The horse transport companies will be busy over the next week or two ferrying the visiting horses back to home base, but there are still a few with unfinished business, one being Johan Janse van Vuuren.
Many of his horses have already left Ashburton and returned to the cold and dusty Vaal, but others like Hardball in the first and Till Dawn in the second look to have bright chances on the Greyville poly tomorrow.
Anton Marcus (Liesl King)
Hard Ball makes his local debut but has shown promise on the Highveld in spite of being lightly raced. Van Vuuren has stepped him up to 2000m tomorrow but his Australian pedigree suggests that this is what he has been looking for all along. If he stays he rates the one to beat in what otherwise stacks up into a weak maiden. If there is a danger the threat will in all likelihood come from the consistent Air Salute who has been consistent and stays the trip. The form of his last poly race has worked out well so he must rate a serious threat.
The draw on the Greyville poly track does not appear to be a major factor so Till Dawn’s wide gate should not be too much of a hindrance. The gelding made good improvement at his second outing when racing in a tongue-tie and winner that day Borya, contested a Gr1 feature at his next start. Charles Laird had a quite Champions Season by his standards but steps out a host of runners tomorrow and Mighty Mercury could get him off the mark for the season. Laird’s runner has a plum draw and should enjoy the extra.
Of the balance, Q Behind Me returns from a break but has shown some ability while Lions Den has his third run after a break and tries blinkers. He is one to watch.
The third is something of a minefield but Roy’s Barbel has improved with each outing and now looks ready although the long-suffering Pomona is long overdue and should be thereabouts again. Another to consider is One Dimension who has had a single sprint and should much prefer the extra. He is one to watch in the market.
Laird is two-handed in the fourth with Yankeedoodledandy and The Carpenter, both in with strong chances. Anton Marcus presumably had the pick of rides of the two Mayfair Speculator-owned horses so the consistent Yankeedoodledandy may be the right one. He has some consistent form to stronger and with a fair draw he should be competitive. Stable companion The Carpenter was not too far back in useful company at his last two and has won over course and distance. The Des Egdes-trained Asyouplease showed up well first up in handicap company from a difficult draw over the Scottsville mile and must come into the reckoning.
Laird has another strong hand in the fifth where the stable elect could well be Dance On Air. He ran a good second to Cutting Edge last time and looks ready to go one better. Stable companion Waltzed Home is seldom far off the action and loves the surface. He should make a race of it.
The sixth is another lowly handicap and decidedly tricky Roy’s Rolls Royce is a bit of a poly specialist and has the form to be very competitive. Toa Nui shed his maiden last time out but that form has been franked and he must come into the reckoning in a field of this calibre. Selvan’s Jet, Master Shogun, Emperor Niarchos and the lightly weighted Discourse all rate winning chances.
The Lion Guard has a wide draw to overcome in the seventh but has the form to be competitive. His last run to Roy Royale was particularly good. He can go one better. Veteran Eddie Sweat is running well and is seldom far off the action. He gets the services of an astute judge of form in Anton Marcus and the veteran gelding can break a long winning drought.
If the two in the first two races do not fire for Janse van Vuuren he could end off the meeting on a winning note with the lightly raced mare Clifton Road. She has her third run after a break and could prove too strong for the likes of Kutlwanoslove and Mermaid Siren.
By Andrew Harrison
