Trainer Ormond Ferraris takes on a quality field of speed males with one of only two fillies contesting the R400 000 Gr2 Senor Santa Stakes at Turffontein on Saturday. The dropping of the handicap terms of the race means that the real class should be more competitive – and Toreador’s outstanding daughter Lazer Star is the rose amongst the thorns.
Lazer Star – at best over sprints
Ferraris hit the 2500 winner milestone at the same venue just a week ago after 64 years in the game and the veteran will have Lazer Star ready to rock.
Let’s not overlook the ‘other rose’ in Stan Ferreira’s Kahal filly Kwinta, who reverts to her better platform with a handy galloping weight of 51,5kgs at the bottom of the scale.
But it is the relatively lightly raced Ferraris flyer who keeps catching the eye under the bang in-form Muzi Yeni.
Lazer Star, a smashing daughter of Toreador, has shown her best form down the sprint straight and looks a touch stretched at 1400m – even though she threw her weight around big time at her last jump with a cracking short head defeat by the rampant Captain Aldo in the Hawaii Stakes.
She had the likes of Ice Machine, Unparalleled and Trip To Heaven beaten.
The race forms the halfway point of the Pick 6, which with a R500 000 carryover, should grow to a bumper R2,6 million and the question is, how wide do we go?
Trip To Heaven – nothing went right last time
Trip To Heaven is the classy topweight and while beaten 1,70 lengths by Lazer Star in the Hawaii Stakes, he had excuses – but has some ground to make up.
The Tarry galloper comes in 2kgs worse off with Lazer Star but has proven his class down the speedway and will be firing in the hands of S’manga Khumalo.
The promising 3yo Buckland is the second of the Tarry duo and he steps into the senior league after beating Pure Blonde last time. His form to some of the best of his generation is there for all to see.
Last year’s winner Dollar Dazzler is a high-class son of Var but will find things tougher under the revised conditions.
Dollar Dazzler – won last year
He was just touched off by Brutal Force in the Merchants but then faded next time under top weight behind Viking Hero.
His pacy stablemate Aurum Pot is seldom far off the action and as a multiple course and distance winner in lesser company, he is worth of inclusion in bigger perms – particularly if his rails draw acts in his favour on the day.
Belong To Me showed up well in his first run back from an unplaced run in the Cape Flying Championship – but the reported respiratory noise will not swell his supporters club.
Mike De Kock’s coupling of Moofeed and Toro Rosso look to have it all to do.
Moofeed – runs on a bit late
Moofeed ran on steadily when just out of the money in the Hawaii Stakes – but he has the same late arrival tendencies in these shorter speed contests.
Toro Rosso had two eyecatching wins on the sand but returns from a 17 week break and could need it.
Doing It For Dan will strip fit after his two recent runs but has not quite captured the level of performance that saw him rated just off his illustrious stablemateTrip Tease earlier on.
Splendid Garden, Viking Hero and Mod Barley may be best of the rest and are all capable sprinters- with the speed to stretch the likes of Lazer Star and Trip To Heaven.
It won’t be a walk in the park but Lazer Star looks the right one!
