Turffontein stages a nine race meeting tomorrow and the most interesting event is the fifth, a Graduation Plate over 1600, which features some good horses including the courageous Tiger Ridge filly Trophy Wife and the Australian-bred Teofilo colt Brazuca.
Trophy Wife is 2kg better off than any other horse in the race according to official merit ratings and her merit rating of 103 has been well earned. This is her first run since May, but she is ultra consistent as well as tough and Champion Trainer Sean Tarry’s charges have often been seen to come out after successful three-year-old campaigns and win first up as four-year-olds. The rest clearly does them good and Trophy Wife will likely arrive on course with considerable vigour and she has a good draw too.
Brazuca (Nkosi Hlophe)
Three-year-old Brazuca’s merit rating of 109, due to an unlucky short-head second in a Gr 1 over 1400m, is questionable considering he won his maiden last time out by 0,3 lengths. However, that was firstly over the too sharp 1200m and he beat a well-pedigreed Australian-bred first-timer, while the horse who finished a 2,9 length fourth came out and won a good race next time out over 1450m. However, he doesn’t have an easy draw and has some tough nuts to crack in just his fourth career start.
Four-year-old Majestic Bay finished a 0,5 length second to Mitraad over 1400m last time out and the latter went on to finish third in the Gr 2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile. However, he does have quite a tough draw.
Front Rank is 2kg worse off than Majestic Bay according to official merit ratings, but is a bit of an in and out sort and on his day can match it with some of the best of them. This is a suitable trip and he should be running on strongly from draw two with Gavin Lerena up.
The other three runners standing their ground, Nahoon Beach, Diesel Power and The Fifth Day are way out at the weights.
The selection is Trophy Wife to beat Front Rank and Brazuca.
The tip for the first race is the talented High Drama, who should have benefitted from gelding.
Night On The Hill could beat the well-bred Span Die Seile in the second.
Captainofmyheart could beat the first-timer Cherokee Grey in the third.
Gusheshe was backed on debut and could improve enough to win the fourth.
The sixth is competitive and Polly Wolly Doodle is the tip off a lenient merit rating and Arctic Route and Noor could follow her home.
The seventh could see a follow up win for Flaming Spirit, who should be coming into her own being by Silvano.
Oreo Shake looks to be the one to beat in the eighth and Lunar Approach might prove too classy in the ninth.
By David Thiselton
