteen runners hail from the Laird, Woodruff and Tarry yards and it looks reasonable that one of these powerhouses will be lining up in the winner’s enclosure. Geoff Woodruff’s trio of Louis The King, Shadow Ofhis Smile and Tee Jay Ar will have their supporters.
Louis The King definitely stays the mile and he was a fluent winner of the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes (1800m) at his last outing. The son of Black Minnaloushe will be ridden by Robbie Fradd on Saturday and will be running on at them in the final stages.
Sing Along
Shadow Ofhis Smile came out firing to win his maiden by over 9 lengths and the son of Western Winter has been under a measure of pressure ever since. He won his third start over the Vaal 1200m but was run right off his feet by Chekilli last time in a Turffontein sprint.
Marcus has won on him and the champion jockey’s decision to ride Mister Cricket speaks volumes. Not that Bernard Fayd’herbe is a slouch or that jocks have not been wrong before.
The third of the Woodruff runners is the Australian bred Tee Jay Ar who has only had three outings. He came back nicely at his last start when hampered and then flying up to be beaten under two lengths by Fort Bellini. Tee Jay Ar should enjoy the mile and the 1 draw and services of Sean Cormack will do little to harm his prospects.
Tarry Trio
Sean Tarry has Lance, Mercado and Fort Bellini in the race. Lance is a beautiful imposing son of Jet Master who captured the Listed Secretariat Stakes at his post maiden effort.
He has been beaten by As You Like and Forest Indigo at his last two starts and looks held by both. It was his penultimate start over Saturday’s course and distance that particularly makes us wary. Lance was going with a double handful there but folded tamely in the final 300m with As You Like and Zanzibar Man surging clear of him. He will be ridden by Piere Strydom for the second time in his career and that could always be a dealmaker.
Power Dash
Mercado failed to quicken in the Tony Ruffel Stakes and landed up seven lengths behind Bouclette Top. The son of Toreador has a powerful finish on him and could run into the back end of quartets at best.
Fort Bellini has won 2 of his 3 starts and has done little wrong. The son of Fort Wood won his last start over 1400m at this venue and now steps up to a mile.His draw right on the outside will not assist his cause.
Balancing Act
The balance in order of merit rating all warrant consideration. Mike De Kock’s Australian bred Taarish was beaten 4,75 lengths by Louis The King in the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes and now enjoys a 2kg weight swing over the 200m less.
Taarish’s last win was achieved on the Turffontein 1800m in an MR72 Handicap and he looks a fellow who I crying out for more ground. Gary Alexander’s Mr Mulliner put in a top class maiden effort when gping down a head to a faster finishing Bouclette Top in the Tony Ruffel Stakes.
That means on paper that there will not be too much between them, although Bouclette Top looks set to relish the extra 200m here. Corne Spies’ Olympic Owen is a stakes winner at two. But the son of Jay Peg will need to improve dramatically on his current performance levels to feature here. The yard did send out last year’s runner up, War Horse.
Hatt Strike
Glen Hatt, who has a terrific strike rate in the Gauteng features, flies up from the Cape to partner Hill brow for Roy Magner. The son of Right Approach is poorly drawn, has only won once from nine outings and looks held by the likes of Lance and Louis The King.
Recent impressive maiden winner Platinum Jet has drawn poorly but has done little wrong in his two outings. He does soar in the class rankings though but will enjoy the services of Weichong Marwing who will be out from Hong Kong for this meeting. Amber Sail has won twice on the sand and has little form to speak of on the turf.
Vintage Year
The Gauteng Guineas is a strange race in certain years. It doesn’t always produce champions or vintage performers. Just look at the honour roll of the past few years. But the class of 2014 looks very smart and all of Alec Laird’s four look capable of going forward to make their mark.
We are going marginally with Bouclette Top to beat Mister Cricket and Louis The King. There should be plenty of interest in boxing the Alec Laird quartet for R24 too.
