Gr1 winner Willow Magic
A speed handicap at Turffontein today sees twelve members of the lightning league matching strides in tribute to one of our legends of the turf. The R400 000 Gr2 Senor Santa Handicap will be over almost before it has begun. The outcome will hinge on a split second here or there – so don’t blink.
Sean Tarry – having a super season
The 2015 renewal of this sprint feature is marked by the return of last year’s winner Happy Forever who is back in Joburg to defend his title.
It won’t be easy for Joey Ramsden’s Var gelding. He hasn’t won in the ensuing year and while never far off, he appears to have his soundness issues. A plus is that Anton Marcus is back in the saddle.
Form Yard
The bang in-form Sean Tarry will be the yard to follow this weekend again and he saddles a course and distance Gr1 winner in Willow Magic.
His sire Dubawi enjoyed a magical Saturday last weekend and the 4yo could continue the trend here.
He made a stunning winning comeback after a year plus break but was then run out of it late in the Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap blanket finish behind Moofeed and One Man’s Dream last time.
Zambezi River – sprinting is his game
That was his second run after a rest and he will strip a fitter horse here. He will also value the extra 160m and has a 2kg pull with Moofeed and a half kilo turnaround with One Man’s Dream. Bernard Fayd’herbe rides him, although Piere Strydom conceded that he would have chosen Willow Magic over One Man’s Dream – he is contractually bound to ride the latter.
His stablemate Zambezi River stretched his legs in a three horse field at the Vaal two weeks ago and won on his coconut.
The son of Trippi cut his teeth in the sprints and, while everything pointed to him wanting to go a mile, this could be his game. He is a notoriously slow starter , but looks an exciting prospect on 54,5kgs in a race where they will go like the wind.
Laird Trio
Chekilli winning the 2015 Hawaii Stakes
Trainer Alec Laird has a trio of runners in the race including topweighted recent Gr2 Hawaii Stakes winner Chekilli, who finished third last year as a 3yo behind Happy Forever.
The son of Greys Inn has matured nicely and it will be interesting to see how he handles a reversion to the speed arena – an area we also felt was his A-game.
His stablemate Dollar Dazzler is an exciting and highly-rated lightly campaigned son of Var, who is on the up.
A strong long-striding sort, he steps up in class and looks well in to run a cracker.
The third of the Laird trio is Aurum Pot, another on a hat-trick after two straight wins – the last beating Sheik’s Braashee over Saturday’s course and distance.
A flashback to the 2014 Man O’War Stakes gives Aurum Pot the edge over Dollar Dazzler – although the latter has got his game together recently and has improved.
Others
Moofeed – seems to be improving
Mike De Kock’s Tommy Hotspur winner Moofeed is marginally in under sufferance and enjoys a nice turnaround with Aurum Pot at his penultimate start and also holds Greasepaint.
He may be pressed to hold off One Man’s Dream, who ran him to a neck second at his last start.
Piere Strydom knows him well and the son of Greys Inn will be running at them late.
De Var Hyt has changed stables from Louis Goosen to Weiho Marwing. He looks held on his recent form.
The former Zimbabwean based Approval Rating has yet to show he is capable of pacing with our top speedsters and looks out of his depth here.
Close Call
The knife edge nature of sprint racing is that a minor hesitation or indecision could cost. They have generally mostly had their turn to finish ahead of each other.
But Tarry is so hot, it would be foolish to bet against Willow Magic and Zambezi River. They are chose to fight it out ahead of Dollar Dazzler and Moofeed.
