River Crossing has a touch of class and can challenge over this trip
A Champions Season feature winner adds some class and lustre to a typically low-key Kenilworth winter racemeeting on Tuesday. River Crossing comes in as a conqueror of subsequent Gold Cup winner Jeppe’s Reef and other good sorts on the 2013 Gr3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup and has the class and race fitness to put up a first rate challenge in a tightly matched handicap.
The R96 000 Soccer 6 MR 100 Handicap is run on the winter course 2000m but like much of the tardy subscription on the eight-race programme, the race hosts only a handful of runners.
Thrilling
That said, the eight horse field boasts some capable sorts and there is every chance that we could be in for a thriller.
The Mike Bass-trained River Crossing is a well-performed six time winning son of Caesour who was considered good enough by his veteran conditioner to be aimed at the July once upon a time.
The Varsfontein Stud-bred 5yo gelding has had two runs since a scintillating win in the J&B Jet Stayers on Met day and while a well beaten 4,15 lengths by Johnny Rockets on his return run over a mile, he ran a really smart race over a too short 1400m last time when 6,10 lengths behind Blarney Bay.
He meets Johnny Rockets as a fitter horse and 2kgs better off over a trip far more to his liking and is a definite runners as the class in the race.
Surruptitious has a light weight and a talented young jockey up
Lightweight
The Mike Stewart-trained Surruptitious was considered good enough after winning his second and third starts to have a tilt at the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes at the end of his 2yo year.He was still in the care of Ivan Moore then and subsequently also went into the care of Justin Snaith for a while.
The son of Overlord is now a 5yo and has only won a further two races but is consistent and has matured into a strong galloper.
There is naturally some concern that he was found to be not striding out at his last second placed start over the Durbanville 2400m, but he appears to be well ahead of the handicapper and gets a potential trainstopping 11,5kgs from River Crossing
Karl Neisius comes off a dual Gr feature double on July day to ride Johnny Rockets
Jump For Johnny
Karl Neisius rides Johnny Rockets for Justin Snaith in a hat-trick attempt for the Jallad gelding.
The Riverworld Stud-bred 4yo appears to be developing into a smart middle distance stayer type.
He meets Surruptitious on 4kgs worse terms than when he beat him 0,40 lengths at his penultimate start and needs to show that he can lift his game again.
He has a lovely relaxed style of racing and with some pace in the race, he will be switched off for a late effort.
Top Rated
The Yogas Govender-trained Lizard Island 6yo Look After Me tops our ratings and has come down nicely in his handicap after an extended quiet spell.
He last won in late 2012 and is likely to go up handy and try and poach the race from the front.
He has no stamina worries.
Return Clash
Riaan Van Reenen’s Barossa Valley and the Billy Prestage-trained Man From Japan bump heads again after providing some excitement and entertainment at their last clash.
That was in an MR 96 Handicap over 400m further than this race and Barossa Valley ran on strongly to beat Man From Japan by a half length.
Man From Japan is a kilo better off on Tuesday.
Interestingly, Barossa Valley ran a level weights 3,15 lengths behind Johnny Rockets at his third last run over the Kenilworth 1800m and meets the Jallad gelding on 3,5kgs better terms.
Karl Neisius rode both Barossa Valley and Johnny Rockets to their last victories, but the carded weights more than personal preference probably override his choice here.
Stan Elley trains the longshot Texas Flood and returns from the July after Punta Arenas ran unplaced
Tough Task
Stan Elley’s Surging River gelding Texas Flood is a very average stayer who has won 4 of his 31 starts.
He hardly raised a gallop at his last start and would be a better proposition over 400m further against this level of company.
The Miesque’s Approval gelding Putney Flyer has battled to find his best form since returning from a Gauteng campaign and comes in under sufferance.
That away trip ended with a smart enough fourth behind Kolkata in the Gold Vase on July Day 2013, but he has drawn a blank in eight runs since then and looks to have a tough ask.
Weather
The weather outlook indicates that we may be playing this game on a difficult surface.
If that is the case, the going could turn it into more of a stamina test and then the likes of the lightly weighted Surruptitious and the class stayer River Crossing could play a major role.
Barossa Valley and Johnny Rockets may be best of the rest and include Look After Me as a quartet value lurker who will be staying on.
