Yoshie is our top selection today
Punters who were looking forward to champion jockey Piere Strydom making a rare appearance at Fairview today will be disappointed to hear that he won’t be making the trip. Strydom is resting a hand injury but feels that he will be fit for Clairwood on Saturday.
“I had stitches in the palm of my hand on Wednesday and yesterday at Vaal I was strapped up and unable to hold the reins and the whip in the same hand. I only have four rides at Clairwood and I am sure I will be fit tomorrow,” he said.
With Greeff stable jockey Greg Cheyne away in Malaysia to defend his International Jockey Challenge title in Kuala Lumpur this weekend, Strydom had been engaged to take his rides.
KZN jockey Stuart Randolph, who is no stranger to PE, now steps in and takes Strydom’s rides. He is a capable replacement.
The focus will also be on the showdown between S’manga Khumalo and Richard Fourie and both have a good card of rides today.
Khumalo rode four winners at the Vaal yesterday and he appears to be well in control of the title race.
Piere Strydom taking a precautionary day off to rest his hand
The feature race on the afternoon comes in the seventh where a big field of sixteen fillies and mares line up in the R150 000 Listed Milkwood Stakes run over 1000m.
Renate Du Plessis’ National Emblem 3yo Lielums comes in on topweight after a fair Cape campaign where she did not finish far off the action but it is Alan Greeff”s Yoshie who stands out as our top rating.
The former champion 2yo has matured nicely and looks ready to add to her impressive tally.
Richard Fourie rides the consistent Variety Star who went down a quarter length second to Yoshie last time and now meets her on half kilo better terms.
Kumalo rides Guided Arrow for Yvette Bremner and the four time winner must have a serious chance off a handy galloping weight.
There is a twenty percent chance of rain forecast in PE today and the Bipot starts in race 1 at 12h30.
