Another Chance. Geoff Woodruff’s classy Killua Castle is worth considering at best in Saturday’s RA Flamingo Mile
The Northern Cape takes rare pride of place on the national racing programme this weekend when Flamingo Park hosts a Saturday feature race. The R200 000 RA Flamingo Mile has attracted a quality field of fourteen, including some leading lights amongst the raiding parties from Gauteng.
It is close on 147 years since the first diamond was discovered in the dusty far reaches of this ruggedly beautiful province and the Kimberlites will be hoping that their own equine gems, outnumbered six to eight by the high powered visitors, will carry enough guns to retain the major prize money in local banks.
Treble Feature
The mile contest is one of three features on a bumper card that launches the Flamingo Park Festival, and tote coffers will be boosted by the high rolling visitors, who will be in town for the RA Northern Region Awards function on Friday evening.
Billed as the Supreme Sand Racing season and kicking off on Saturday 3 August, the Northern Cape track will host the ‘Festival’, the first of a number of highly contested race days in the coming months. The winner of the RA Mile is guaranteed a run in the August Stakes on Saturday 31 August at the Vaal, so there is plenty to play for. The season culminates at the Vaal on Saturday 28 September with the running of the Emerald Cup, Africa’s richest horse race on the sand.
Main Guys
The big names are here in numbers. Woodruff, and national champion contenders De Kock and Tarry arrive in numbers in pursuit of the decent prize money and it is the Australian bred Killua Castle who stands out as a likely winner. Killua Castle is a son of Churchill Downs who has only managed one win from 12 starts in a rather topsy turvy career to date.
He has run three times on the sand and after placing at the first two, he lost seven lengths last time and blew his race at the start. Killua Castle has always looked rather classy and it is on his placed efforts in the Dingaans and the Gauteng Guineas, as well as the general proximity to the best of his generation at feature level, that induces a sense of favour on our part to give him a chance to get back
Grey Bomber
Capable. Mike De Kock’s consistent Right Beauty has improved in the blinkers and could take Kimberley by storm at his first visit
Mike De Kock’s Right Beauty is another runner that is suggested more on reputation and a sense of belief in hidden ability, than on recent performances. The son of Right Approach has run 4 consecutive thirds in his last four sand starts and appears so much better than a three time winner at this stage of his career.
He stayed on for third and four lengths away after conceding Storm Surf 4kgs over 1450m in a strong MR 103 Handicap at the Vaal last time. He is a lot keener to get into his races in the blinkers these days and was pushed into the race early last time, before fading out and then rallying late. It was a rather mixed up unsure ride and Randall Simons jumps aboard for some fresh hands. Right Beauty has a powerful finish and represents serious value for PA punters.
Tarry Challenge
Sean Tarry saddles Selborne Supremacy and National Road. Selborne Supremacy is generally regarded as a turf performer and the 6yo son of Kahal has won 4 races from 25 starts in a chequered career. The year younger National Road has a similar form profile to his stablemate and carries a handy galloping weight of 52kgs and holds Selborne Supremacy on a previous clash.
He is another capable of putting his best foot forward and winning a contest of this nature. Johan Janse Van Rensburg’s former Zimbabwean based Newton Power has the benefit of experience of the track, having run a fair third at his penultimate outing. He is 3kgs better off with Kingofmountain on that run and won a cracker beating Reign Victorious over the mile at Clairwood last time. If his travelling programme doesn’t get the better of him, he could have a say in the finish and is highly regarded by his connections.
Family Values
Weiho Marwing saddles the former Darryl Hodgson trained Uncle Tommy. The son of Kahal, formerly also with Mike Bass in the Cape , has been retreaded from a turf sprinter into a capable sand middle distance runner.Maybe by chance, or even a touch of frustration! He has drawn poorly at 11, but has the 2,5kg claim of apprentice Wesley Marwing to assist him and appears to be improving with ground and age.
Scott Kenny’s Shadow Line has drawn best of all and is bang in form, having won his last two starts over the sand mile with ease. He steps up to the challenge here, and is another handily weighted to produce a good run.
King Of The Castle
Local Leader. The Cliffie Miller trained Kimberley Classic winner Kingofmountain spearheads a powerful local challenge
The local challenge is a no nonsense one and is spearheaded by Cliffie Miller’s Kimberley Classic winner Kingofmountain. The 4yo son of Ravishing is improving fast and but for a 13 draw, would have been a top two selection. The course and distance winner has won 3 of his 21 starts, but if one discounts his early career on the turf in KZN, where he did not take to that surface, he has won three times from nine starts on the sand. That’s a fair record by any standards.
He meets the visiting Newton Power,whom he beat by 4,75 lengths in the Kimberley Classic on 3kgs worse terms, but still comes in with a handy galloping load of just 52 kgs.
Local Man
Local leading trainer Jaap Visser saddles the evergreen weight carrier, Eye Of The World. The son of Windrush has his 81st start and has managed to win 14 races. He will be ridden for the first time by claiming apprentice Akash Aucharuz from a poor draw.
He is 2kgs better off with Kingofmountain for an under two length beating last time, but is not the easiest fellow to ride. Dorrie Sham saddles the Albert Hall gelding Poweroftheflower, who blotted his copybook with a rare unplaced run last time out. He was reported not striding out and is possibly worth another chance, although appears up against it with the likes of some of the bigger guns.
Sarel Von Willingh Smit saddles the former Paul Reeves trained Windrush gelding Code Red. He is another who has turned his career around since trying this surface, and has won an amazing seven of thirteen starts at Flamingo Park. He tries a mile for the first time on sand, and is as much as 3,5kgs better off with Kingofmountain, who pipped him last time. Code Red wins his races full of running, and there is no reason to believe he will not be as effective over a mile.
Danger Zone
This race showcases an entertaining mix of local talent, versus the Gauteng glamour gallopers. Killua Castle is running out of chances, but is classy and capable on his day. With Robbie Fradd up from a 2 draw, he must be a big runner. Right Beauty is way overdue to win again, and just needs to be ridden with some restraint.
Kingofmountain, Eye Of The World and Code Red, could be best of the rest. But then we are not suggesting that Newton Power or Uncle Tommy cannot win it. It should be a terrific race in the dusty den where angels often fear to tread.
