The Highveld’s feature-race season kicks off this weekend with the running of the Listed Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m, the main event on an eight-race Inside track fixture at Turffontein on Saturday 23 August.
The Betway-sponsored feature was won last year by Robbie Sage-trained Quantum Leap who lines up again in defence of his title for new owners and trainer Sean Tarry.
This consistent son of Querari ended a run of four consecutive seconds four weeks ago when winning over 1000m on the Standside track under Muzi Yeni in the six-year-old gelding’s last start for Sage and previous owner Ian van Schalkwyk before joining Tarry’s yard after changing hands.
He carries the prominent red, white and black silks of the Wernars Family for the first time in Saturday’s feature and will be ridden by S’manga Khumalo who, incidentally, steered Quantum Theory to victory in the same race 12 months ago.
The extra 200m and a three-point penalty for his last-start success will hold no fears for Quantum Theory who is likely to prove a popular exotic-bet banker on Saturday’s Highveld meeting that also includes a R500,000 carryover to the Pick 6 pool which is expected to reach a mouthwatering R3 million.
Another recent scorer and potential Pick 6 banker is Vibe SA in Race 5 over 1450m. Tony Peter’s inmate confirmed the improvement of his previous outing by running on from a long way back to win over 1200m in his latest appearance and a two-point increase is unlikely to prevent him from following up, especially with the aid of his rider’s 4kg apprentice allowance.
Furthermore, on the evidence of his fast-finishing victory 10 weeks ago, the extended trip should be well within his compass.
Stablemate Blizzard Snow continued her good form with a last-start second against male opposition over 1160m earlier this month and a repeat of that performance should see the four-year-old return to winning ways – for the third time in her last five outings – in Race 6 over 1200m.
Visiting KwaZulu-Natal jockey Serino Moodley is riding at the top of his game and enjoyed success on the Highveld at a midweek Vaal meeting recently and that trend is set to continue with Blizzard Belle.
Clive Robinson
