Impressive undefeated dual winner Run Rhino Run
The Silvano gelding Run Rhino Run has been one for the notebook ever since he made a smashing winning debut late last year. A change of ownership and trainer sees him turning out for Paul Lafferty at Scottsville on Tuesday in the Harry’s Son silks. And the rare midweek engagement of champion jockey Piere Strydom will add plenty of excitement .
Paul Lafferty – Run Rhino Run’s new trainer
Lafferty and Strydom have formed a cracking combination with the Australian-bred champion 3yo Harry’s Son and although they had to eat some humble pie, courtesy of sticky going in Saturday’s Gr1 SA Classic, they could bounce back with an up-and-coming galloper here.
KZN owner Roy Moodley purchased Run Rhino Run from longstanding fellow owner John Jones, and while we are not privvy to any aspect of the transaction, we can only deduce that his previous yard of the husband and wife combination of Alec and Lezeanne Forbes must be absolutely devastated to have lost him.
No Mistake
The Aldora Stud bred KZN Yearling Sale graduate (originally named Faux Pas) won his second race from two starts over a mile on 18 January and has looked full value for his R240 000 purchase price.
He spreadeagled his older opponents in the MR 78 Handicap and an excited jockey Alec Forbes said afterwards that plenty would be heard about the smart looking 3yo, who was still learning how to race.
Despite running very green he won unextended and Forbes said that he had only hit the front early as ‘nothing could go with him.’
On Tuesday Run Rhino Run faces 7 opponents in an MR 87 1400m inside track contest and he looks very capable of landing the hat-trick.
In fact his new owner Roy Moodley could celebrate his own personal hat-trick as he has a chance of winning the first three races – Alistair Gordon saddles Roy’s Guardian in the first race, while Jeff Freedman sends the smart looking Roy’s Folly to post in the second.
Great Start
Dean Kannemeyer – in great form and saddles It Is Written
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer has made a roaring start to his 2015 KZN Champions Season campaign with five winners in three meetings over this past weekend and is in hot form.
Anthony Delpech rode four of those five winners and he jumps aboard topweighted It Is Written, a 4yo son of Dynasty.
Fred Crabbia’s consistent galloper won three on the trot during the Cape winter and it is not beyond the imagination that he could strip fresh after an eleven week break and win over 1400m. He did shed his maiden over this trip and has been exposed – and not disgraced – to much stronger than what he meets on Tuesday.
That said, he is unlikely to be ideally suited to the inside track.
Plenty Of Pace
Alec Forbes partners 5yo gelding Red Rover, a pacy son of Victory Moon, who could enjoy the reversion to 1400m at this track.
His blinker experiment failed at his penultimate start, but he is seldom far off the action and if anybody knows how to beat Run Rhino Run it will be Forbes.
Garth Puller’s Fort Beluga gelding Translunar adds to the pace equation in the race and comes off two decent polytrack runs.
He lost a shoe last time when narrowly beaten by Go West McGraw and appears to be getting stronger after winning his maiden early.
He jumps from the 1 draw and with Donovan Dillon’s claim of 1,5kg, could threaten a top three finish.
Second String
Owner Roy Moodley has a second runner in the race in Roy Royale. The Aussie bred son of Holy Roman Emperor loves the polytrack but has not performed badly on the turf.
A tardy starter, he will enjoy the extra 200m after two quiet 1200m runs.
James Goodman – saddles the lightweighted Aldric
James Goodman’s Aldric is patently battling of late but carries a paperweight of 49,5kgs courtesy of a 4kg claimer.
The son of Jallad is a five time winner and could give them the slip if allowed to make his own running.
Bold Attitude is a recent 4yo maiden winner at his 15th attempt and should battle to assert in this company.
Mark Dixon-trained 3yo Burra Boy is another recent maiden winner but appears to have plenty of scope for improvement.
Big Game
Run Rhino Run looks a horse with a bright future. Laff wouldn’t have engaged Strydom if he didn’t have big plans ahead.
He looks a natural choice in a small field where pace should be in abundance.
