Clive Robinson
Ashley Fortune has, by her own standards, not had the best start to the racing season.
The Vaal-based trainer finished last season in tenth position on the trainers log with 66 winners and a win strike-rate of 12 percent.
So far this season, which started on 1 August, she is in nineteenth position on the log having saddled seven winners from 71 runners for a win strike-rate of just under 10 percent.
She should, however, be able to improve her statistics on Thursday 22 September, when she looks set for a double in the last two races on the Turffontein Inside track.
In Race 7, a FM87 Handicap over 1000m, her Oratorio filly On Cue could well return to winning ways.
Two consecutive victories, followed by a runner-up finish in a FM80 Handicap, saw her merit rating increase by eight points. Despite this increase, she gave a very good account of herself in her penultimate against stronger than she meets here.
Last time out, on her debut on the Turffontein Inside track, she battled to get going from a bad draw.
This time round, with Ryan Munger back in the saddle and jumping from gate 2, she looks primed for a fifth career win, especially with her knowledge of the course.
On Cue is notoriously slow out the blocks and relies heavily on her acceleration in the final 400m to reel in the field, often from near stone last.
If she gets going from the word go here, she might not have to do too much chasing, but can look forward to playing catch-me-if-you-can.
In Race 8, a FM70 Handicap also over 1000m, Fortune saddles three runners.
With Munger aboard Laetitia’s Angel, it’s obvious that this five-year-old Potala Palace mare is the stable elect.
Laetitia’s Angel has been in prolific form since being fitted with blinkers.
She was denied a hat-trick recently when finishing only half a length behind Red Carpet Girl, that run sandwiched between two solid wins, the first coming over this course.
Her eight-point penalty for her recent performances seems quite lenient and she should be the one to beat despite carrying top weight.
