Turffontein’s Standside track stages an intriguing eight-race programme on Sunday, 7 December, and while it lacks the marquee star power of last weekend’s Betway Summer Cup bonanza, the card has a deceptively strong betting profile.
The narrative points to three key protagonists worth building exotics around: master conditioner Sean Tarry, upwardly mobile handler Fanie Bronkhorst, and apprentice rider Savannah Valjalo, who could walk away with doubles apiece.
Tarry’s influence on Highveld racing continues unchecked, and punters should gravitate toward his well-related youngsters in Race 2, an 800m Maiden Juvenile Plate, featuring two colts who caught the eye on debut eight days ago over the exact same strip.
Turn It Up, a son of Querari, ran a blinder when chasing home well-backed Heath House on Summer Cup day. He shaped like a horse with plenty of promise and natural improvement should be forthcoming.
The market will take note of one significant pointer: top rider Craig Zackey abandons stablemate Status Symbol to partner Turn It Up. The kind of decision that is seldom random.
Even so, Status Symbol is no back number. The Gimmethgreenlight colt made up late ground to finish fourth on unsuitably debutant terms and will relish the familiarity of both the track and the occasion. Both Tarry juveniles should finish in the money, with Turn It Up the clear yardstick.
The trainer’s second likely strike comes in Race 5 courtesy of One Fine Winter, a What A Winter filly whose juvenile CV includes a pair of placed finishes in consecutive Grade 1 races – over 1200 and 1600m.
She resurfaces after 133 days away with a bit to find at the weights but the manner in which she competed at the highest level hints at a filly still on the rise. If she resumes anywhere near her peak, the race could revolve around her.
Bronkhorst, meanwhile, is not merely attached to the supporting cast. His yard often thrives when the spotlight dims and Sunday looks a fertile hunting ground. His Open Highway was a ‘talking horse’ on Cup Day, backed with conviction before finishing a gallant second over 1600m, the same course and distance over which he lines up in Race 6.
The Var gelding remains on a competitive rating and now returns with blinkers fitted and S’manga Khumalo booked, a potent upgrade that adds confidence to a profile already brimming with consistency. Anything resembling a repeat of his last run puts him in the winner’s enclosure.
The stable’s second likely victor is the more enigmatic Bumps Last Grind, who disappointed last time but emerged from that outing with a legitimate excuse – reported as not striding out.
Before that blip, his trajectory suggested a horse steadily progressing into a proper handicapper.
Now he benefits from an ease in grade and, crucially, will be partnered by apprentice Valjalo, whose 4kg claim transforms him from value proposition to genuine contender for top honours.
Valjalo herself is riding as though the game has slowed down for her. Confidence is a currency in this sport, and she has plenty of it.
Not only can Bumps Last Grind help her to close the day on a high, but she has live ammunition earlier via Tony Peter-trained Underdog in Race 3.
Underdog has shaped like a horse ready to put it all together, and Valjalo’s allowance enhances his profile further.
Clive Robinson
