FAIRVIEW POLYTRACK 07 FEBRUARY TIPS AND SUGGESTED BETS BY INFORM

Selections:
Race 1. (1) BRITISH FAIRY  (7) HEIR TO RICHES  (9) AUNTY CAROL
Race 2. (6) PONT DU GARD  (4) FIRE HORSE  (10) FRENCH CAPTAIN
Race 3. (2) ASPEN FIRE  (7) ERICA  (10) ELUSIVE MIST
Race 4. (1) CROWN OF GOLD  (3) ALGHADEER  (6) DREAMFOREST
Race 5. (1) GOLDEN CRISP  (2) COASTAL SPELL  (8) VAN DAM’S FORCE
Race 6. (1) THIS IS SPARTA  (10) CHESTNUT’S CHAMP  (5) ROYAL UNION JET
Race 7. (9) DANCE IN THE WOODS  (6) PORTRAIT  (1) TYPHOON TESS
Race 8. (1) SOVIET COSMONAUT  (5) PAY AS YOU GO  (10) ANGELUS BELL

Place Accumulator: (R48)

Leg 1: 6
Leg 2: 2,7
Leg 3: 1,3
Leg 4: 1,2
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 9,6
Leg 7: 1,5,10

Pick 6: (R3360)

Leg 1: 2,7,10,8,9
Leg 2: 1,3,6,4,7,5,8
Leg 3: 1,2,8
Leg 4: 1,10
Leg 5: 9,6,1,10
Leg 6: 1,5,10,11

Jackpot: (R360)
Leg 1: 1,3,6,4,7,,5,8
Leg 2: 1,2,8
Leg 3: 1,10,5
Leg 4: 9,6,1,10,7

Best Bet:
Race 6: 1

Value Bet:
Race 2: 6

Former Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner and stallion, Noordhoek Flyer, has died. Bred by Wilgerbosdrift, the chestnut was the fifth top lot sold at the 2008 Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale.

Sold under the name White Hills, he fetched R2.5 million. Subsequently renamed Noordhoek Flyer, he was second in both his outings as a two-year-old and showed good improvement at three, winning his seasonal debut by more than three lengths.

Second to subsequent Grade 1 Met and Equus Champion Past Master in the Grade 2 Selangor Cup, he then ran out a one-length winner of the 2009 Grade 1 Bloodstock SA Cape Guineas. His beaten rivals that day included subsequent Gold Cup winner Ancestral Fore, July champion Bold Silvano and Singapore champion Lizarre.

Noordhoek Flyer was game when second to Bravura next time out in the Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby, when he appeared to find the 2000m beyond him, but bounced back to win his next two in a row – including the Grade 2 KRA Guineas at Greyville.

He ended his career having won or placed in 10 of 11 outings and earned R1,274,500. At the time of his death, Noordhoek Flyer who spent his stud career at the Gary Player Stud Farm had left behind 25 winners who had earned over R3,384,000.

In other sad news Carolina Cherry, dam of Triple Tiara winner Cherry On The Top, died recently at Mauritzfontein Stud.

Bred and owned by Mauritzfontein, Carolina Cherry was one of two major winners to emerge from the third crop of her champion sire Fort Wood, with the other being subsequent Horse Of The Year Celtic Grove.

Carolina Cherry won first time out over 1000m as a two-year-old, but came into her own as a three-year-old. Trained by Mike De Kock, she won three times, with her biggest victory coming in the Grade 2 Gold Circle Oaks, where her victims included SA Oaks winner Idle Fancy.

Carolina Cherry won from 1000m to 2400m and retired to stud having won or placed in 14 of 20 outings. She left behind just five foals with her four winning foals including Cherry On The Top and Cherry On The Cake.

Cherry On The Top, a daughter of Wilgerbosdrift’s ill-fated sire Tiger Ridge, made history when joining Horse Of The Year Igugu as a winner of South Africa’s Triple Tiara. She was later named 2013 Equus Champion Three-Year-Old Filly and retired to stud having won or placed in 14 of 19 outings.

Cherry On The Cake, by Strike Smartly, was also a high-class racer whose victories included the Grade 3 Jacaranda Handicap.

–  Cape Breeders Club/TABNews

Budapest, the horse not the city, has always had ability but it has taken patience for him to realise his full potential after pulling off a surprise victory in the big Lanzerac Ready To Run sales race two seasons back.

Racing in pacifiers appear to have done the trick and he came from the clouds to land the Pinnacle Stakes at Scottsville yesterday.

One never knows what you get from enigmatic Sylvester The Cat, but he brought his A-game to the track yesterday and set a smart early pace under replacement rider Jarred Samuel. With the line in sight it looked as if ‘Sylvester’ would hold on for his fifth victory, but Budapest finished with a rattle to nail him on the line in a fine training feat by Gareth van Zyl for owner Brian Burnard.

Budapest (Candise Marenwick)

The two principal runners in the Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares, Lala and favourite Impala Lily, finished in that order but it was hardly a contest. The two met in the Flamboyant Stakes where Lala had the worst of the draw finishing down the field with Impala Lily second. Lala proved the form all wrong as she was given a copybook ride by Anton Marcus.

“We were under a bit of pressure,” said Doug Campbell. “I got Albert (Rapp) to come down from Jo’Burg for the race.”

Always travelling well, Marcus produced her with a trouble-free stretch run to win comfortably.

Impala Lily, on the other hand, took time to find her rhythm and Anthony Delpech was forced to switch in and out of traffic before she finally got going to edge out Spring In Seattle for second.

Objections are never without their share of controversy and it was touch-and-go in the third where Diamante and La Suerte De Matar came together in a tight finish with the stipendiary stewards calling for a race review immediately after the runners crossed the line.

Duncan Howells eventually decided to object on behalf of second-placed Las Suerte De Matar. It was pretty much a 50-50 call according to a relieved Mark Dixon with Diamante getting the benefit of any doubt.

The stable has been in mustard form of late and added a double although the blood pressure will have risen for the second time in just a couple of hours as The Poet had to thread his way through some heavy traffic.

At the top of the straight Keagan de Melo picked a clear run up the outside rail, The Poet moving with De Melo sitting with a double handful. However, most of the riders in the field had similar ideas and it was plan B for De Melo as the door was firmly shut.

Dixon, watching from his favourite table, let fly in anguish, but De Melo switching in for a second go, got The Poet to respond and get to grips with Warren Kennedy and Putchini, putting his head down when it counted. Eric Denman, acting on behalf of his United States-based brother Trevor and wife Robin, was even more relieved. “This has got to be the most unlucky horse in training. He had no luck in his last two. Thank goodness it changed today but it was close.”

The Poet has had his problems. “He’s much better than a two-time winner,” said Dixon and on the evidence of this win, a change of luck and staying sound should give substance to that opinion.

By Andrew Harrison

Mike De Kock will wait until the end of the month to give Mubtaahij a prep run before the most valuable night in racing (Dubai World Cup, March 25).

Mubtaahij was being lined up for his seasonal debut in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes on February 11, but the leading international trainer wants to give last year’s World Cup runner-up more time.

The five-year-old son of Dubawi, who was a brilliant winner of the 2015 UAE Derby, has not raced since he was fourth behind Bob Baffert’s Hoppertunity in the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes at Belmont Park in America in October.

Mubtaahij (Liesl King)

“He’s training well but I am not convinced that he is ready for it,” De Kock said. “The Listed Curlin Handicap is the plan.”

As the name of the February 23 contest suggests, the 2000-metre Listed handicap was won by Curlin en route to his stunning World Cup win in 2008. The race was also used last season by California Chrome as a stepping stone to his impressive victory in the $10 million race.

Mubtaahij was moved to Kiaran McLaughlin’s stables in America after chasing California Chrome home in the World Cup in March and ran there three times.

“He had a rest in America and a bit of a break here as he was on the go a lot in America — he needed it,” De Kock said.

“He only needs one run before the Dubai World Cup.”

The participation of Breeders’ Cup and Pegasus World Cup winner Arrogate at Meydan still hangs in the balance.

Arrogate returned to Santa Anita from his Gulfstream Park heroics last week on Sunday and was out training on Thursday.

When asked where the Juddmonte-owned colt might race next the trainer said: “We have no plans yet. We have a lot of options but we are going to see. We’ve got a lot of options but we are going to give him a couple of weeks to see how he’s doing before we decide.

“I haven’t really mapped out a schedule for him, although it looks like the race didn’t take a lot out of him. He looks good.”

TheNational.ae

Turffontein Inside track stages a nine race card tomorrow where the racing is generally competitive and finding winners will be rewarding.

Alec Laird

The sixth is a Conditions Plate over 1450m for fillies and mares and the progressive Alec Laird-trained Polyphonic looks the one to beat. She has always been well regarded and looks to have come into her own lately. She is the best in at the weights and has to carry a mere 52,5kg. In her last start in the Gr 2 Ipi Tombe over 1600m her jockey lost the rein late yet she still went down by just 0,4 lengths.

On the downside Polyphonic has a tricky draw and would prefer a touch further, so can’t be regarded as a banker. Bella Sonata on the other hand is perfectly course and distance suited and being by Silvano this always well regarded filly will also be coming into her own. She is capable of a strong finish, so the wide draw might not be too much of a concern and she should go close.

Crystal Glamour will be dangerous in this race over a suitable trip as she is an improving front-runner and has a plum draw. Shaama is considerably out at the weights, but can’t be ignored. She started favourite for the Gr 1 Allan Robertson two seasons ago, but disappointed and then continued to disappoint.

However, after being given nearly a year off, she came back with a fluent win over 1200m where she produced a sustained finish. She could well be better than her merit rating of 88 suggests and she is likely looking for this sort of trip.

Sensible Lover is unbeaten in two starts over this course and distance.  She disappointed last time and now has the blinkers on, which is most interesting because in her day she mixed it with some of the best of a vintage crop.

The seventh is an intriguing MR 90 Handicap for three-year-olds over 1600m and the topweight Unagi could be the one to beat.  He is unbeaten in two starts over course and distance and has shown glimpses of real class. He has had excuses for a couple of his disappointing runs and the blinkers didn’t work last time. However, he is now back to a merit rating of 90 and has a plum draw over his probable optimum trip.

S’manga Khumalo (Nkosi Hlophe)

Shukamisa should be involved in the finish too. He is by Silvano and from the yard of Ormond Ferraris, so should start stepping up to the plate now on the eve of the Johannesburg Autumn season. He has certainly shown signs of being of feature class. He does have a tricky draw of eight.

Military Award has plenty of ability and should be distance suited. He only carries 53,5kg and has a good draw, but on the downside he makes respiratory noises. However, with a first time tongue tie on last time he was running on late over 1400m, so that augurs well for his future. He has the ability to win this off his mere 77 merit rating.

Arlington disappointed last time after catching the eye in his maiden over this trip. However, that latter race was over 1800m and he over raced, so he is interesting back at this trip and cannot be ignored. Qeyaadah is another one who has to be considered as he has ability and now has his second run after gelding and second run with blinkers. Pagoda is another one who has shown signs of ability and could earn from a plum draw.

The second race will be the first leg of the Bipot and the interesting horse here is Tharoos. He is by More Than Ready out of a Danehill mare who won from 1000m to 1700m and he is a full brother to a Gr 2 winner in Australia over 1200m. He has done well in two decent fields over 1160m and does strike as more of a sprinting type, so from a good draw here he should give a good account of himself in his first start around the turn.

Racing Free and Mess look the chief dangers. The former has good form in two races over sprints and was backed in both starts. However, he finished lame in his last start and hasn’t raced for about 18 months. Mess has been thereabouts in three starts from 1160m to 1400m and should be improving coming from the yard of astute trainer Candice Dawson. S’Manga Khumalo is an eye catching booking and from pole position he should make an impact.

By David Thiselton