The sun is about to set on a crazy year of dizzy highs and shaky lows and with 2016 tagged as the year of the monkey, we should probably be approaching matters with some caution. So let’s see the old year out with a bang and stick with the big gun combination of Mike De Kock and Weichong Marwing at Turffontein on Tuesday evening.
Moofeed – decent sprinter on his day
This game tames lions and tigers and makes monkeys out of most of us – but the topweighted Duke Of Marmalade entire Moofeed stands out in the MR 102 Handicap at the final Turffontein meeting of 2015 on Tuesday evening.
Moofeed is a rare speed horse by his outstanding sire and this half-brother to top performers Musir and Merhee ran on really well to chase One Man’s Dream home over the Turffontein 1000m last time.
A bit of a bridesmaid – he has won 5 races from 19 starts, but has 7 seconds to his credit – Moofeed has a touch of class at his best, and trainer Mike De Kock looks to have found the right race for him.
Alec Laird – Aurum Pot is consistent and fit
His biggest danger looks likely to be the Alec Laird trained course and distance winner, Aurum Pot, a lightly raced son of Judpot, who has run two cracking feature places at his last two jumps.
He was under two lengths back in the Gr2 Merchants behind Brutal Force and the same margin adrift of Doing It For Dan in the Listed Golden Loom.
In-form Gavin Lerena rides this very fit gelding, who must go into all calculations.
Sean Tarry’s 7yo Prince Jazeem has not won a race in over two years but showed some decent pace in an MR 92 Handicap over the Vaal 1400m last time after a late winter stint in Cape Town.
The son of Toreador has probably lost some of his early edge which saw him rattle off three wins in a row in 2013, and cannot be tipped as a likely winner.
Romeo Francis’ dogged hardworking 6yo Flag Of France has his 70th career outing on Tuesday. He ran on smartly behind Splendid Garden last time and enjoys a 3kg swing with the Azzie speedster.
Flag Of France – place chance at best
The 6yo National Key is a consistent gelding but may lack the pace to win a race of this nature.
His last two runs in KZN have been decent efforts – his last 3,85 lengths behind high-class Group winner Ice Machine in receipt of 4,5kgs.
He shed his maiden over the course and distance over three years ago and his subsequent four wins have all been over more ground.
That said, he is never far off the action and is very capable of sneaking a quartet berth.
Mike Azzie
Splendid Garden is starting to fulfil some of his early promise and is bang in form at this stage of the season, having won 3 of his last 4 starts.
He is 3kgs worse off with Flag Of France for a 2,50 length course and distance beating last time. As a still improving 4yo Splendid Garden could have the scope to make up the leeway and go in again.
The second of the Azzie runners, Rock Me Var is battling to put a decent effort together on the turf and appears to have enjoyed his Greyville polytrack exposure of earlier this year.
He was highly thought of, but will need to start showing the signs again before he can be included with any confidence.
Moofeed and Aurum Pot look set to fight out the finish and as long as he doesn’t get too far out of his ground, the De Kock galloper holds a slight edge.
The improving Splendid Garden looks best of the rest.
