Sand hand – Mike Azzie’s smart Fort Wood gelding Pylon could be the banker bet of the day
The Azzie name represents four generations of proud history and achievement in South African horseracing and the Randjesfontein family business sends out the top-class sand specialist Pylon at the Vaal on Tuesday. The son of Fort Wood looks like one of the best bets of the week.
One of the great characters of the game, the emotionally flamboyant natty dresser Mike Azzie is one of the nicest guys around and has few peers when it comes to pride and presentation. One thing is guaranteed – win, lose or draw, he will have the talented Fort Wood gelding Pylon looking a million dollars again on Tuesday.
Too Strong
But image aside, the 4yo, who is unbeaten in three outings on the sand, looks to have the Open MR 98 Handicap at his disposal for the taking. In the absence of Sean Tarry’s established midweek sand king Mr Tobin, who is no doubt enjoying a well-deserved break, Pylon looks too strong for his seven rivals.
All That Azz! Trainer Mike Azzie looks to hold the ace here
A winner of his three sand starts by a total of nineteen lengths the R460 000 National Sale graduate is blossoming into a top sort and he should strip a fit horse. A 9-10 winner of an admittedly weakfish maiden event on turf, he has won 4 of his 10 starts
Mike De Kock’s classy Frontino Gold is a winner of 2 of his last three starts – the last beating Emerald Cup runner-up Beacon Flare over the Vaal 1450m.
That was the Australian-bred son of Hussonet’s first sand effort, and he showed remarkable fight and attitude. He gets 4kgs from Pylon and may prove the only serious danger to the Azzie horse.
Magner
The Roy Magner pair of Silver Specialist and Master Entertainer will no doubt catch the attention of Pick 6 players who may be looking for the favourite to get rolled.
Silver Specialist is a strong Spectrum gelding who is fit and well, having won 3 of his last 5 starts on the sand.
He disappointed last time over the mile when stepping up in class and fading to 8,25 lengths off Emponoso Henn. In his defence he was slightly slow off and could improve again over the 200m further of this race.
Silver Specialist should not get the better though of his stablemate Master Entertainer, who is 1,5kgs better off with him for a four length beating in their last clash.
Master Entertainer is also 4kgs better off with Pylon on their Vaal River Handicap meeting, although that may not be enough to reverse a 7,25 length deficit with Azzie’s star.
Tarry Factor
The Sean Tarry yard are inevitably a factor at this venue, but the American-bred Incomodo looks well held by Pylon on their clash at his penultimate start, when beaten 19 lengths.
Incomodo was reported to have made a respiratory noise at his last start and that adds weight to our decision for once to ignore the prospects of a runner from this powerful yard on the sand.
The 8yo does not appear too enthusiastic and probably has his very best days behind him.
He will be ridden by Apprentice ‘Doctor’ Sifiso Lembethe, who now incidentally only claims 1,5kgs as he rode his 40th winner recently.
The Dominic Zaki stable is in good form at the moment, churning out the winners at every meeting. They send out a coupling of Pimp My Ride and Dichotoma.
The Spectrum gelding Pimp My Ride is the likely stable elect, but appears to have lost his better form of earlier this year when he was in and out of the winner’s enclosure.
He managed a cracking second beaten only 0,75 lengths by Calanish in the Riverside Handicap at the end of March, but has failed to spark since.
He also ran a fair fourth 4,25 lengths behind Empenoso Henn over a mile last time, but will need to show more commitment to win this.
Dark Horse
Stylin’ On Pylon. Robbie Fradd shouldn’t work up too much of a sweat on the favourite.
The Al Mufti gelding Dichotoma is drawn against the paint and has his first run on the sand.
He is something of a dark horse here as an unknown quantity.
He shed his maiden in impressive style at Scottsville over 2400m in mid- July and has since relocated to the Zaki’s in Gauteng.
He showed his first spark of hope since his maiden, when staying on well behind Afterburner in an MR 70N Handicap over the Turffontein 2000m last time. With apprentice Neo Quale claiming, Dichotoma will only carry 49,5kgs and must be a place candidate if taking to this surface.
The 8yo Almustarak gelding Zebulon has his 82nd run on Tuesday and Tyrone Zackey’s course and distance winner appears to have lost form since a shock win on the turf in mid-October.
Pile On
All said and done, small fields can produce the upset. But the smart Pylon looks a touch too good and only the De Kock runner Frontino Gold looks capable of spoiling the Azz -Man’s party.
So pile on and enjoy the racing.
