The dogs are barking about Lohnromance who reappears after a 15-month absence in the Khaya Stables Handicap at Kenilworth today.
Aldo Domeyer’s mount made a huge impression when romping home over 1 400m on debut at Durbanville with Yogas Govender saying: “She is blessed with talent but she has a deformity on her off-fore pastern and runs on three legs.”
He put the bad leg continuously in ice buckets but wasn’t able to get her to the course again. Now it’s the turn of Andre Nel who says: “She has had serious problems and it’s a long time to be off but she has come back nicely.”
Rival trainers seemed to know all about her when discussing prospects on Saturday and Nel has already shown more than once that long lay-offs hold few fears for him. His Rondeberg facilities for getting a horse racing fit are much better than those of most of the Cape Town trainers who have to rely on prep runs.
Aldo Domeyer
The mare gets in with a rating of only 65 and is clearly far better than that in terms of sheer talent. She opened at 2-1 with World Sports Betting yesterday but that price soon went. Top weight Money Surger is an obvious danger at 9-2 and is bidding for her third win off the reel after recovering her best form.
“I don’t really work her at home – she spends most of her time in a paddock,” says Piet Steyn. “Kenilworth down the straight is her track, particularly when the south-easter is blowing.”
Strictly speaking 3-1 second favourite Star Academy should reverse the placings as she is 2.5kg better with Money Surger for last time’s half a length while it is significant that Boomtown Belter (15-4) steps up in trip after six successive races over 1 000m.
“She has always been running on just too late,” explains Adam Marcus. “I’m hoping that we get a true run race.”
Five Star Rock opened evens favourite for the opening maiden but he may have been flattered by last time’s second – it was in a work riders’ race and they are notoriously unreliable – and so the vote goes to Mount Fuji (backed from 6-1 to 4-1 yesterday) even though Vaughan Marshall has decided to run him without blinkers.
Marshall and MJ Byleveld may also win race two with 12-10 favourite Tonya whose good second at the beginning of the month was her first run out of the maidens.
Marshall is using Shadlee Fortune’s valuable 4kg claim on 9-2 stable companion Dance In The Woods whereas Mike Stewart employed it to good effect on Caprice Des Dieux ( 9-2 here) when she beat Tonya half a length. “I reckon I have again got Tonya to beat,” says Stewart.
Wafiqah looks the part in race three even though she has only three-quarters of a length in hand over Malachite Sunbird. “She has always shown that she is above average and after her debut on Met day – I reckon I ran her too early – I gave her a long break,” says Darryl Hodgson.” When she reappeared she ran too free. She wanted more ground and last time she ran on very well.”
By Michael Clower
