The first leg of this season’s Workrider series takes place tomorrow at the Vaal Inside track and the first-timers will play a part as all eight races are uninspiring maidens.
There are two interesting first-timers in the first race over 1000m. The Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Glacus is by Querari out of a Western Winter mare who won five times over 1000m so this R300,000 purchase should have plenty of speed. He looks to be the stable choice as he will be ridden by Francis Semela, who had the joint most number of workrider race winners last season on eleven. The Mike de Kock-trained Mawshoof is by Trippi out of a twice-winning Western Winter half-sister to two Grade 2 winners, including Alderry, who is the dam of SA Derby winner Al Sahem. The low draws are usually favourable by trends down the straight on this course and this will give Mawshoof, who is drawn five, an advantage over the barrier ten drawn Glacus. However, Glacus’s speed breeding gives him the nod. The best of those to have run looks to be Ragnarok, who was not disgraced on debut behind the two-year-old champion Mustaaqeem. He hasn’t run since April, but ability-wise looks superior to the rest of the raced horses. However, Tumbling Stream, an improving sort who went close over this trip last time out, should finish in the quartet, although he does have a high draw. Toby Coates has the form to earn. Sage Rock is well bred and has shown a lot of pace in both of his starts before fading. He now drops to the minimum trip and should strip fitter so is a dark horse.
In race two over 1000m, Schippers is speedily bred being by Var out of the Count Dubois sprinter Fair Rosalind. The latter had precocious speed, winning her first two starts as a two-year-old and she later won the Grade 3 Magnolia Handicap over 1160m in the December of her three-year-old year. Schippers will be ridden by Goodman Dadamasi, who had the joint most number of workrider winners last season. Glencassley could be a big threat as one with tremendous cruising speed. She will undoubtedly appreciate the step down to 1000m and her pace should enable her to choose whichever side the jockey wants to go to from a high draw. Her rider is inexperienced, but has ridden a place in his two rides this season. Ilha Da Var has also shown enough to be able to place.
In the third race over 1400m the reigning champion workrider Sam Mosia rides the selection Diva Faustina. This horse should do well over 1400m down the straight as she went a bit fast three runs ago over this trip around the turn, but still held on for third. If ridden a bit more conservatively from the front she should go close and a draw of six, which is favourable by trends, should allow Mosia to do so. The Australian-bred Yes We Do makes her debut and is most interesting, being by the brilliant ten times Grade 1 winner So You Think out of a winning half-sister to a Grade 1 placed horse. Siyabonga Mthembu, who rode three winners last season, is aboard. Queen Anne is always fancied in the betting due to her hard knocking form, but she is hard to win with as she is a handy to front-running sort who doesn’t find the necessary extra in the closing stages. Queensberry Square and Princess Tin Tin can earn on form and the first-timer Lady Adela is interesting being by Crusade out of a full sister to Grade 3 Three Troikas winner Sharp Mistress.
In the fourth race over 1400m the vote goes to Cyrus, but he’s not a confident choice. He was left out of his ground on debut over 1160m and ran on quite well, but not in the eye-catching style which inspires confidence. He is only chosen due to the weakness of the field. Soldat looks to be a better place accumulator banker as he is distance suited and consistently thereabouts. The first-timer Sucha Charmer will win easily if anything like as good as his full-brother Africa Rising, but Lucky Houdalakis does tend to bring his good horses on slowly but surely.
In the fifth over 1200m the Mike de Kock first-timer Yaamen is by Silvano out of a Grade 2 Betting World Oaks placed horse. However, despite the stoutness of the pedigree he is the choise as the pedigree also has class and that could pull him through. Chamu Mabaya is a top workrider and has six rides for De Kock on the day. The hard knocking Flying Russian should finish in the top three and No Man’s Land can be involved if starting better than he did on debut.
The sixth is over 2400m and jockeyship should be at a premium here so Mosia is chosen to bring home the proven stayer Pocahontas Girl. Just A Jet with Semela up could be a threat and Until Dawn could improve over this trip.
The seventh over 1800m is a tough race and going wide would be wise, although the Gardner Girl with Mosia up is the selection.
In the eight over 1800m Collegiate could be the best bet on the card, although a concern is rider Paulus Jevu’s low winning strike rate. This five-year-old gelding by Ideal World ran on strongly for second over 2000m on Saturday after a slow start and if the penny has dropped he will be hard to beat.
By David Thiselton