Perusing the various tipping guides for today’s Scottsville meeting, one must come to the conclusion that you either follow your favourite guide or tipster or go with what you fancy. The tips rarely coincide so it looks to be a day of lucrative payouts if you find the correct combinations.
Coys has been a little like the Tottenham Hotspur soccer team, promising but not always delivering, but the penny appears to have finally dropped with Paul Lafferty’s colt and he can make amends for his narrow defeat to Pure Logic last time out.
Shedding his maiden, Coys proved too smart for Bear Hug, who has since been touched off again, but was decidedly unlucky behind Pure Logic after finding traffic at a crucial stage of the race.
Back over course and distance he could have the measure of hat-trick seeking Hero Quest while Calabash has his second outing for a new yard and can threaten while Wealthy is showing signs of returning to form and cannot be written off lightly.
To sum up, Coys is progressive and was unlucky last run but Hero Quest, Calabash and Wealthy can all make it hot.
Louis Goosen has an impressive winning strike-rate since relocating to KZN, Ashburton in particular. He saddled a double over the weekend and Shwanky can add to his record when she goes up against her own sex in the Racing. It’s A Rush Handicap.
Her race comes soon after finishing a smart second to top class course and distance specialist London Call in the Marula Sprint last week and although she was getting lumps of weight from Mark Dixon’s charge, it was still a more than creditable effort.
She has an extra 10kg to shoulder today but a repeat of any of her last three showings will see her in the firing line.
Dixon saddles Poster Girl, narrowly beaten on this course last run and little more than a length back to Shwanky at her penultimate start while Royal Agree is 1.5kg better off for under a length beating by Shwanky two runs back so must also be in contention. Love Theme is on the up and can do better over this trip so punters are faced with a tricky leg in the exotics.
Seattle Silva was a touch disappointing behind City Of Stars last time out after chasing hard when second to pacemaking Imbali before that. Blinkers and a tongue-tie have been added to her equipment along with Anthony Delpech and that could make for a winning combination in the ‘get-out stakes’, the Track & Ball Qualified Maiden that rounds off the afternoon.
In the opening leg of the Pick 6, First Mate has shown some improvement and does appear better than his recent effort when a distant fourth to the easy winner Kinsky’s Crusade. That said, this is not a race to go light in. Hondo came within an ace of causing a major upset when beaten by War-King and it has been many moons since Lenny Taylor saddled a winner. Stuart Randolph made the trip to Ashburton yesterday to give Vision Of Trust a warm-up for Paul Gadsby and is a must inclusion in all bets.
Gotoluvher could get Goosen’s ball rolling early in the Soccer 13 Handicap. His filly has had two outings since moving from the Highveld and should strip close to her peak but there are a few others for the shortlist. Miesque’s Magic is back on turf with a paper-weight on her back while Dunzie impressed when shedding her maiden and that form has been franked. Shizam beat a weak field in open company last time out although both of her recent wins have come on the poly.
The White Horse Function Room Handicap will keep all guessing but Timetoperfection has her first run for Brett Crawford and brings some useful Highveld form into the race even though her best recent effort was in Kimberley. She is obviously a tough filly, this being her 41st start in just two seasons of racing, and blinkers could bring out the best in her.
By Andrew Harrison


