Surcharge to add value

PUBLISHED: 01 December 2017

One Dimension (Candiese Marnewick)

Cape Town takes centre-stage tomorrow but the afternoon-evening meeting at Turffontein will enable punters to have extended entertainment and The Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1400m provides some classy racing for the purists.

One Dimension (Candiese Marnewick)

One Dimension (Candiese Marnewick)

The Robbie Sage-trained Surcharge is the selection to win The Secretariat. He was forced to drop out from a high draw in the Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Cup over this course and distance last time out. He had to come from last and then had traffic problems, so did well to charge home for fifth. This time he has to give the others weight, as it is a handicap, but he has a good draw this time and plenty of class so looks up to it. Dhabyaan is an expensively-purchased Australian-bred by Medaglia D’Oro and he was stretching clear from a handy position on debut over 1200m, so will relish this step up in trip. He is widely drawn but is receiving 7,5kg from Surcharge, so with likely improvement he could be a threat. Prince Of Kahal is a well-regarded sort, who finished a one length third in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m and his time was about half-a-second better than Surcharge’s time on the same day, which puts him in with a fine chance as he is receiving 1,5kg from the latter.

However, he has a tough draw to overcome. Harlan County is officially 1kg under sufferance but caught the eye in his maiden win over 1600m and looks capable of rising above a 78 merit rating, so he could earn from draw two. Polar Ice ran well last time over 1600m to be just a length behind the well regarded Alshibaa, from whom he was receiving only 2kg and this improving sort could earn. Keanan’s Rock found some betting support in the Grade 1 Tsogo Sun Gold Medallion in just his second start, so must be well thought of, and he has come down eight points since his handicap debut so could surprise over a likely ideal trip. Full Of Attitude was an easy maiden winner over this trip, but was accorded and 86 merit rating and has a tough draw.

The meeting starts at 15h00 and Silvano filly Tia could get punters off to a good start, as she made a good debut over 1000m and as a full-sister to the Grade 2-winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Tellina, so she will enjoy the slight step up to 1160m.

The best bet comes in race three over 1160m. Lobo’s Legend is a tall athletic sort with plenty of scope and after going close last time to Buffalo Bill Cody he can take care of this field. Fearless Fred is a similar type and made a good comeback over 1000m, where he was a touch unlucky when finishing 4,7 lengths behind the promising Star Of Joburg. He had some fair two-year-old form and could be a threat.

In race seven over 1600m Redberry Wood is by Fort Wood out of a full-sister to dual Guineas winner Solo Traveller and she was finishing strongly on debut over 1400m, so should relish the step up in trip. She is a big horse but looks a relaxed type, so should be capable of performing well from a high draw. Paul Peter’s horses can never be ignored and his front-running sort Angelic has landed a good draw at last and she and Let’s Twist, who had some decent two-year-old form and jumps from pole position in her return from a layoff, look to be the main dangers.

In the last race a horse who caught the eye as a classy sort in the making, Illegal, makes her comeback in a fillies and mares handicap over 1160m and off an 81 merit rating she could pay to follow.

By David Thiselton