Fairview grabs the national spotlight when the Listed Jockey Club Stakes is run on the polytrack today.
.The only black-type feature on the weekend programme, the 2000m contest is the third leg of the Eastern Cape Fillies and Mares Challenge and is run at weight for age, plus penalties.
Greg Cheyne – travelling again
An interesting aspect of the Fairview Friday programme is the return to the local scene of Western Cape-based East Cape Champion Greg Cheyne, and his colleague MJ Byleveld, following the rescinding of the contentious jockey travel restrictions on Monday.
Cheyne, who kicks off with a full card of rides, must be itching to get back to his regular hunting ground and Shadlee Fortune, who won two on the trot, loses the ride on the East Cape Derby winner, American Princess, in Cheyne’s favour.
The Varsfontein owned and bred daughter of Master Of My Fate has done little wrong since relocating from KZN, and she could well record the hat-trick after her nice Derby success – the form of that race having panned out positively.
Greg Cheyne’s on the road again!
Sharon Kotzen’s Elusive Heart beat the local star Madame Speaker to win the East Cape Paddock Stakes a lot easier than the official margin suggests last time. If she copes with the step up to the 2000m, her course record suggests she shouldn’t be written off.
Former Michael Roberts racer Statute, a sister to Durban July winner Legislate, produced a cracking late-run effort when third in the Paddock Stakes at her first outing in this region and Shadlee Fortune would enjoy winning this!
The Fairview feature honours the Jockey Club of South Africa which was founded in the Eastern Cape in 1882 before moving to Johannesburg in 1904.
