Astro News is the class today
We take a few steps down from the heady heights of the likes of Majmu, Siren’s Call and French Navy in recent weeks, as we face a weekend without a feature on the local front.
With the sales activity hogging trainers’ and owners’ attention, there is still enough competitive racing around to keep the staunch patron satisfied. And let’s face it –for the punter at the coalface, the colour of the money is the same, whether it’s a Fairview Pinnacle Plate or a Highveld Gr1.
An eight race programme on the turf at Fairview gets the weekend under way, with a wide open looking Pinnacle Stakes run over 1800m creating a potential exotic bet hurdle.
Small Field
Justin Snaith – decent coupling
Only eight horses line up in the sixth, with the form yards of Justin Snaith and Dorrie Sham holding double fisted attacks with their very decent strength couplings.
Snaith has the class runner in topweighted 2015 J&B Met candidate Astro News (rated 99) who looks really well in at the weights in this event.
The son of Silvano has had more trainers than most of us have had hot dinners, but has enjoyed a decent enough career, winning 8 of his 48 starts and campaigning at the top level.
His peak wins were in the 2011 Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes (when trained by Ivan Moore) and the 2013 Gr3 Cup Trial (for Charles Laird), where he defeated the likes of Whiteline Fever and Bulsara, respectively.
Enthusiastic
Although well advanced into his sixth year, he does not appear to have lost any of his enthusiasm for racing and remains a competitive galloper, when in the mood.
While he ran stone last 10,55 lengths behind Futura in the J&B Met, his two subsequent runs in PE have been good enough to suggest a big run here.
He won his first over the Fairview 2000m when beating the capable Drill Sargeant easily, but then battled to find his feet over a mile when running fourth 4,65 lengths behind Red Barrel next time. The extra 200m on Friday could play into his hands.
He faces the improved again Straw Market who beat him 4,50 lengths last time, and who meets him on the same weight terms.
Historical
Dorrie Sham – trains Straw Market
This won’t be the first time that Straw Market bumps Astro News. He actually ran fourth in the 2011 Graham Beck Stakes – 3 lengths adrift but giving the Silvano gelding 4kgs. That is largely historical form and the luckless and frustrating Straw Market only managed one win since!
The former Ormond Ferraris runner has not won in over two years and his relocation to PE two months ago was probably long overdue.
If the handicapper has his ratings correct, Straw Market off his 81 will have no chance on a 4,5kg weight difference with the Snaith runner – but he should be given the chance to find a new lease on life on the coast with the Shams.
Capable Combo
Former Guineas winner Lord Badger could be a danger
Allan Greeff and Greg Cheyne team up with the eight-time winning 6yo Lord Badger, who has tumbled down the charts from a lifetime high MR of 105, and now races off an 85.
The son of Badger’s Drift has fairly subdued recent form, but will enjoy a decent gallop and has the beating of Tiger Play on a polytrack run at his fourth last start.
He is a bit in and out though but it would be foolhardy to discount the former East Cape Guineas winner as a latter-day polytrack pony.
Gavin Lerena rides the second of the Sham runners in the Tiger Dance gelding, Tiger Play.
The 5yo has won two races on the poly since arriving in PE nine runs back in October last year.
He drops in trip here after finding himself a little one-paced over ground and could enjoy the change of pace that goes with the territory.
Down In Trip
Mitch Wiese’s Taarish has run on well at his two starts over ground, beating the smart stayer Crown Of Gold at his penultimate start.
He drops in trip and could be running on at them late if the pace is decent.
Wooden Star and Main Dane fit into the same category and should not trouble the likes of Astro News and Straw Market.
Top Three
A tough race, where the temptation to banker the proven class of Astro News is tempered by the unknown revival ability bubbling in Straw Market or the likelihood of Lord Badger turning up in the mood for racing.
It may be best to include all three in Pick 6’s and Jackpots.
