A tough card for punters this Friday at Fairview on the Polytrack but we might have found a few runners who could provide in the last three races.
The first is Prince Vihaan who lines up in Race 6, a MR 84 Handicap over 1400m.
In handicaps it can sometimes pay to look for a runner who is improving or has recently run well above his handicap rating. This Lunga Gila-trained four-year-old gelding fits those criteria, in a sense.
Prince Vihaan certainly ran well above his merit rating of 75 when beating Ferrari Ice on the turf over 1600m at this course in March.
The terms of that race allow for only a six-point penalty so that is what he received. In theory he should have received a much larger penalty as that rival is a 102-rated gelding. Prince Vihaan did not repeat that level against a similar field next time out but the key this time could be his return to the Polytrack.
This gelding won two nice races at the end of 2022 on the Greyville Polytrack over 1400m.This is a tough race though and there are many in with a winning chance.
A race later in a MR 66 Handicap over 1200m, Travel Master can do the job for us.
Trainer Alan Greeff has his runners firing at the moment and this particular gelding has been threatening another win.
The Fairview Polytrack 1200m suits him well and if jockey Richard Fourie can get him well placed from a wide draw, he can finish off the race.
Trainer Zietsman Oosthuizen has let us down of late but we can recoup those losses if Beckoning Beauty can win Race 8, a MR 74 handicap over 1000m.
This What A Winter mare has always been at her best on the Polytrack so her last run on the turf behind Cliff Top is best ignored.
It is worth noting Oosthuizen has given the ride to talented JP van der Merwe and this mare can make all the running if back to her best.
Clive Robinson
