Trainer Tony Peter looks set for a hat-trick on Thursday at Turffontein with two promising three-year-old fillies and a stayer who looks ready to strike.
In Race 5, a FM95 Handicap over 1600m, Rachel Venniker will be aboard Kensal Green for Peter.
This daughter of Gimmethegreenlight has won three of her last five starts. Despite carrying top weight, she can go in again and Venniker’s 1.5kg sex allowance coulkd prove vital. Venniker has ridden Kensal Green twice – for a win and a third-place finish – so shed knows the filly well.
They have drawn well in gate 4. The only concern is that Kensal Green is winless over the Turffontein Inside course in five runs, but she comes into the race primed to get it right.
In Race 6, a MR72 Handicap over 2600m, Gavin Lerena will be doing duty for Peter aboard Euphrates.
This gelded son of Wings Of Desire, who will be turning five on 1 August, will be having his third run after a break.
Last time out, in a race where only three runners went to post, he finished just 4 lengths behind Enflame. The latter boasts a merit rating of 112 compared to the 70 of Euphrates, so despite finishing last of the three, that run proved Euphrates is more than capable of winning a race of this calibre.
This time round, the average merit rating of the 11 runners is 64, so this signicant drop in class bodes well for Peter’s charge.
In Race 7 a FM94 Handicap over 1200m, Venniker partners with Hathighwaytothesky for Peter.
A two-time winner from seven runs, this daughter of Hat Puntano can be forgiven her last run when fading at the business end over 1200m at Greyville on the polytrack.
That was her first run after a four-month break, so to say that she was inm need of the run, would be an understatement.
Back on the Highveld, and stripping fitter, she ought to bounce back to close to her best.
Hathighwaytothesky also has the added advantage of jumping from pole position – a very important factor over 1200m on the Turffontein Inside course.
Clive Robinson
