The Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes has cut up to a field of just eleven for the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile meeting at Turffonteinn on Saturday and Pick 6 players will not be complaining as this potentially lucrative bet now looks more catchable.
Chimichuri Run (Candiese Marnewick)
The Equus Champion two-year-old of last season, Soqrat, who was set to carry a welter 62kg, was scratched from the Graham Beck, which now looks a two horse race between Chimichuri Run and Alyaasaat, who have both proven their class against older horses. Alyaasaat has a draw and a weight advantage, jumping from draw 6 and receiving 3kg from Chimichuri Run, who carries topweight of 60kg and jumps from draw ten. The latter won the Spring Spree Stakes over 1200m by 4,25 lengths easing up and should relish the extra distance here being by Trippi out of the Grade 1 SA Fillies Classic winner Spiced Gold. His early pace can help him overcome the wide draw as it did when he won the Umkhomazi Stakes at Greyville with ease. Alyaasaat only just failed in the Joburg Spring Challenge over 1450m against a stronger field than Chimichuri faced in the Spring Spree Stakes. Among those he beat was Soqrat, although he was receiving 2kg and beat him by just 0,9 lengths. Both Chimchuri Run and Alyaasaat have good acceleration and there don’t look to be any other runners who can challenge them.
Celtic Sea, Ghaala, Nafaayes, Running Brave and Isle de France should be enough to get punters through the third leg of the Pick 6, the Princess Charlene Starling Stakes, and Noble Secret, Coral Fever, Matador Man, Romany Prince and Arctica should be enough for the next leg, the Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile.
The fifth leg over 1000m is tricky but Rebel’s Champ, Rocky Valley, Bold Eagle, William The Silent, Wrecking Ball and Prince Of Kahal can get punters through.
With the full amount already up to R300 with the above perm, punters will have a problem keeping the other two legs down.
The last leg, the Yellowwood over 1800m, is a potential stumbling block and punters will have to go as wide as possible, although Being Fabulous has come into her own and is the one to beat with Fort Ember and Sylvan On Fire looking to be the best of the rest.
The Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup sees one of the weakest renewals of this sales race and Rail Trip is a shoe in at the weights, so is a banker consideration. It forms the second leg of the Pick 6 and the only concern for the filly is a wide draw of 12. The choice to give some cheek would have been the rank outsider Patrol Officer, but his very wide draw is off putting. The Sands caught the eye on debut, although he also has a wide draw, and The Sash and Checkpoint Charlie could also make a race of it. What A Blast and The Greatest Wish should improve from their debuts and can also be considered.
By David Thiselton
