Well Placed. The consistent abd talented General Sherman looks to have found the perfect race to register his sixth win
The R150 000 Listed Darley Arabian to be run over a mile at Greyville on Saturday has undergone a complete makeover. It is now almost unrecognisable to the race that we have known in years gone by.
Formerly limited to 3yo’s and run over 1900m, the event has dropped in distance to 1600m and is now a merit rated handicap open to all ages. Interestingly it produced the 2013 Vodacom Durban July winner Heavy Metal in last year’s edition, when Sean Tarry’s son of Silvano beat five other 3yo’s. This year’s event has attracted eleven runners.
Innings
Power Player. The exciting Yorker should enjoy the mile at Greyville and comes in with a big reputation
Geoff Woodruff’s very exciting 3yo Jet master colt Yorker has been set to carry top weight and adds to the interest in a big way. Boomed by the racing media and sectors of the public as a potential July horse a few months ago, Yorker went through the division steps with relative ease winning 3 of his first 5 starts by over 14 lengths.
He was thrown in the deep end when chancing his arm in the Gr1 Daily News 2000, and afterrunning handily faded to finish 4,90 lengths off the top class Vercingetorix. He should be eminently suited to this Greyville mile and if he is half as good as everybody seems to think, he should make a bold bid in the hands of Robbie Fradd, who has won on him previously. The race will be run under the lights and cognisance needs to be taken of his reaction to that novelty.
Barrel Of Fun
Mike De Kock saddles the R2 million Emperors Palace Ready To Run Cup winner Red Barrel, who has only his fifth outing after winning fifty percent of his starts to date. The son of Right Approach has drawn at 11 and will have Anthony Delpech in the saddle.
He made an eyecatching recent return after a 17 month break from action, and ran on steadily behind the top class Bravura two weeks ago at Clairwood. That run would either have brought Red Barrel on or would have slotted him straight into the second run after a rest ‘flat zone.’ He is a difficult horse to assess, but has always enjoyed a big reputation from a yard that doesn’t hype up the empty vessels.
Support Group
De Kock’s other two runners are both capable. Halfway To Heaven is an interesting runner, having won Sunday’s Listed Off To Stud Handicap against her own sex in good style. The Jet Master mare is obviously destined for the Wilgerbosdrift paddocks, but may well line up here if she took that race without any aches and pains. She is certainly fit enough.
The Silvano gelding Silent Partner is just off the best and his form shows that. He has not won in ages, but has produced some of his best earlier performances at Greyville.
Excellent Efforts
Garth Puller’s Cataloochee gelding Corredor appears to be at his best at a mile and ran an excellent course and distance third place behind Vercingetorix and Capetown Noir in the KRA Guineas. His run in the Daily News may best be ignored. He ran stone last after makinga respiratory noise and being eased at a crucial stage. He probably didn’t stay the 2000m either.
His next start in the KZN Breeders Million was a good effort. Well weighted there, he received 2kgs from the well performed Gitiano and only went down just under a length after challenging strongly. Corredor has been lumped with some serious weight here and may battle to beat a fellow like Distinguished. He does however appear to be a progressive sort and from a 3 draw, must rank as a serious place prospect.
Generally Good
The talented General Sherman has run three excellent fringe efforts in KZN after coming off dual Listed wins in the Wolf Power and Drum Star Handicap. He ran only 2,75 lengths off Jet Explorer in the Gr2 Betting Wolrd 1900 and followed that with a five length sixth behind Astro News in the Gr3 Cup Trial.
He then finished on Lehaaf’s heels in the Listed Thukela Handicap on July Day over Saturday’s course and distance. General Sherman has top class pretentions on his day and could be the right one here.
Good Prep
Mike Azzie’s exciting Kahal gelding Emperor Augustus ran the prefect prep race when storming through late for a nice third placed finish behind Lehaaf in the Thukela Handicap on July Day. He beat General Sherman a neck in a blanket finish and meets the Tarry runner on the same weight terms. He will again be ridden by Nooresh Juglall and has the draw gods have smiled upon him again as he has pulled a pole position jump again.
Laird Duo
Charles Lairds sends out a coupling of the former Mike Bass trained Cherbourg and the Kahal gelding Distinguished. Cherbourg has found good form of late and his record of 3 wins at his last 5 starts speaks volumes of his wellbeing and consistency. Cherbourg is a kilo worse off with Act Fast, whom he beat 7,40 lengths at their last clash.
Distinguished ran unplaced behind Gitiano in the KZN Breeders Million Mile at Clairwood at end of June. It is worth noting that he was beaten some 2,60 lengths by Corredor to whom he conceded 3,5 kgs and thus now meets the same Corredor on 8,5 kgs better terms. That is a lot of pudding and certainly brings Distinguished into the fray if we fancy Corredor. Grasp Your Destiny’s recent form has been poor and he should battle to assert himself amongst the higher rated and more progressive sorts.
Class Sort
We are suggesting that General Sherman has the class and ability to topple the progressive 3yo Yorker, in what should be a cracking race. General Sherman has been right there against stronger and Raymond Danielson knows him very well. His 8 draw should not worry him unduly. Cherbourg, Red Barrel and Corredor could be the best of the rest.
