Pleasedtomeetyou, who looked so good when winning effortlessly on debut at Kenilworth last Saturday, has made a big impression on the handicappers. They have introduced him into the merit ratings at 92, a far higher figure than trainer Andre Nel envisaged.
Ryan Munger
After winning with Hello Summer at Durbanville yesterday, Nel said: “I think they have punished him unbelievably and I am considering whether to appeal.
“I know that the time was almost half a second faster than the Pinnacle on the same day but they should rate him on what he beat and four of those were unraced.”
The Querari colt appeared a really smart sort in the making at the time but, when viewed again in the cold light of Monday evening’s Winning Ways programme, he seemed considerably better than that – possibly even a Guineas horse. The James Goodman/Paul Lafferty combination had no hesitation in nominating him as one to follow. Punters may not have all that long to wait because Nel has already been looking through the programme.
He said: “Pleasedtomeetyou came out of his race very well, and as if he had hardly raced. We will pick his next race carefully but there could be something for him around September 11.”
Certainly punters could do with something to latch onto after being knocked for six in the first race yesterday as surely as if they had been taking on A.B. de Villiers.
Rock Trip, a horse with about as much form as a blank sheet of paper, led inside the final furlong under Ryan Munger to score by a neck at 55-1 with barely a rand on her. To add insult to financial injury odds-on favourite Happy Girl, who could manage no better than fourth, came from the same stable – that of Candice Bass-Robinson.
She was in Johannesburg to inspect the near 450-horses in the National Two Year Old Sale. Her brother Mark said: “This was a big surprise to us but Rock Trip ran in the wet last time, she didn’t enjoy it at all and finished 16 lengths back seventh of nine. Today the leaders went a hell of a pace and all the fancied horses fell in a hole.”
By Michael Clower
