Consistent. Ormonde Ferraris’ Sharp Design has impeccable form and should be right there
The R200 000 Gr3 Tommy Hotspur Handicap honours the legacy of one of the fastest horses to race in South Africa in the 20th century. The feature is run under the lights at Turffontein on Tuesday evening, where a quicksilver octet will go all out in what should be a fascinating race.
It is unbelievable to consider how the years have flown by since we watched the fleetfooted chestnut that caught the public imagination. The brilliant sprinter Tommy Hotspur is 21 years old already and living the good life in a well deserved retirement .
The son of Harry Hotspur was trained by Gary Alexander and made a name for himself in an era that included the outstanding Golden Loom. He won his first eight races in succession and ten races in all over 1000m, including the Gr1 Computaform Sprint.
His trademark dazzling speed out of the gates that saw him lengths in front of his opposition after 100m broke the hearts of some top horses, and was a feature of his distinguished career.
Talented. The lightly raced Australian- bred Royal Zulu Warrior looks the business after a cracking return to action last time
Speed
There is plenty of speed in Tuesday evening’s event and the lightly raced Australian bred Royal Zulu Warrior stands out after his sensational recent return to racing action.
Returning after a close on two year break, he bounced back in sizzling fashion on New Year’s day to win the Gr3 Lebelo Sprint over 1000m with a late dash that took our breath away.
He beat Gold Site by 3,50 lengths and had all of Valberg, Mannequin and Polar Moon further back. Royal Zulu Warrior is worse off at the weights here with all of those.
That means that Gold Site is 4kgs better off, Valberg is 4,5kgs better off, Mannequin is 5,5kgs better off and Polar Moon 5kgs better off with the son of Mossman.
There is however solid and compelling thinking to ignore the turnaround in weights and suggest that Royal Zulu Warrior is so underexposed that it defies mathematics.
Looking at his record of 4 wins from 5 starts, it is difficult to ignore the aggregate winning margin of 28,25 lengths. His victory in the Lebelo indicates that he is over his problems, and if he reproduces that turn of foot, it will make for a terrific race.
Best Ever
Piere Strydom rides Valberg, a horse he once described as one of the best he had ever ridden. That is big talk from a quiet man and Valberg is another example of a fellow plagued with problems, but whose brilliance has often been the overriding factor.
The son of Var is a 1000m specialist who has won 5 of his 10 starts and looks capable of winning many more. He beat the very fast Sharp Design by a length in a Conditions Plate at his last run, but meets the Ormonde Ferraris trained son of National Assembly on 3kgs worse terms.
By Design
That brings Sharp Design in as a serious contender and this 4yo gelding is very fast. A winner of 4 from 7 starts, he now gets the blinkers which is an interesting move indeed. Not that we are going to argue either over matters of equipment with a man who has been training racehorse for sixty years!
Sharp Design has won under the lights and loves the course and distance. He will be partnered by his usual pilot Nooresh Juglall, who is riding like a demon and with oodles of confidence.
The Girls
The fairer sex top the weights in the eight horse field and how can we forget how Dennis Bosch’s grey Kahal flyer Noble Heir raided from KZN and won this race in 2010. Interestingly, like Noble Heir, both of the ladies running here are daughters of Kahal.
Chocolicious was recently sold to Australian racing interests and the 5 yo mare returned to her better form last time when winning a fillies and mares Conditions Plate over 1100m at Clairwood. Chocolicious gave weight away and beat the smart She’s A Stunner with ease. She could find this tough with topweight against the boys.
Mannequin is the flagbearer for the fairer sex sprinting brigade in Gauteng and this 6yo winner of 12 races has her 51st start on Tuesday night. As already noted, she is 5,5kgs better off with Royal Zulu Warrior and should get a lot closer to him. We doubt whether she still has the enthusiasm for the task at hand though.
Direction
Mark Dixon’s Golden Loom Handicap winner Showmetheway was found to be lame at his last start when running 9, lengths behind Franny in the African Holly.
He won his previous start in the Listed Golden Loom on favourable weight terms and is now on the back foot against the likes of Valberg (1kg), Mannequin (4kgs) and Gold Site (3kgs). This will be a serious test of character for Showmetheway.
Gold Site is a speedy sort who is 4kgs better off with Royal Zulu Warrior for a 3,5 length beating last time and looks like he is edging back to form.While he has won 7 races, he has not won since an MR 104 Handicap at the Vaal in September, and is inconsistent.
Sean Tarry’s Polar Moon was hampered when finishing six lengths back in the Lebelo Sprint. Polar Moon is now 5kgs better off and would have a place chance if over the rigours of his last start on the sand, when running unplaced 8 lengths behind Napoleon Dynamite in the Lightning Stakes.
Summary
We are not going to be distracted by the turnaround in the weights against Royal Zulu Warrior, and rate him a very talented horse who could register a nice double.
The danger could be presented by Sharp Design who is very fast and could steal the race with the blinkers. Royal Zulu Warrior takes a while to get going, and there won’t be time to dither. Valberg is top class and could disrupt our calculations, if on song.
