High Regard. Gavin Van Zyl’s Gray’s Champ has shown good ability and is expected to realise his potential this season
Trainers Gavin Van Zyl and Mike De Kock go head to head in a competitive MR94 Divided Handicap run over the Turffontein inside track mile on Saturday. As is typical of the better quality horses at this time of the season, match fitness may be a more serious consideration than pure ability and class. We are thus cautiously feeling our way in the dark to some extent when it comes to sticking the neck out and plumbing for a top choice.
The 54 year old Gavin Van Zyl, who has changed the general perception that ex jockeys (even those with Springboks colours) don’t always make good racehorse trainers, trained his first winner in Cape Town last week. Van Zyl has a string down at The Dunes with Mike Stewart and sent out his first runner, Sagetator, to win readily at his first look at Durbanville.
Humble Beginnings
Galloping Weight. The promising Silver Spring returns from a rest and could suprise if not in need of the outing on Saturday
He rode for thirty years and has come a long way since starting out with four horses at Summerveld in 2007. He has trained top quality Grade 1 runners such as The Apache, Slumdogmillionaire, Seal, Franny, Bulsara and Eton Square over the years. His Gauteng satellite base at Turffontein, under the management of his son Chesney, churns out the winners with regularity and they saddle a coupling of Gray’s Champ and Silver Spring in Saturday’s topliner.
In an interview earlier this week, Gavin Van Zyl confirmed that Gray’s Champ, who races in the familiar Team G Racing silks, was returning from a nice rest, after an unplaced run on Champions Day in the SA Derby.
“I am of the opinion that we never saw the best of this fellow last season. We thought a lot of him and sent him down to Cape Town for the Derby. He finished five odd lengths off Capetown Noir, but came back home and flattened out after that. He ran in three further tough races, and it was after the SA Derby where I thought he deserved a good break,” he said.
Indicator
When pressed on Gray’s Champ’s prospects for Saturday, Van Zyl did not hesitate: “He should need it, but let me say he is good enough to win a race like this. Obviously the inside track is not ideal for him, but I will know better where we are headed with him after this. I am looking at a few minor features in the season ahead.”
Gray’s Champ has won 3 from 12, and impressed in the traditional low key pointer of the 1900m Juvenile Plate, which is run at Greyville on July Day. He won that in 2012 in great style, and was fully exposed to the best of his year as a 3yo. He could realise that potential as a 4yo, and comes into the picture as a serious contender here.
Van Zyl went on to add that his other runner Silver Spring had been rested after jarring up. “He comes in here off just over a three month break and it is safe to say that he is likely to need the outing. He is a very smart horse and was quite disappointing after winning 3 of his first 9 starts,” he said. Silver Spring has the advantage of a 4kg claim, courtesy of the talented Collen Storey.
Rested
A serious runner could well be Mike De Kock’s Encosta De Lago 3yo colt Duly Ordained, who has not seen action since winning over the Clairwood 1900m on 24 July this year. That was his second win from just 4 starts and it is worth nothing that he accounted for subsequent Gr1 SA Nursery winner Willow Magic on debut.
He looks to be quite nicely in here carrying just 53kgs, and must present the biggest danger to the Van Zyl coupling. De Kock’s other runner Emerald Approach has poor recent form and would appear to have serious soundness issues.
Ready For Action
Two older horses will not lack for fitness. One of these is Geoff Woodruff’s Victory Moon gelding Impresa, who looked promising as a 3yo, but has gone off the boil recently. He won two in a row before stepping up in class and running a smart looking second to Captain Haddock over the inside 1450m track.
His last three runs have been a bit disappointing, but he patently did not take to the sand, when run off his feet behind Hang Fire last time. He has the inestimable advantage of a 1 draw, and could recapture his spark.
Great Ride
Another fit runner comes from the Romeo Francis yard. Piere Strydom produced a gem of a ride to win a straight Vaal 1400m MR 94 Handicap on Flag Of France last time. He got the better of the smart Listed Darley Arabian winner Distinguished, and improved quite dramatically on his form. He will be under pressure to maintain the improvement, but the fact that Strydom rides him again is encouraging.
Dance All Night
Lucky Houdalakis saddles the Right Approach gelding, Right To Tango, a consistent three time winner, who looks to have a tough task against Flag Of France. The 4yo received 1,5kgs from Flag Of France and was beaten two lengths last time. He meets the Francis runner at level terms here, and may appreciate the extra 200m.
In Form
The Errico Verdonese trained Imperial Stride gelding One Up is a course and distance winner, who has found form recently. He was reported to be coughing last time, when a two length third to Menacing over the 1800m, but has shown his best form at a mile, and could be a lurker amongst this lot. Weiho Marwing’s Captain Al colt, Fulcrum, has only had two starts, but looks very promising indeed.
He ran a close up third on his Turffontein mile debut, and then ran away from his field when winning by 7,25 lengths over a mile at the Vaal a month ago. The strength of the form is very difficult to assess, but the fact that this fellow has done little wrong and is unexposed, certainly counts in his favour.
Long Break
Ryan Hutcheson sends out the Al Mufti gelding Eurosilver, who has not run since going second on 24 March last year to subsequent SA Derby dead heater, Royal Bencher. While he missed out on his entire 4yo season and his fitness is obviously in question, he should be watched for improvement in future. The former Justin Snaith trained Spitfire Run is the probably pacemaker in the race.
He showed good pace at his last start, as he usually does, and only stopped late to finish under a length fourth to the promising Kindle. He is probably more effective over this shorter trip, and could challenge for the places.
Unknown
We have observed that the unknown factor of fitness, could throw a spanner in the works when it comes to narrowing the selection down. Gavin Van Zyl was quietly confident of a good effort from Gray’s Champ, but there are other fitter horses who could give him a run for his money. He is also probably not entirely at home over the inside track. De Kock’s Duly Ordained is another worth considering.
