The consistent Midnight Run will go close if he takes to the sand
Sand racing is either your cuppa or it isn’t. The Vaal sand surface has also done itself no marketing favours after building a notorious reputation in recent times for being a roulette wheel where the draw and your horse’s position out of the stalls often counts for more than genuine ability. Whatever the gripes, Saturday’s R250 000 Gr3 August Stakes guarantees the winner a place in Africa’s richest sand race at the end of next month.
Only two recent August Stakes winners have gone on to complete the Emerald double.
Those were Phunyuka (2009) and The Mouseketeer (2011).
Passport
The guarantee of a passage to mine for a R1 million Emerald will add plenty of interest to an event where Piere Strydom has suggested a bad draw is a good idea to stay at home.
Read our national log leading jockey’s thoughts on page 6 of this issue and he will not be happy with the twisted irony that his mount, Across The Ice, jumps from gate 14!
The multiple course and distance winning Across The Ice is top-class on his day but at 8 years of age, one would feel that others will have his measure from the damning draw.
He takes on a field of 11 and frankly at least half of them would be lucky to line up in the Emerald Cup at this stage.
Gallant
An interesting runner, and certainly one with all the credentials to win a race of this nature, is the Summerveld based Midnight Run, who travels up under the guidance of the astute Garth Puller.
The son of Captain Al basically nominates himself and drives himself to the races, such is his professionalism and consistency.
He has won 4 races and earned at every one of his other 15 racecourse appearances. This will be his first bash at the sand.
He ran a smashing 1,75 length fourth behind champion filly Fly By Night in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint last time and regular pilot Athandiwe Mgudlwa loses out to top professional Anthony Delpech.
Well drawn, he is bound to go well and looks a very serious contender for honours.
Foyle looks to have plenty of scope and runs with a handy weight
Lurker
Mike De Kock throws the relatively inexperienced Tiger Ridge gelding Foyle into the mix.
The Wilgerbosdrift bred 4yo has won 2 of his 9 starts and has his first outing on the sand after strolling home at his last start when beating Crown Of Roses by 4 lengths.
Everything about Foyle suggests that he is going to be a serious factor and he would probably need to win this to gain a final place in the Emerald Cup.
Experienced
The Geoff Woodruff-trained Killua Castle is a proven sand performer, but the distance must be of concern after he took forever to get going when moving up well for fourth behind Jet Jamboree last time out.
Geoff Woodruff might have pulled an ace with the fitment of blinkers for the first time and it is worth noting that the Australian bred son of Churchill Downs won on debut on the turf 1200m.
He has lost some of his toe over time and also tends to dwell – a factor that will cost him dearly here.
Brazillian-bred Anger steps up from Kimberley into the big league
Spies Ace
A fascinating runner is Corne Spies’ Brazillian-bred Anger, a handsome son of Elusive Quality, who spent most of his early career intent on living up to his name.
He has won his last four starts in weaker company and Corne Spies has done a fine job in getting this fellow to focus.
After his victory last time out in the Betting World Sprint during the Flamngo Park Festival, we spoke to Spies, who confirmed the Emerald Cup was this fellow’s target.
“After that first win, he just chose to refuse to run. Or he would be in front and would just throw in the towel when challenged. It is not really about an aversion to the starting stalls or anything. He flipped over backwards at his second start. He hasn’t been an easy fellow to train!”
We also asked Corne why they hadn’t resorted to gelding him.
“That is not so simple! He is owned by two breeders and is extremely well bred. He is by Elusive Quality and boasts a champion female line. We did remove one testicle as we thought he was pulling it up in races and creating discomfort. That was a few runs back and he has won his last four. So it may have worked!” he laughed.
What were the plans?
“He is extremely fast but is built like a miler. I have been wary to try him over further and around the turn in view of his issues. But I feel that he will go further and there is no reason why he shouldn’t run as well on turf. In the short term, it would be nice to aim for a race like the Emerald Cup, if we can get him into that. But with him it is always one day at a time!” he said.
He has a big chance from a good draw with a handy weight.
In Top Form
The Weiho Marwing trained Isobar is in prime form after his excellent Greyville polytrack win on July day.
He last ran on this surface in April when 3,50 lengths behind Across the Ice and now meets the Tarry veteran on 2kgs better terms.
Isobar is also drawn against the paint and is expected to produce a major showing.
Fit Horse
Leon Erasmus saddles a coupling and the grey Stage Call gelding Stavinsky looks the stronger.
The 5yo has proven course and distance form and comes in with a handy galloping weight.
Against him is his 13 draw, but it is worth noting that he conceded 5kgs when running on well for a length behind the progressive Samogan over the course and distance last time.
That sort of effort brings him into the picture.
Mike Bass travels to the Vaal
Outside Hopes
Mike Bass travels from KZN with shock recent Greyville polytrack winner Global Express.
The son of Jet Master looks a rather quirky and creative inclusion over this kind of trip and it is only Mike Bass’s years of proven experience that suggest that this fellow should not be ignored entirely.
Geoff Woodruff also saddles the Var gelding Sabadell, who is showing minor flickers in his last two runs.
He has only run thrice this year after a break of 12 months was a well beaten 7 lengths by Jet Jamboree last time. He hardly got into that race and from a 12 draw appears to have a lot of progression to achieve.
Pick And Choose
The race is wide open with factors of the unknown sand horses in Midnight Run and the inexperienced Foyle.
The ‘Kimberley Kid’ Anger has also got his act together, while Isobar won really well on the polytrack last time.
Then we have the newly blinkered Killua Castle and the fit as a fiddle, Stavinsky, who ran a cracker to Samogan last time.
