Sand Specialist. Cliffie Miller’s Flamingo Park Sprint winner Zezinho Belo will be a popular banker bet
Cliffie Miller’s smart Brazillian bred sand sprinting specialist Zezinho Belo steps up 200m when he contests Monday’s R100 000 Kimberley 1400 (NBT) at Flamingo Park. The Blade Prospector gelding looks more than equal to the test in our book.
This non black type feature, which was originally scheduled for the abandoned 4 February meeting, has only attracted a field of eight runners, but there is enough quality in evidence to ensure that we will be well entertained. And most of that much loved Monday matinee magic could well be provided by the gelded son of Blade Prospector, Zezinho Belo.
Mr Lonely
We suggested prior to the Flamingo Sprint that he was the banker bet of the day, and he subsequently came home lonely there at a generous 3 to 1, beating the very capable mare Pisces Star.
A winner of 5 of his 13 starts, Zezinho Belo has few peers over the Flamingo Park 1200m, a distance over which he has recorded 4 of those 5 wins. But Monday’s trip is over a further 200m, which one has to consider could well be a leveller. Or is it?
The manner of Zezinho Belo’s last win, where he powered on from the front, suggested that he would cope with the 1400m at this level with ease at this stage of his life. He has only been there once before, and was beaten into second by a moderate sort. But that was some time ago and at maiden level racing.
Galloper. Alec Laird’s trojan mare Himalayan Hill is always a danger if allowed to dictate matters
World’s View
There are probably only three horses capable of giving him something to think about, and all of Eye Of The World, Jack Dan and the former Paul Peter trained Gauteng runner, Great Smokey, are able sorts.
Eye Of The World carries top weight and is a consistent course and distance winner. He probably does prefer a little further on an average day though. He meets Jack Dan on 1,5kgs worse terms than their last clash over the trip and track where Eye Of The World won by a half length.
Dan The Man
That brings Jack Dan into the play. The son of Joshua Dancer is a gallant ten time winner who has been a revelation this season as his trainer has pushed the envelope from sprints to longer distances.
For a fellow who registered his first four wins over the 1000m on turf, he has shown inordinate versatility right up to 1800m and is fit and in the form of his life at the moment. Also in his favour is the fact that he will be ridden by Nooresh Juglall, who has been in the saddle at 3 of his last 4 visits to the winner’s enclosure.
After Action
Great Smokey has relocated to Tienie Prinsloo from Paul Peter and jumps from a 1 draw here with Wesley Marwing taking 4kgs off his back. The son of Cataloochee has run twice on the sand at the Vaal previously. His best effort was a fourth over 1200m in a lowly rated handicap behind Dual Alliance.
Great Smokey’s last run was quite impressive though. He raced handily over the Vaal 1700m, before being collared late by the fair sort Lockheed Jetstar, to whom he was giving 3,5kgs. Lockheed Jetstar went on to run a fair fifth in the Listed Wolf Power behind the top sort, General Sherman, last Saturday.
Slump. Mike De Kock’s well bred Atlantic Oak will be looking to overcome her recent slump in form
Mat Man
Vernon Ruggs’s coupling of The Phantom and Night Landing, are both rather optimistic inclusions on the face of it, and would be surprise winners. The Phantom does however enjoy a 5kg swing with Zezinho Belo on his 10,50 length Flamingo Sprint beating. His best form has been over the minimum trip on the sand, and he looks unlikely to trouble the top four here.
Night Landing is 3kgs better off with Jack Dan on their last course and distance clash, where Jack Dan beat him 2 lengths. That could make some difference, but Night Landing appears quite inconsistent and lacks the killer instinct that saw him win four of his first six Flamingo Park starts.
Poulnabrone is the second of the Jaap Visser runners and has his second Kimberley outing after a very poor sand debut at the end of January. He would have to improve out of his skin to even have a place chance.
Mr Vindaloo has accumulated 3 wins from 30 runs on the turf and makes his sand debut. He only carries 52kgs and would have a place chance if adapting.
Big On Belo
We are quite bullish about the prospects of Zezinho Belo. He has jumped quite a few kilos in the weights, but is quite an exciting versatile sort who can run from the front or be settled for a late effort. That gives his rider plenty of options.
Jack Dan must present the major danger, with Great Smokey also a consideration from his inside draw off a light weight. If they cut each other’s oxygen feed up front, then Eye Of The World could swoop for the scraps in the final 100m. This is a lovely feature to start the new week, and we are starting it off well by bankering Zezinho Belo in all exotics again.
