Form Up or down? JP van Der Merwe drives Form Up through to beat Isobar 9JC Photos)
Trainer St John Gray and jockey JP van der Merwe threw a double lion amongst the pigeons in the Turffontein Pick 6 on Thursday when they teamed up with a massive outside double to turn the form book on its head.
As some Tellytrack presenters would say, the Gray yard has ‘turned the corner.’
That has surely got to be the third most irritating quip for any punter.
A trainer only needs two winners over two meetings on average to be given the ‘turned the corner’ tag. In Facebook terms, it’s a serious ‘unlike’ for most of us.
But seriously, a frustrating run of 11 places from 15 runners ended happily today for the highly enterprising horseman.
But throw in a 16 to 1 and a 25 to 1 shot in the Pick 6, and the former legal eagle St John was probably more popular with his bank manager than us working classes who found ourselves precariously perched on a mid month cash-strapped rollercoaster!
In under sufferance in the R120 000 Pinnacle Stakes, the Graystone Stud-bred Form Up produced his third win from 12 starts and took his career earnings to in excess of R250 000.
St John Gray in familiar pose
The son of Sarge is out of the five-time winning Centenary mare, Polonaise. This is a truly Gray family as St John raced both Mom and Dad and the 4yo is a full-brother to the eleven-time winning stakes performer Formation.
Polonaise is a prolific winner producer, and her progeny includes the stayer Swarming (a six-time winner by Announce) and others, and is one of those mares that will throw a winner from just about any stallion.
Mike Bass all smiles in Gauteng
Gray and Van closed the day with another Sarge gelding, this time at 25 to 1.
The 7yo Egyptian stayed on strongly to win the 1800m MR 77 Handicap and sink many Pick 6 hope. He clocked up his sixth win and R380 000 in stakes when he charged clear to beat De Kock’s Kingston Mines by two lengths.
Weichong Marwing and Ormond Ferraris were another double winning duo (at more respectable odds!) when Eurakilon and Masterly won the second and third races respectively.
Mike Bass maintained his excellent Gauteng run with a ten horse string when the Captain Al filly Alascan Maiden stayed on to win the MR 84 Handicap after an extended dry spell.
Nadine Low Ah Kee (nee Rapson) and Ali Cohen – our get out stakes at Fairview on Friday
The R1,2 million CPYS Book 1 graduate was only recording her second career win and may yet train on to fulfill some of her early promise.
Like Epic Tale on Saturday, Marthinus Mienie did the honours for Bass in the saddle.
Sean Tarry’s yard has turned the corner (we didn’t say that did we?) and he and SA Champion jockey S’manga Khumalo partnered to get the rather smart looking Teofilo filly Tamaanee home at cramped odds to win the jackpot opener.
The Aussie-bred won at her second start beating a weak field in impressive style and races in the well recognised blue and yellow flag of Al Adiyaat SA (Pty) Ltd, who have many racers with Mike De Kock.
Thank heavens for Fairview on Friday. Big fields, impossible results and Nadine Low Ah Kee – enough to give us hope to fight another day…
