Given the heatwave gripping the country it will be a relief for racing at Turffontein tomorrow evening where temperatures will hopefully be a little kinder come sunset. The heat may be brutal but just how Brutal Force fares in the Pinnacle Stakes that heads the card will be interesting. The big purses of the Highveld have lured Western Cape-based trainers out of their stronghold and Joey Ramsden teams up with old ally Andrew Fortune in a Pinnacle Stakes sprint that heads the card.
Trip To Heaven (JC Photo)
Brutal Force’s merit rating may have suffered as a result of the hype that surrounded him early in his career and although has been pitted against the best around his successes may not quite have warranted his current rating.
However, given that this is a conditions event Brutal Force looks to be up against it and it’s difficult to look past top weight Trip To Heaven. Hardly a meeting passes on the Highveld or in KZN when Sean Tarry’s name does not appear in the results column and he looks to have picked another plum for the son of Trippi.
Lightly raced, Trip To Heaven has won four of his eight starts and the form of his last two have held up very well. He had the wood on recent Charity Mile winner Bouclette Top last time out and prior to that beat Bloodstock SA Ready To Run winner Lineker. He does have a fair weight to shoulder but is not giving much away to his rivals and given his rating he should prove too good for this line-up.
An interesting runner is the return of Forest Indigo. One of the stars of his sophomore year it all went wrong for Alec Laird’s runner and he goes to the gate for the first time since March this year.
There is no doubt that he will prefer further but with the Highveld season upon us, just how he fares will no doubt determine his future.
Mike de Kock appears to have unearthed another smart performer in Perfume Lady who does duty in the sixth, a handicap sprint over 1000m. The daughter of Captain Al landed the odds on debut and was then pitted against feature company on the Vaal sand. She was far from friendless in the market and duly obliged at just her second time at the track.
Her sand rating is significantly below her turf rating so she looks well in at these weights and along with Trip To Heaven should make a strong double.
By Andrew Harrison
