Orion Quest will answer one of the big outstanding questions of recent weeks when he takes on older horses for the first time in the Itsarush.co.za Handicap at Kenilworth on Saturday.
Corne Orffer (Nkosi Hlophe)
The way he won his maiden in January was staggering. Going to the front over a furlong out, he strode right away under no more than hands and heels to score by more than seven lengths. It was the sort of margin owner Diane Nagle might expect from the horses she sends to Aidan O’Brien but rare indeed in Cape Town.
“He won well but it wasn’t a strong field,” recalls Brett Crawford whose plan to bring the colt back at Durbanville four weeks ago was thwarted by coughing. The problem here is that the form has been shown to have more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese and is hardly worth a string of beads.
One after another of the 12 beaten horses has disappointed. One finished second and another fourth but the majority have flopped. So how good is Orion Quest and, more to the point, is he good enough to win on Saturday?
The handicappers gave him a rating of 85, high for a three-year-old maiden winner but not unjustified. After all seven-plus lengths is the equivalent of 17 points.
Brett Crawford (Liesl King
Corne Orffer’s mount seems sure to start favourite but there are others with at least equally strong claims including Sophomore fourth Psycho Syd, Equity Kicker (dropped two points for last time’s 1 400m run and possibly better over this trip) and the improving Fire Master. However Winter Trade, 2.5kg better with Fire Master for the length he was beaten on Met day, makes most appeal at expected odds of around 6-1.
Dancer, even though perhaps a little disappointing last time, gets the vote for Joey Ramsden in race one where Robert Khathi gets the chance on the Justin Snaith newcomer Pride Rock – Richard Fourie has preferred to go to Turffontein for Weiho Marwing – but this one’s dam only won over 1 800m.
The Vaughan Marshall-trained R2.2 million William Longsword looks a bigger threat – his dam is a half-sister to Victory Moon – while Ramsden should double up half an hour later. He has a third of the nine runners and, while Captain Gambler showed plenty of promise on debut, preference is for Sandy Bay who would have finished a lot closer to Not On My Watch last month had she got away on terms. Again look out for the Marshall newcomer – Flash Fire cost only R250 000 but her dam won four times over 1 200m.
Weskus Klong has proved a bookies benefit in his last two starts and, even though he wears blinkers for the first time in the Soccer 6 Maiden, it could pay to look elsewhere. Zud Wes may be the one.
By Michael Clower
