Consistent recent scorers Bob’s Your Uncle and Claw reappear on the weekend’s nine-race Highveld card at Turffontein on Sunday 15 June and despite their resultant penalties, both versatile last-start winners are good value to follow up at the Standside fixture.
Lucky Houdalakis-trained galloper Bob’s Your Uncle has taken his game to a new level this year – in four 2025 appearances, this son of Royal Mo finished second in back-to-back sprints before winning consecutive recent outings over 1400m and, most recently, over 1450m. His last three starts came under Craig Zackey who retains the ride aboard the five-year-old gelding in Race 7 over 1160m.
The latest of those runners-up finishes was over the same course and distance with Zackey aboard, albeit off a nine-point lower mark.
Bob’s Your Uncle showed his form and well-being by following up his 1400m gun-to-tape Vaal victory with another frontrunning success over 1450m on Turffontein’s Inside track under a three-point hike.
He lines up off a career-high mark after a further six-point increase but that isn’t likely to prevent another bold winning bid from the Houdalakis inmate under his title-chasing rider.
Mike and Adam Azzie’s charge Claw, a lightly raced and maturing son of Horizon, was rewarded for his consistency with a deserved last-start success and returns to the scene of that victory four weeks ago in Race 8 over 1600m.
The four-year-old gelding was given a confident ride by reigning champion apprentice Kobeli Lihaba when winning over the same course and distance last time, and a subsequent three-point rise for that workmanlike success seems rather lenient so shouldn’t halt the Azzie runner’s winning momentum.
Other last-start winners whose progress it should pay to follow are two-year-old filly Versace Onthetrack (Race 1) and highly regarded youngster Jan Van Goyen (Race 2).
The former, a grey daughter of Danon Platina, confirmed the promise of her debut second by winning next time out over 1000m at the same venue and a step up to 1160m in the opener should unlock improvement.
Exciting debut scorer Jan Van Goyen could hardly have been more impressive when justifying betting support to make a winning introduction over 1160m earlier this month, and his quick reappearance suggests the Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Master Of My Fate colt has taken that run well.
Jan Van Goyen is open to any amount of improvement and should be confidently followed until beaten.
Clive Robinson
