Punters looking for an edge at Turffontein’s Inside track on Saturday should keep three of the country’s leading riders firmly on the shortlist, with Keagan de Melo, visiting Cape-based star Richard Fourie and Gavin Lerena all holding strong hands on a nine-race Highveld programme.
De Melo should get the meeting off to a winning start aboard Tenareef in Race 1 over 1200m. The Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained filly has been costly to follow in her three starts, all under De Melo, but the daughter of Rafeef would not be winning out of turn if she finds even the slightest improvement.
She attracted market support when fourth on debut, then confirmed that promise with another close-up effort over the same trip at Hollywoodbets Greyville. Her final juvenile appearance came at the Vaal Classic track, where she started odds-on but failed to deliver.
Now a three-year-old, she need not improve much on that effort to get punters off to a profitable start.
Fourie makes the trip north for a seven-ride book and Jimmy Vega looks his best opportunity to strike early in Race 3 over 1450m. Joe Soma’s three-year-old son of Malmoos has placed in all four starts but has twice disappointed as a short-priced favourite, including his latest effort over this course and distance.
A subsequent gelding operation could prove the catalyst. If it has brought about the expected improvement, Jimmy Vega has the class to finally break through.
Fourie could then double up aboard Empress Of Peace in Race 4, also over 1450m. Tyrone Zackey’s Declarationofpeace filly has finished in the frame in eight of her 10 starts and was a close-up third over this course and distance a fortnight ago.
Unexposed rivals Scented Alley and Storm Avalanche may have greater scope for improvement, but Empress Of Peace brings the one thing punters can never buy – hard-earned experience. That reliability makes her a serious inclusion.
De Melo has another compelling chance in Race 5 with Periodic Table. The Van Vuuren-trained son of Danon Platina opened his account in emphatic fashion over this trip at the Vaal earlier this month and appears to have been treated generously with an opening handicap mark.
Still lightly raced and now only six starts into his career, the four-year-old gelding has scope to improve again. Bottom-weight of 54kg only strengthens the appeal. He looks one of the day’s more interesting betting propositions.
Lerena’s strongest opportunities arrive later, beginning with King’s Express for Fabian Habib in Race 6 over 1800m.
The seven-year-old veteran was beaten 5.60 lengths by Palace Prince over this distance on the Standside track last month, but the revised terms give him 4kg back and, more importantly, he returns to a course where he has already won three times over the trip. That Inside-track record should not be dismissed lightly.
A repeat of his best form would put him firmly in the picture.
Lerena and Habib could then complete a double with the progressive Aint No Doubt in Race 7 over 1800m. The Elusive Fort gelding has finished runner-up in both starts since being gelded, most recently over 1500m at this venue.
That latest effort suggested he is crying out for more ground, and the step up to 1800m could bring the improvement needed to go one better.
Clive Robinson
