Right Race. Mike De Kock’s Patriotic Rebel gets an excellent opportunity to show his staying prowess
They say that weight stops trains over ground, but the two topweights look to have the class to fight out the R225 000 Gr3 Racing Association Handicap run over 3200m at Turffontein on Saturday. The feature rounds off what is expected to be a bumper Pick 6 bet on the day.
Our champion trainer Mike De Kock has saddled the winner of two of the last three runnings of this event and he sends out the former Brett Crawford trained Patriotic Rebel. The 4yo son of Stronghold has not exactly set the world alight since joining the De Kock team, and short of two stakes places (including a smart second in the Gr3 Mango 2200 behind Master Plan) in the KZN Champions Season, he has flattered only to deceive.
Patriotic Rebel went the 3200m when lining up in the 2013 Gold Cup, but was hampered when running unplaced and just under 4 lengths off Jeppe’s Reef. That failed to inform as to whether he stays the two miles, but he may just have found the right race here to open his feature account.
Feverish
His main opponent is likely to be Gavin Van Zyl’s fast improving Jet Master gelding, Jet Fever. The 4yo picked up a hefty 12 pound penalty courtesy of a super effort when staying on smartly for second behind the highly rated Kindle in the Listed Java Handicap.
He was prominent for much of the race and showed great guts and character to stay on well, despite being out at the weights. Jet Fever has won up to 2200m and is a lightly raced sort (he only has his eighth run here) and gets thrown in the deep end. He will benefit from the services of Piere Strydom.
Check This
Van Zyl also saddles the recent maiden winner, Flight Check. The 3yo daughter of AP Arrow shed her maiden at her last start against her own sex over 2600m, and gets asked a big question here. She comes in under sufferance, and should have a tough time of it against the more experienced campaigners.
Tarry Two
Sean Tarry won the race last year with Kolkata, and he sends out a coupling of Perigrine and the Silvano gelding,Bamako. The Strike Smartly gelding Perigrine has shown flashes of good ability, and looks bred for the 3200m.
His last three runs have not been disgraceful efforts, and he could challenge if he stays and things go his way. His stablemate Bamako has not won in over a year, but showed good staying ability in fair company when winning his three races up to 2600m.
Fillies
Geoff Woodruff’s Rhythmic Roxy won her last start over the Vaal 2400m with a forward showing that smacked of a horse that will stay even further. Another daughter of Requiem, Stuart Pettigrew’s gallant Salutation has drawn wide at 14 but is a fit lady who stays well.
Weiho Marwing saddles Sky Pirate and Sky Rise. The filly Sky Pirate has failed to flatter for some time now and finally gets another opportunity to show that she stays. The daughter of Victory Moon ran a fair race in the KZN Oaks when staying on well behind Dylan’s Promise. Sky Rise is a 4yo gelding bred on stout staying lines. A winner of two races from eleven starts, both over 2600m, Sky Rise could yet have plenty of improvement to come and should relish the 3200m test. He could prove a nice value lurker.
Warning
Dom Zaki is in top form and saddles the Jet Master gelding Storm Warning, who will be ridden by ‘Mr Red Hot’ Hatt. Like Sky Rise, Storm Warning looks the sort who can only improve with maturity and has also won twice over 2600m. Storm Warning has run close to some good sorts in his last four runs, and is another who could surprise.
Sufferance
There are a few in under sufferance. The Scott Kenny trained Enchanted Guest is an interesting runner. The son of Hinton Wells takes a major step up in trip after a rather flat last run. He is by a three parts brother to Fort Wood, and thus may have an aptitude for the longhaul. The 5yo had some fair earlier form to good sorts, and with a galloping weight could cause a quartet surprise if he stays the two miles.
David Niewenhuizen saddles the Requiem filly Billie Jo, who has won 2 of 14 starts. She has drawn 1 as a bonus, but we imagine that she would need far more than that to challenge seriously for any stake cheque. Stephen Moffatt’s Money Flows has won five races, but is a 7yo who appears to have lost his enthusiasm for racing.
Shock
He would be a shock winner, along with The Who. They both look outclassed here and neither has shown any spark of form for quite some time. Go with Patriotic Rebel and Jet Fever to fight it out, with some good value to be had in Sky Rise and Storm Warning.
