David Thiselton
Summerveld trainer Louis Goosen has a couple of runners on World Pool Gold Cup day on Sunday at Hollywoodbets Greyville as well as a reserve and he is bullish about all three of them.
In the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes over 1600m he runs the giant horse Erik Dubois who ran on well last time out in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m and is improving all the time.
Goosen said, “He is a big, solid sort, you are talking about a 600kg two-year-old and he is still growing in the hindquarters, so I don’t know if he will even fit into the starting stalls – they might have to extend the back or something! He is a magnificent horse. You will see the best of him at three, but I think he is a huge, huge runner in the Champion Stakes on Sunday. He is still a soft, big boy, but he is coming on all the time. He is at the top of his game.”
As opposed to the Golden Horseshoe when drawn widest of all in 14 and dropped in near the back before running on for a 2,95 length sixth, the Laurence Wernars family-owned horse is now drawn three and he has the bonus of three-time SA Champion jockey Lyle Hewitson aboard.
Earlier in the Gr 2 World Pool With Race Coast Debutante over 1200m he runs Ferrari Flair. This Vercingetorix two-year-old filly might still be a maiden, but she has shown class against the best.
In the Gr 3 Tote Strelitzia Stakes over 1100m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville she finished a 0,35 length third in her career third start.
She followed that with a 6,25 length seventh in the Gr 2 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m in which she ran on very well from last after being squeezed out at the start.
Next time out she ran a fine 2,30 length third to Alice B Toklas in the Listed Devon Air Stakes over 1400m from a pole position draw.
In her last start she didn’t find much extra late when handy and running a 3,25 length eighth in the Gr 2 Amusnet Golden Slipper over 1400m.
She now reverts to a 1200m trip.
Goosen said, “We have got her absolutely spot on and I think she is definitely a runner. We had to decide whether to go up to the mile or back to the 12 and as she has run some crackers over sprints we decided to come down in trip. We managed to get Richard Fourie for the ride.”
Ferrari Flair has landed a plum draw of three and as a non-winner gets 2,5kg from the Gr 2 Amusnet Golden Slipper winner Palace Of Arvernia. Interestingly the latter beat her by 1,40 lengths in the Allan Robertson over this trip, so that puts them just about together at the weights here.
Ferrari Flair should be staying on strongly and has a chance.
The yard’s reserve runner is Blazing Fury, who is second reserve for the Listed HKIR In December Umngeni Handicap over 1000m.
Louis said, “Blazing Fury will be one of the nicest place bets in a long time if he gets in as he has been set 52kg and I will have claimer Blaine Marx-Jacobson up. He will be out at the weights still but it won’t matter he will be a huge runner if there are two scratchings.”
