Trainer Alan Greeff wrapped up yet another Eastern Cape Champion Trainer award for the season 2023/2024 and he has two nice shots at picking up some early feature races at Fairview on Friday.
Luna Halo has been very good all year, that is until fluffing her lines in a sprint last time, but she can bounce back to challenge for top honours in Race 6, the East Cape Paddock Stakes (Listed) over 1600m
Jockey Richard Fourie has a fine record on the four-year-old filly and with the South African Champion Jockey having a well-earned break it is replacement rider Sean Veale who gets the nod.
Luna Halo has won three of five races over the distance and has two wins and a second place in three starts over the track and trip.
it is a competitive race and there are a few entities from the Western Cape who will be keen to take her on.
The father-and daughter team of Harold Crawford and Michelle Rix do not raid too often at Fairview, so it is worth considering five-year-old mare Time For Love.
She was a good winner over this distance at Kenilworth on 5 May and was not disgraced in her two starts since over a bit further.
This distance clearly suits her and she should make a bold bid at scoring.
Trainer Candice-Bass Robinson has a decent strike rate when raiding and Rainbow Lorikeet will have Aldo Domeyer in the irons. Domeyer has won two of the last three times he has ridden her.
He will also be aboard a Bass-Robinson trained runner in Race 7, the Listed Memorial Mile over 1600m, in the form of Sugar Mountain
Sugar Mountain is clearly at his very best on a soft track and he will want enough rain for them not to move it to the Polytrack.
He is also weighted to win if the handicapper has it correct.
Against him though is the fact that the last time he travelled, which was to Turffontein, we saw his worst performance.
Travelling to the Highveld from Cape Town has been a difficult task so that run is best ignored but we will still take him on with the talented Fairy Knight.
This now four-year-old has had a very good year so far winning five times and his only defeat was in the East Cape Derby where he failed to see out the distance.
He showed he was still in fine form when beating elders last time out over 1300m.
Clive Robinson
