Monday’s Greyville card is a mixture of the seemingly obvious and the difficult. The obvious could come in the third where the Peter Muscutt-trained Shoefella is the obvious choice after racking up three consecutive runners-up berths. He had a tough draw last run and rates the one to beat. Gary Rich sends out Double Rugged who makes his poly debut. He made marked improvement last start and appears to have come to hand. Queen Britanna makes the trip from the Highveld for Grant Maroun and although she takes on males and her form is modest, the switch to the poly track could bring out the best.
One of the better bets could come in the last. El Dante is lightly raced and a smart horse according to his trainer MJ Odendaal. He was an easy winner of his penultimate start and then found the extra of his last outing a touch too far from a wide draw. Down in trip with a 1.5kg allowance he could prove hard to beat.
Should he fail to run up to expectations, Immeasurable has been consistent for Paul Lafferty and goes well this trip while although Quiz Master has the worst of the draw his last win was over course and distance and he has been close-up in his last two since.
In the card opener, Paris Rain was touched off over a mile last time out but MJ Odendaal has dropped him back to a sprint with first time blinkers. Raf’s Rocket takes on older horses but raced green on debut and can make the required improvement in a mostly exposed field that includes One Irish Rover who has been consistent and goes well over the trip while Michael Roberts has taken a leaf out of the Odendaal book and dropped Zabadak back to a sprint with second time blinkers.
Paul Matchett has been having a good run with his Highveld raiders of late and sends out United We Stand to make her poly debut in the second. She has not been far back at her last two and the extra furlong should suit given her pedigree. Baby On Board is the first of Robbie Hill’s entries and given the jockey bookings Marco van Rensburg may have had the choice even though champion jockey elect Keagan de Melo will be aboard the year older Telio who has some fair recent form on the turf.
The fourth is an open handicap. Gareth van Zyl’s runner Iron Bark has the widest draw but that should not matter much in a small field. He is a course and distance specialist and the stable is in good form of late. The lightly raced Jet Legacy is something of an unknown. He was a comfortable maiden winner at second time of asking for Alyson Wright and that form has worked out quite well. He’s in the deep end here but looks progressive. Purple Operator is back on his favourite surface but does look to be slightly better over an extra furlong which could find him out.
The fifth is something of a punter’s nightmare but Heather Adamson is a rare visitor to KZN and saddles Gimme The Flame. The filly is battling for her second win but has been racing against much stronger in her home province. She has the best of the draw and if she takes to the poly she may be to one to beat. Carl Hewitson saddles New Orleans who has drawn wide but has finished close-up in all three starts since being tried in blinkers. She may just have needed her last run and goes well over course and distance. Magicallee has her first run for her new stable and is never far back. De Melo is an eye-catching booking by Gary Rich. Poppy Of Bayeux has the widest draw but has made recent improvement and can go one better than her last start.
Sean Tarry sends out Maboneng, his only runner on the day, who boast some consistent Highveld form over the trip. She makes her poly debut and if taking to the surface may be the one to beat in another difficult race. Maggie Tee has the worst of the draw but has come good of late and loves the synthetic surface. The extra furlong should be in her favour. Hatta is a poly specialist and seldom runs a bad race of late. She is distance suited and the apprentice claim should boost her chances. Green Dream needed her last run and had shown good form in stronger company before her break and she must be included in all calculations.
The Duncan Howells-trained Birdwatcher is long overdue another win having finished in the money in her last four over course and distance. She has a handy weight and should be right up their again. Blush Of Dawn is another that goes well over course and distance. She was runner-up against stronger opposition last time out and a repeat should see her close again. Spirited Flight has been off form since her maiden win but caught the eye from a tough draw last time out and a better gate over an extra furlong could see Mark Dixon’s filly surprise.
