The improving Storm Warning will be ridden by Piere Strydom
The staying race form can prove topsy turvy at the best of times and the R250 000 Gr3 Caradoc Gold Cup run over 2850m under the lights at Turffontein on Saturday evening could prove a nightmare for punters. Seal is the obvious class act but he is proving a bit unreliable of late.
The form in these marathon races is probably subject to more fluctuation than the middle distances and shorter and that may well be symptomatic of the fact that many more moderate horses ply their trade over ground on average.
What do the experts say? If they stay, they always have a chance.
Big Deal
A former SA Derby winner, Seal ran sixth in the recent Listed Aquanaut Handicap behind surprise winner Storm Warning, who gets the value added services of Piere Strydom on Saturday. Marthinus Mienie rides the topweighted Seal again here and it is worth noting two important points about his ordinary Aquanaut effort.
Firstly Seal was switched in and out more than once in the mud and didn’t have the best of breaks in the final 400m. It is doubtful whether he would have gotten to Storm Warning in any event. Secondly, Seal was reported coughing post race. So he may warrant another chance here.
He is certainly one of our favourites and has put in many serious efforts in a long and distinguished career. He ran a big second in this race last year behind Azzie’s Masai Warrior.
Warning
Storm Warning came up on us in the Aquanaut. He now runs over 400m further and has to give Seal (and others ) all of 6kgs for a 3,75 length beating. That is tough against a horse who stays all day.
As a younger horse Storm Warning has plenty of upward potential and he has won his last two races on the trot. At his penultimate run he beat Joey Soma’s runaway winner Rodeo Sioux with ease and the form has been underlined. Strydom knows the son of Jet Master well enough , having piloted him to a twelve odd length victory in his maiden win a year ago.
Middle Group
Sean Tarry’s Baracah ran fifth in the Aquanaut and is another runner better off with Storm Warning. The son of King Of Kings is all of 4kgs to the good ere and may prefer the going on top. Weichong Marwing jumps aboard S’Il Vous Plait for Ormond Ferraris.
The son of Silvano did not act in the mud on Gauteng Guineas day and is surely better than that effort. As an eight time winner it would be foolish to write him off. Brian Wiid’s Tiger Play is stalking Storm Crossing and now meets the Zaki horse at 2,5 kgs better terms for a 0,75 length beating in the Aquanaut.
Tiger Play was handy for much of the home straight and is obviously a horse with a winning turn pending. He will be ridden again by Robbie Fradd and could go one better.
Fit Horse
St John Gray’s coupling of Yer-Maan and the mare Turkish Delight are not without hope, with the former the obvious preference. The son of Jam Alley just failed to get on terms with Storm Warning in the Aquanaut and he comes in on 1,5kgs better terms. He is a fit fellow, having had another sharpener in the interim, and may rattle Storm Warning’s cae.
Stuart Pettigrew’s mare Salutation has a postage stamp on her back but is rising eight and appears to have lost her enthusiasm for racing. She was beaten over ten lengths in her own company last time and just failed to quicken when asked.
Sky Rise and the favourite’s stablemate Winning Leap are both to be ridden by top rated out of town jockeys but their recent form is sketchy and they should battle.
Very Open
It is an open looking little race but Storm Warning and Seal look the two to fight this out. If the classy Silvano eldin gets a clearer path than last time and a better surface he could well turn the tables. We are leaning towards giving him another chance.
