The R250 000 Gr3 Lebelo Sprint brings the curtain down on 2016 at Turffontein today. Mike Azzie will be hoping to crack open an early bottle of bubbly with the beautifully bred Rivarine ending the year on a high.
The top-class Rivarine in action
The 3yo son of Var bolted and was withdrawn from his last scheduled engagement in the Golden Loom on Charity Mile day.
The youngster is still a colt and it appeared on that occasion that the crowd and the lights may have upset and excited him.
He will be looking to make amends here and on his excellent form as a leading 2yo could put this lot to bed if he behaves and things go his way.
Avontuur-sponsored Lyle Hewitson gets the ride and he is at the top of his personal game at the moment after a great win on Monday in the Christmas Handicap at Greyville.
Sean Tarry – saddles Captain’s Causeway
Sean Tarry’s Captain’s Causeway has only his eighth career start and is set for his fifth win if things go his way.
The son of Captain Al bounced back strongly after a six month rest to beat Pivotal Pursuit, who won so well on Tuesday at the Vaal, going away. As the unexposed force, he looks to be the older horse – if there is going to be one – to take on and beat Rivarine. S’manga Khumalo will give him every chance.
Paul Peter’s African Ruler carries top weight and is bound to be concerned in the finish again.
The son of Trippi gets the services of Andrew Fortune – with regular rider Gavin Lerena riding Greasepaint.
African Ruler had every chance at his penultimate start in the Golden Loom when appearing to go a little one-paced late and beaten 1,60 lengths by Bull Valley.
With Fortune up the plan may well be to make less use of the 4yo and let him rather try and run at them late.
Dollar Dazzler – talented but has his issues
Alec Laird’s Dollar Dazzler is a talented 6yo but his formline tells a story of a horse with problems.
The son of Var has failed to recapture his earlier smart form and has not visited the winner’s enclosure since April 2015.
The fact that his connections are persevering with him suggests that he is showing enough to crack another win and he did show plenty of pace last time when a fair 5,60 lengths off the high-class Trip To Heaven in the Gr2 Joburg Merchants last time out.
Clinton Binda’s Manx Park has shown signs of breathing problems and his recent form suggests that he could battle to assert himself here.
He is 1,5kgs better off with Greasepaint for a 3 length beating at their last start but does not strike us as a likely contender for the first cheque.
The second of the Mike Azzie runners is the Var mare Easy Game, who has been withdrawn.
Easy Game – scratched
The lightning fast Wrecking Ball comes in 1,5kgs better off with Captain’s Causeway for a 1,50 length beating over 160m further than they meet on Saturday, last time.
The daughter of Great Britain is best suited to the minimum trip and could make them run if she gets away and is in the mood.
The relatively inexperienced Queen Laurie is another who seldom runs a bad race, and after chasing the top-class Green Pepper home in the Listed Gardenia Stakes (over Saturday’s course and distance) at her penultimate start, she just failed to hold off The Thinker in lower rated handicap company last time.
The 6yo Kahal gelding Greasepaint scored a long overdue win – his first in over a year – at his last start after knocking on the door for ages.
This consistent sprinter meets Seattle Singer, whom he beat a short head there, on a half kilo better terms, but there should be little between them again.
Seattle Singer is the third of a trio of fast 3yo fillies.
The smart stakes placed daughter of Sail From Seattle just does not know how to run a bad race and has mixed it with the boys in a handicap previously.
Things have not always gone Rivarine’s way – his four career seconds will bear testimony to that.
The son of Var looks nicely set to register his fourth win.
His major challenges should come from the unexposed Captain’s Causeway and topweighted African Ruler.
