Well-bred mare Green Isle clearly did not like soft tracks earlier this year. A change of trainers and a switch to the Polytrack has seen her double her tally of wins.
Trainer Alan Greeff will be very proud that he received the Gimmethegreenlight mare as a two-time winner after 18 starts, and she is unbeaten in two runs for him.
Green Isle impressed on her local debut when scoring over 1200m on 8 August under S’manga Khumalo. She was clearly lucky to only pick up a two-point penalty for that win.
Jockey Richard Fourie rode a very confident race aboard the five-year-old mare later that month to win a MR 82 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m by an easy 1.75 lengths. The handicapper was not as kind the second time around, as she picked up a five-point penalty.
She has a tricky draw, but Fourie remains aboard her and she does quicken nicely, so expect a big run from her.
It is a Polytrack meeting, so it is best to stick to proven runners on that surface. With that in mind, Palancar and Twilight Bay are two others on this card that could be worth betting on.
Palancar only found a very hard-ridden Party Girl a short head better last time out when he made his Polytrack debut.
Blinkers have now been added, and the four-year-old gelding should go close to winning Race 1, a Maiden Plate over 1300m. Jockey Marco van Rensburg gets an opportunity to make amends for that narrow defeat.
Trainer Gavin Smith is clearly getting a good tune out of Twilight Bay, and the step up to 1900m again could pay dividends. The daughter of Potala Palace tried to match strides with Green Isle until being outgunned late, and that form does look the pick of Race 6, a MR 68 Handicap for fillies and mares.
Clive Robinson
