It is a tough card of which to find winners at Turffontein on Saturday but there are a few that may be of some value. Trainer Alec Laird has two of them.
The first of them is The Playboy Bomber, who runs in Race 4, a MR 96 Handicap over 1800m. The Lancaster Bomber gelding is probably at his very best over a bit further but did win over this course and distance in January.
That was the first time jockey Chase Maujean had ridden the five-year-old gelding, and he clearly gets a tune out of him. He has ridden The Playboy Bomber six times, winning three of them, finishing runner-up twice and recording one sixth-place finish. That is a good record to defend.
A race later, stable companion Doctor Strangelove could follow up on his maiden victory. This three-year-old gelding has only had three starts and showed improvement when scoring over 2000m on the Turffontein Inside track last month.
He tackles much tougher this time around but does get weight from most of his rivals and that should be to his advantage in the closing stages. Jockey Calvin Habib retains the ride and knows how to get the best out of him.
Vibe SA was very frustrating to follow earlier in his career, but he is now a five-time winner and might have a few more in his tank. The five-year-old gelding has been very unreliable of late, but he fought on gamely for a solid victory last time out over this course and distance a few weeks ago.
He meets many of those rivals again but only picked up a three-point penalty for that success, so may well follow up.
Trainer Tony Peter is sending out a steady stream of winners and Geostorm could pop up at each-way odds in Race 8, a MR 74 Handicap over 1160m. The Buffalo Bill Cody gelding seemed to need his latest start when fifth behind Cold Shine.
That winner has won again and Geostorm will strip fitter and could score under Rachel Venniker.
Clive Robinson
