Aussie bred Harry’s Son – a big runner
Mike De Kock has another bash at putting his KZN colleague and friend Paul Lafferty in his place when he returns with the maiden Jayyed to take on Harry’s Son in Saturday’s R500 000 Gr2 Dingaans at Turffontein. The two meet at feature level for the third time and Harry’s Son has come out on top every time.
The Australian bred Harry’s Son looks a deserved recipient of the Equus Champion 2yo award after he ended his sophomore term off by winning the Gr1 Premier’s Champion Stakes and then came out to make it a winning debut as a 3yo in the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes at Turffontein on Charity Mile day.
That victory was achieved after a 3 month break, although his opponent Jayyed was off for exactly the same length of time.
The manner of the win suggests that the 2 length winning margin could well have been doubled as Harry’s Son did not enjoy the clearest of passages.
Nemesis
Mike De Kock – saddles the maiden, Jayyed
The Jet Master colt Jayyed has found Harry’s Son to be his nemesis, having denied him feature wins at his last two starts.
And Jayyed still has the maiden tag to carry as he attempts to turn the tables here.
But can he?
There is little argument that Jayyed got closer to Harry’s Son over a mile and he did arrive on the scene too late in the Graham Beck Stakes.
The extra 200m will thus be up his alley and we have got to note the money that came in neatly packaged bundles for him in that last race where he started at 17 to 10 as Harry’s Son drifted to easy-to-back 4’s.
We are tempting fate, but are suggesting this will be a lot closer – but Harry’s Son has proved us wrong in the past.
KZN Visitor
The two stand out in the 16 horse field, but there are a few that warrant a mention.
Frank Robinson’s KZN visitor Leven Point falls into the ‘unexposed and beware category.’
The son of Fort Wood has won 3 of his 5 starts as he has been stepped up quietly through the ranks.
The beautiful chestnut has yet to prove that the turf is his game as all his wins have been on the Greyville polytrack. But to be fair, his sole turf run was a fair debut fifth when outpaced over 1000m.
The KZN programme is such that polytrack has been served on the menu with regularity since the Clairwood closure, and Frank may well have had sweet little choice.
But Leven Point is progressive and exciting and has just two real obstacles to overcome, to make his presence felt – the travel unknown and a draw of 18.
Zack Attack
Trainer Tyrone Zackey loves this race
Tyrone Zackey has a special affinity with the Dingaans – he once said ‘I love this race.’ Talk is cheap but the affable trainer has been on top of his game in the past few months and he has pulled a beautiful 2 draw for his improving Mogok colt, Front Rank.
The Scott Bro’s product won going away by 5,50 lengths under Piere Strydom in a strong MR 96 Handicap on the International Jockey Challenge day and while the underfoot conditions may have played into his hands, he looks a really nice sort in the making.
Zackey has engaged his ‘big race rider’ Grant Van Niekerk again and for anybody who doubts the combination on paper, think back to Smanjemanje and a near miss July giant-killng act a few years back.
Tarry Two
That great lateral thinking trainer Sean Tarry has a coupling in the race, which includes the only filly in Peter De Beyer’s Siren’s Call.
The daughter of Elusive Fort has won twice, including a post-maiden course and distance effort and then followed up by charging late to get up for second to Majmu in the Gr2 Joburg Spring F&M Challenge.
She will relish the extra 200m but faces a hard ask against the boys.
In The Navy
Trainer Sean Tarry has two runners here
The second of the Tarry attack is the Count Dubois gelding French Navy, who won well over the course and distance at his second start.
He then made good headway in his post-maiden start to run the hardknocking Klondike River to a quarter length on the same track he runs on Saturday.
Raymond Danielson rides him again and the Cape Ready To Run graduate bypassed last Saturday’s big bucks Lanzerac Stakes to chance it here – is that an indicator? He may well be way ahead of the ratings and is a dark horse for the quartet money.
Speaking of things Lateral, Weiho Marwing sends out Illuminati, who meets Top Rank on 6kgs better terms that when being beaten over 5 lengths at their last clash. He looks held by Harry’s Son and is probably a few lengths below the top 3yo’s.
Strike One
Alec Laird sends out Amazing Strike, a son of talking stallion Ideal World.
He was well beaten by the top two in the Graham Beck Stakes but has drawn 1 and is ridden by Weichong Marwng over a trip that he will enjoy.
Corne Spies’ Kiss Me Hardy bounced back to his best on the Vaal Sand last week and was scheduled to run again last Saturday. He has always been rated as this class by his astute trainer, but could be having his fourth start this month – one thing is we can’t argue against is that he is fit!
