Computaform Sprint hero William Robertson is the star attraction on the nine-race Standside card at Turffontein this weekend, Saturday 2 August, and Corne Spies’ stable star is weighted to win for a remarkable 16th time in his career.
The versatile veteran gelding has won from 1000m to 1800m in 45 starts but reverts to the minimum trip for the first time since last season’s Grace 1 success in Race 8 over 1000m. The seven-year-old son of Rafeef reunites with apprentice Trent Mayhew, who takes a handy 1.5kg off the back.
William Robertson was far from disgraced last week’s Grade 1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m on Super Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville where he finished just 3.10 lengths off winner Buffalo Storm Cody, having travelled well into the final 400m before his challenge petered out in the concluding stages. And on the evidence of that performance, the return to 1000m will be more to his liking.
Elsewhere on the card, champion jockey Gavin Lerena and Highveld-based trainer Fanie Bronkhorst will likely enjoy doubles on the day.
Lerena has winning chances throughout the meeting but should strike in the opener aboard Trippi filly On The Run (Race 1) over 1000m. She was backed to start at odds of 13-10 on debut over the same track and trip eight weeks ago when showing pace throughout before tiring to finish third under the same rider.
Johan Janse van Vuuren’s inmate would have benefitted from the experience and, with improvement expected, she may well repay her followers.
Candice Dawson-trained Truth could do likewise when reunited with Lerena, under whom he has won two of three associations, in Race 4 over 1400m. This well-bred Heavenly Blue gelding (out of a Frankel mare) had legitimate excuses for a disappointing last start in the Grade 3 Post Merchants over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville last month, and a return to the Highveld over a course and distance he enjoys will suit Lerena’s mount, especially as the blinkers Dawson’s charge wore last time are dispensed with.
Visiting KwaZulu-Natal jockey Serino Moodley takes over the reins from Lerena aboard thriving Pomodoro mare Princess Ilaria in Race 7 and three-point penalty for her last-start victory over 1400m isn’t likely to prevent Bronkhorst’s charge from following up over 1600m.
The same jockey-trainer combination will likely complete its double and close out the meeting with Valieva in Race 9 over 1160m. This daughter of Var bounced back to form with a fast-finishing third over the same course and distance three weeks ago and a repeat of that performance, off an unchanged mark, should suffice for Bronkhorst’s four-year-old filly.
Clive Robinson
