Cool Customer. The talented Across The Ice looks to have the measure of his opposition at the Vaal on Tuesday
A full brother to champion 3yo Capetown Noir stands out in the Vaal Pinnacle Stakes on Tuesday. A serious racehorse on the sand, Across The Ice looks to carry too many guns in a race where the master Piere Strydom will have a winning plan mapped out from a good draw.
We have often reflected on the strength of jockey trainer combinations, and Sean Tarry and Piere Strydom are near invincible when they team up on any raceday. The combination travel to Vereeniging on Tuesday with Chris Van Niekerk’s first class Western Winter 6yo Across The Ice who is searching for an eighth career win.
Ups And Downs
Across The Ice has traversed the racing rollercoaster of fortune and frustration since making a breathtaking debut at Clairwood in June 2009 under Felix Coetzee. He romped home by six lengths that afternoon and his R650 000 price tag suddenly looked cheap. He was to only ever win a further two races on turf, before shown a distinct preference for sand. His last 12 runs have rendered 4 sand wins and he looks likely to add to that tally on Tuesday.
Strydom knows Across The Ice well and he faces a frankly enigmatic bunch of inconsistent performers. And that is frankly being kind to most of them! Across The Ice has 2,75 lengths advantage over the De Kock trained Right Beauty whom he beat in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1200m at his penultimate outing. This trip and the extra ground may probably suit Right Beauty’s style of racing and he comes in as an obvious danger.
Legend
Tarry also sends out the old legend of the sand, Mr Tobin and the mare, Follow The Piper. Mr Tobin was our chief contender for sand master of the year before falling out of the bus and losing his form in February this year. He did run on well when only 2,75 lengths behind The Mouseketeer last time and while apparently lame afterwards, could be creeping back to something near his better form.
Gavin Lerena has suddenly found his confidence and the art of riding winners again, and the young man partners a horse he knows very well. The danger label applies here! Follow The Piper ran a shocker in the Queen Of The Sand at her most recent outing and appears to have serious soundness issues. She is a course and distance winner though who is capable of picking herself up to at least run into the places on her better form.
Danger
Mike De Kock’s Right Beauty is a serious danger to Across The Ice, and while held by him on their most recent clash, he has won over the course and distance and is a serious, albeit inconsistent, challenger.
Right Beauty’s last effort on the turf can best be ignored as he was drawn 13 out of 13 and raced wide before dropping out to ran stone last and 19 lengths off Captain Haddock. He has shown fair ability and solid acceleration on this surface previously. Mike Azzie’s Fort Wood gelding Eugenes can probably be regarded as something of a course and distance specialist and surprised many when running a cracker on the turf this past week.
He showed good toe in a lowly rated handicap and was only narrowly collared by the longshot Gaz Man over the Vaal 1400m straight. Eugenes is held by Right Beauty at the weights, but is a pacy sort who may get lucky if things go his way.
Bar Talk
Paul Matchett’s 5yo Goldkeeper mare Raise The Bar is a course and distance winner and is drawn against the paint. A winner of 8 of her 3 starts, it is worrying that she has failed to assert herself against her own sex in recent months and looks unlikely to trouble the in form and capable males here. Kum Naidoo sends out a coupling of Storm Surf and Caryl’s Law.
The Kahal gelding Storm Surf appears above average and returned to winning ways last time when beating Keagan’s Jet in an MR 90 Handicap over Tuesday’s course and distance. Interestingly he had Eugenes some 23 lengths in arrears! Storm Surf has won 4 of his 13 starts and has his fourth run after a break of close on 18 months.
He appears to have recovered well and will be nearing peak fitness as he no doubt attempts to raise his claims for a berth in the Emerald Cup. He is nicely weighted, well drawn and has the services of the talented Nooresh Juglall. He is a danger in our book.
Poor
The same cannot be said of his embattled stablemate, Caryl’s Law. This individual last won in Kimberley in August 2012 when grabbing the honours in the Flamingo Mile. The son of Newton was considered good enough to run in the Emerald Cup over Tuesday’s course and distance but his recent form is nothing short of shocking and based on that has no chance.
Romeos Reward enjoys the sand, but the 4yo son of Fan Club’s Mister is battling to assert himself recently. His last run on the sand was a fair fifth 8 lengths behind the speedy Solarium over 1000m way back in January. It still looks like a tough call here.
Class
Across The Ice has that indelible touch of class and the proven aptitude and ability. Partnered by the master Strydom, he selects himself. If anything is to trouble him, then we obviously need to consider the De Kock factor in Right Beauty or Kum Naidoo’s low key Storm Surf.
An early break by Eugenes could see him steal a march if in the mood. The experienced and street savvy Strydom should have all these avenues covered though.So play it cool and on ice.
