The Mouseketeer will be looking to set the record straight after his poor start last time
Top jockey Robbie Fradd is back in town from the Australian Gold Coast and he is carded to ride our top rated sand performer Pylon in Tuesday’s R200 000 Listed Highveld Sand Challenge at the Vaal. The field includes last year’s winner The Mouseketeer and the runner up, and his stablemate, Taptap Makhatini.
The 49yo Fradd has definitely not returned home to ride Pylon. But he will take the lucrative comm-ission with both hands, knowing that his main mission is Saturday’s Gr1 SA Derby, where he pilots the smart Louis The King, who stands on the brink of SASCOC Triple Crown Glory.
Well In
The cleverly named Pylon (Jimmy Lithgow was the creative mind behind it) is certainly handicapped to win this race and his last two outings can be ignored as they were both on turf.
His runner up effort in the 2013 Emerald Cup at his third last start was the cherry on top of an excellent run of sand performances and he will be a serious threat in this race.
His stablemate Brooks-Club is a classy son of Strike Smartly, who has won on the sand. He ran a fair race in the Gr2 Colorado King Stakes last time when only 4,75 lengths behind Halve The Deficit.
Chances Dashed
The Mouseketeer is another top class sand galloper. He beat Taptap Makhatini a short head in this race last year. He meets Taptap on 5kgs better terms this time around.
The Mouseketeer’s last effort when a close on seventeen length fourth in the Listed Riverside Handicap was not a realistic reflection of his ability.
The late withdrawal of the Naidoo trained Storm Surf that afternoon had left a vacant gate next to The Mouseketeer and after a lengthy delay the son of Kahal stood and ruined his chances at the jump.
The fact that he actually managed to sneak into fourth was commendable. Jockey Fanie Chambers was not a happy man after that race and he will be keen to set the record straight here.
In The Ring
Piere Strydom rides for Tarry
Piere Strydom rides the Albert Hall gelding Taptap Makhatini, who has had only one race since going down narrowly in the 2013 Highveld Sand Challenge.
He won that start after a year rest beating Straw Market over Tuesday’s course and distance. He looks to be a horse with plenty of upward potential in this arena. Alec Laird’s Pyrotechnics is a strong frontrunner, who has managed 3 wins in 13 starts.
He tries sand for the first time and looks capable of putting in a forward effort if taking to the surface. Hi recent turf form has not been too inspiring though and he will have to up his game.
Dream On
Louis Goosen’s lightly weighted One Man’s Dream has won twice on the turf and made his debut on the sand at his last run. Contesting an MR 80 handicap, he ran on very well from some way off the pace to get within a length of Sugar And Shake. He looks capable of getting the mile and should not be disregarded as a no hoper.
Dom Zaki’s Keagan’s Jet is a course and distance winner but appears to have lost his best form. The same applies to Spike Lerena’s Aces High. The son of Black Minnaloushe enjoys the sand but needs to get his act together.
Brian Wiid’s Tiger Play has been campaigning over further but now drops back in distance to where he was comfortable in his earlier days. This will be his first try on the sand.
First Choice
Pylon looks to be the right horse on paper, but both The Mouseketeer and Taptap Makhatini will be snapping at his heels. Then those that are lightly campaigned or have never tried their luck on it need to be watched. Here One Man’s Dream and Tiger Play come into the reckoning. The supporting feature is the R150 000 Listed Queen Of The Sand for fillies and mares. A quality field of ten go to post and the old stalwarts Jackodore and Formation look the two most likely to slug it out.
