Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Lord London, Thandolwami set to fire

David Thiselton
Two Summerveld stars, the Alistair Gordon-trained Lord London and the Craig Eudey-trained Thandolwami, are both in good shape for their upcoming feature race engagements.
Lord London, unbeaten in three starts from 1200-1450m, has his first real test in the R200,000 Grade 3 Sunday Tribune Byerley Turk over 1400m at Scottsville on Sunday.
Jockey Anthony Delpech has boldly stated that he would rate the striking chestnut son of Hussonet as the best three-year-old colt in the country, such is the feeling he has given him in his races.
Delpech received high praise for his last ride on Lord London, when he coaxed the approximately 60% fit horse to victory without putting him under unnecessary stress.
Yesterday Lord London, who has clearly come on a lot since that outing, was literally rearing to go before his early morning workout.
He was a touch fresh and was giving the occasional buck.
Gordon said that was a good sign.
He added that Lord London was an easy horse to train and always ate up everything put in front of him.
The colt did pace work over about 600m in the company of King’s Shilling, who was ridden by Carrie Radford.
Striding out nicely, he was hard on the bit throughout with Delpech standing high but comfortably in the irons.
Lord London has a dream draw of two in the Byerley Turk.
His main danger if standing his ground could be the Dean Kannemeyer-trained Target Acquired, who is unbeaten in four starts, all over 1200m.
Target Acquired is a full-brother to the Joey Ramsden-trained Nania, who won the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes for juvenile fillies over 1600m in 2007.
Kannemeyer said last week that, despite his breeding, the Western Winter colt looked to be more of a sprinter at this stage.
He is entered in a conditions race over 1400m at Greyville on Friday night too and Kannemeyer said that whichever of the two races he takes part in will tell him more about the colt and what his future targets would be.
He would like to run him in the Grade 2 Korean Racing Association Guineas at Greyville on May 10, the race that is the target of Lord London.
Thandolwami is being prepared for the Grade 1 R2million Champion Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein on Saturday, April 25.
The four-year-old chestnut gelding by Woodborough is known for his consistency and the strong and sustained finishing run that he produces.
He does take a while to get going in the straight though, so the long Turffontein run-in is ideal for him, as he proved in the Grade 2 November Handicap over 1600m last year when flying up for a short-head second to Likeithot.
Thandolwami appears to be getting better and better, so could be a contender in the Challenge, despite having to find 5,75 lengths with Summer Cup winner Rudra on 0,5kg worse terms.
He finished fifth in the Summer Cup, also over 2000m at Turffontein, but didn’t have the clearest of passages down the straight and could have got closer.
Thandolwami strode out very nicely in his pace work over about 800m on the sand on Saturday.
Eudey said that the gelding goes on any ground, but having a bit of cut would be the best situation for him in the Challenge.
Thandolwami will be taken up to Johannesburg by John Fox on the morning of the race, the same travelling arrangement that had worked well for him in two previous raids.

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