Solo Traveller-Improving form and overdue to score again
The R200 000 Gr3 Cup Trail to be run over 1800m at Clairwood on Saturday represents the last chance saloon for a few July marginals. This aspect adds some needle to a race that may throw punters a sticky curved ball.
Solo Traveller is the third rated De Kock entrant behind Ilha Bela and Silver Flyer on the recently published July log, and the son of Western Winter could manoeuvre himself out of the marginal no-man’s land of his current 18th position with a good showing in this event.
High Tide
De Kock will no doubt be looking for Solo Traveller to be in safer waters on Saturday evening and he looks to have found the perfect opportunity at the right time for the Lammerskraal Stud-owned four year old to record his first win since that sensational KRA Guineas of a year ago. Solo Traveller got rather lucky in that incident-filled race when Joey Ramsden’s ill-fated Ridethebreeze made a wrong turn at the top of the Greyville straight and took half the field with him.
Since then Solo Traveller has moved from the Snaiths to De Kock and he is slowly creeping back to his best form. He ran on strongly when finishing 2,25 lengths behind Gold Onyx in the Listed Sledgehammer and then caught the eye again when flying through for a 1,80 length fourth to Beach Beauty in the Greyville 1900.
There is bound to be a pace on in this race with the relative abundance of lighter weighted hopefuls, and Kevin Shea will find this right up Solo Traveller’s alley.
Storm Clouds
English Garden - has bounced back from a dry spell
Trainer Mike Bass produced Super Storm to win last year’s Cup Trial and subsequently claim a sneaky back-door place in the Vodacom Durban July. There is no such pressure for Bass this year as his runner English Garden is fairly comfortably entrenched at 8th position on the July log issued earlier this week.
The 2011 Gr1 SA Classic winner English Garden bounced back from an extended dry spell to win a Progress Plate run over 1800m at Greyville a month ago. He beat Whiteline Fever there with ease by by 1,25 lengths and the Tarry horse then ran a fair fourth 4,50 lengths behind Jackson in Saturday’s Gr1 Daily News 2000.
This will be tougher for English Garden, but if back to his best and on the assumption that his trainer will only be looking for him to peak in a few weeks’ time, he might well be up to it from a 3 draw.
Bounder
Polar Bound carries top weight
Brett Crawford’s July back-up Polar Bound, described as a ‘difficult ride’, gets another opportunity to be acquainted with his big-race rider Stuart Randolph. He ran a disappointing race in the Greyville 1900 and lumps topweight here. The Peninsula Handicap winner seems assured of a July run with his 13th position on the log, but Crawford will be looking for him to confirm his race readiness with a good showing. He should enjoy the very fair Clairwood home run.
An interesting runner is Yogas Govender’s Lake Arthur, who stormed through to win his last start in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m at Greyville. He has pulled the worst of the draw at 14, but this once boom three year old could finally start repaying some of his backers’ money after disappointing at times.
He has failed at his previous Group race efforts and is only a four-time winner, but could build on his last win.
Sunrise
Dance At Daylight has a handy galloping weight and is drawn at pole position, but has not won a race since storming through late at 25-1 to win the 2009 Gr3 Christmas Handicap. He will need to up his game dramatically.
Gavin Van Zyl’s Silvano gelding Bulsara recorded his last win in the Gr3 London News Stakes in January 2011 at Turffontein over 1800m. He caught the eye when running third behind Tales Of Bravery in the Drill Hall Stakes. He then ran fifth just 1,85 lengths behind in the Greyville 1900 and may just be edging back to somewhere near his best form.
Sean Tarry’s Gold Onyx has the benefit of Anton Marcus on his back and while he failed to quicken in the Greyville 1900 last time, he did win the Listed Sledgehammer in impressive style at his previous start beating the capable Top Seller. He is in the July danger-zone and would need a good run here to enhance his claims of making the cut for the big one this year.
Silver Flyer was labelled a promising three year old after winning the Dingaans and then following up with an eyecatching second behind Variety Club in the Cape Guineas. He has been lightly raced since and while he did run on stoutly for third behind the impressive Slumdog-millionaire in the SA Classic two months ago, his consistency is in question. His last run, a moderate effort in the SA Derby, gives no reason for positivity and he obviously has his problems. That said he is rated second of the De Kock entrants at number 14 on the July log.
Dark Horse
Rio Carnival lightly raced but could be the dark horse
Charles Laird’s Rio Carnival could be the dark horse in the race. He receives a huge 7,5 kgs from English Garden after giving Mike Bass’ gelding a half kilo and finishing 2,50 lengths behind at their last meeting. That means Rio Carnival should easily beat English Garden and we may not yet have seen the best of this lightly-raced youngster.
Astro News finished an 8,25 length fourth to Variety Club in the KZN Guineas, but then had every chance and looked momentarily threatening before fading to finish 4,15 lengths off Beach Beauty. He is capable on his day, but not particularly consistent and needs to recapture his best
Lion In Winter was ridden like a sprinter in the recent Greyville 1900 and returned lame there. That effort is best ignored. He is battling to regain his better level of performance and his soundness is not assured. Orbit War has earned the tag of a ‘Christmas’ horse as he normally comes into his own during the festive season. He ran a below par race in the Listed Sledgehammer at his last start and has lost his form of late.
Buy And Sell has done nothing for over a year now and rising nine years of age has probably earned a dignified retirement. Even with a light weight, the filly Las Ramblas looks to be out of her depth here.
A tough race with only a few likely to win it. We are going with a fit Solo Traveller to register his first win in over a year at the expense of Lake Arthur and the lightly-weighted Rio Carnival.
