One To Beat. The Lecture gelding Hawksworth is the only three time winner in the race and has excellent Kimberley form
Trainer Corne Spies holds the ace in the R100 000 Kimberley Nursery to be contested over the Flamingo Park 1400m on Monday. His Lecture gelding Hawksworth stands out head and shoulders above the opposition, despite a poor draw.
Spies is one of the best travelling trainers in the country and his ambition and enthusiasm holds no fears or boundaries. Whether it is a Group 1 at Greyville or an innocuous feature in the dusty backwaters of the Northern Cape, Spies is willing to take his chances and give his charges an opportunity to optimise their potential.
Quartet
He sends out a four way coupling in the rather well endowed Monday topliner. There are only five winners in the twelve horse field with Hawksworth standing out as a well tried three time winner. The Favour Stud bred gelding has run 7 times for 3 wins, including a nice maiden victory on the Vaal turf.
His two wins in Kimberley have been achieved by an aggregate winning margin of 16,5 lengths and the only unknown is his ability to step up to 1400m from his 12 draw. His dam only won up to 1000m, but the manner of his sand wins suggest that he will have the strength to carry his performance over further. He really looks far too strong for anything else here.
Partners
His stablemate Hypodromo Da Gavea won well on debut in Kimberley, but his form has tapered negatively since and he appears very unlikely to pose any threat.
The third of the Spies runners is Royal Voyage. The daughter of Sail From Seattle faded badly on debut at the Vaal last week and is an unknown quantity. She carries only 50kgs and is well drawn. She is out of a good dam in the Fort Wood mare Royal Palm, who won from 1000m to 1800m and could improve. The Ashaawes filly Sioux She runs in the same silks as Hawksworth.
At first glance her form is very poor, but a journey back in time to March shows a terrific third in the Gr3 Pretty Polly Stakes at her second start. She finished only 0,25 lengths behind the subsequent Gr1 Golden Slipper winner For The Lads, and if she runs to anything near that level of performance, could win this at any price! She will need to turn her recent poor form around though but her light weight will count in her favour.
Place Chance
Danger. The Sarge colt Rebel Assault won well at his penultimate start but is held by Hawksworth on his last start
Leon Lotz’ Sarge colt Rebel Assault is 1,5kgs better off with Hawksworth on their last clash but has over 11 lengths to make up on him. He could be considered as a place getter at best. Clinton Binda travels the long road with the Toreador colt, Torero Dancer. He has pulled the best draw against the paint and finished a fair 5,50 length fifth behind Bouclette Top down the Turffontein sprint track two weeks back.
That was his third placed effort in a row, and with a handy galloping weight from a good draw, this fellow could be the unknown danger to Hawksworth.He has his first run on the sand and the stable knows how to win on their Kimberley raids.
No Secret
The Hobb Alwahtan colt Secret Delight has run two places from two starts over the 1000m at Kimberley. He finished a 2,75 length third at level weights last time to Hawksworth and now meets him on 5,50kgs better terms. He is well drawn at 2 and it is worth noting that at both of his starts, he was running on at the business end. His dam won at 2000m. Could he be the value dark horse?
The Girls
Seven fillies line up, of which only Fantasy Hostess and La Flamme have won. Fantasy Hostess is a daughter of Argonaut and shed her maiden over the course and distance in the final week of June, but was then hammered eleven lengths by Hawksworth. She meets the topweight on the same terms here and her last unplaced outing does not brighten her prospects.
The Atso filly La Flamme may be best of the rest. She shed her maiden down the Kimberley 1000m straight in May. She followed that with an 8,25 length fifth to Hawksworth over the same trip in her post maiden run.
The weight differential there of 2,5 kgs has soared to 10 kgs in Monday’s race with the assistance of the claim allowance of apprentice Franklin Maleking, but it remains questionable whether La Flamme could turn the tables. Honolulu Express (Atso) and Chosen A’mour (Seul Amour) make their debut and the betting will be the best guide as to their chances.
Imagination
Hawksworth looks the business based on his performance and experience. He has beaten most of those he meets again. The unknown quantity of sand first timer Torero Dancer lurks in the shadows. Rebel Assault is well held, but could improve. Then Sioux She is a quartet inclusion on her Gr1 winning collateral form. It requires a stretch of the imagination, but that’s where one finds the value sometimes!
