As is so often the case with juveniles, punters are faced with some jumbled up form in the feature race at Fairview on Friday.
Race 7, the Listed East Cape Nursery over 1200m, contains nine runners and there may only be two who can be ruled out as unlikely winners – and those we will get back to later.
Before last Friday it was safe to think Sharon Kotzen-trained War Launch sets the standard for the colts this year as he looked good when winning on debut when beating rival in the Nursery, Vision Of Wonder, by a short head in January over 1000m, especially as that form was franked when Vision Of Wonder followed with a wide-margin win over stable companion Watch Tower who subsequently won easily on Monday.
War Launch took a trip to Cape Town and was not disgraced when finishing fourth in a decent field.
Moving on to another Gavin Smith trained runner Global Force who ran 3.85 lengths behind Vision Of Wonder when they both made their debuts in December.
Global Force next stepped out in February and was touched off by Alan Greeff-trained filly Summer Odyssey over 1000m.
In his third start Global Force beat Watch Tower by 0.75 lengths with Fairy Knight back in third, two lengths adrift of the winner on the Polytrack. Fairy Knight showed signs of inexperience that day.
But possibly the key race is the next run where War Launch met Fairy Knight over 1000m on the 24 March.
War Launch was sent out favourite and Fairy Knight was well supported to beat him. The race went according to script for the first 800m with War Launch going well up in front and his rivals coming under pressure early.
Fairy Knight was a couple of lengths off his rival and for most of the race did not look like he would trouble War Launch, but in the last 200m the engines kicked in and he quickened in good style to win going away by 2.25 lengths.
Stepping up to 1200m should suit Fairy Knight and there should be enough improvement forthcoming to see him turn the tables on Global Force, that could be based more on a gut feel than form.
It is also interesting that form-wise the stable companion to Fairy Knight, Summer Odyssey, should go very close to winning although Richard Fourie will be on Fairy Knight and not her.
Back to the no-hopers and they could be the Gavin Smith-trained pair Bridgerton and first-timer Aadeyha.
Bridgerton was thrashed by Fairy Knight last time out and Aadeyha will need to be very smart to beat these on his debut.
Clive Robinson
