‘Can’t wait for Friday and if that card can’t bring us back to races, nothing will!’
A Sporting Post reader summed it up well – this evening’s Greyville card looks a thriller!
While Harold Crawford’s longshot Perovskia bucked the trend in 2018, the Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes has been a traditional starting point to greater things in the SA Champions Season.
The 1400m feature has attracted a quality field for the big season launch the bumper Greyville programme.
Flashback to 2018 – Perovskia beats Undercover Agent (Pic – Gold Circle)
The launch-pad contest has weights structured at weight-for-age plus penalties with Gr1 successes carrying a 3kg penalty and Gr2 wins just half of that. As a member of the fairer sex, the high-class Lady In Black gets a 2,5kg discount.
Eric Sands’ Cape star Rainbow Bridge has won 6 of his 8 starts and commences the long haul to Vodacom Durban July glory on Friday evening. The son of Ideal World is a versatile sort who has won from 1200m on debut to the Matchem Stakes’ 1400m and the 2000m of the Met. He will obviously not be at peak fitness but was scheduled to gallop at the track as a familiarity exercise – and if he copes with the buzz under the lights, must be a top three contender.
.Rainbow Bridge (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
First of the Sean Tarry duo and Rainbow Bridge’s likely biggest danger, the CTS 1200 winner Cirillo comes in off an excellent effort in the Horse Chestnut Stakes when beaten under a length by Cape Guineas winner, Soqrat. Off the 55kgs mark with the talented Lyle Hewitson in the irons, he rates a massive runner. And he is fit!
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The smashing Dynasty filly Lady In Black was not disgraced in the Cape summer season with two Gr1 runner-up credits to her name. She is a superbly effective filly and as a course-and-distance winner from the pole position draw, she must go into the reckoning.
Gold Challenge winner Undercover Agent was narrowly beaten by Perovskia in this race last year and comes in fresh off a 14 week break following his fourth to Rainbow Bridge in the Sun Met. This is a different approach course to his 2018 campaign and he may just need it.
Undercover Agent (Pic – Gold Circle)
Sean Tarry’s Greyville specialist Matador Man has great recent form and was only pipped by Dark Moon Rising in the Kings Cup last start. The Christmas Handicap winner may find the 1400m on the sharp side as he is something of a slow winder.
Hawaii Stakes winner Zouaves is the mount of the Sporting Post Personality of the week and bang in-form rider, Marco van Rensburg. The Sail From Seattle gelding may have found the mile Gr1 test in the Horse Chestnut Stakes a bridge too far when going down 5 lengths – not disgraced at all – to the high class Soqrat. He looks a decent quartet kicker in this field.
Zouaves (Pic – JC Photos)
Former 2yo Gr1 winner Sand And Sea is the second of the Dennis Drier duo. The Twice Over gelding has failed to recapture the magic of his early career and, despite a fair fifth in the Diadem at his last start, would be a shock winner
Infamous Fox is a decent sort on his day and comes in off an unplaced effort in the Hawaii Stakes where he ran 5 lengths behind Zouaves. He looks held on that score.
The form profile of the Judpot gelding Sniper Shot suggests that the 4yo has his issues. He has been sparingly raced of late and the 2018 Post Merchants winner now gets thrown into the deep end as he commences his season campaign. At best, he must have place prospects.
Sniper Shot (Pic – Gold Circle)
Will Pays ran a terrific third in this race last year and is no stranger to the Greyville circuit. The Equus Champion Sprinter has lost his sparkling consistency in his last two starts and it looks a tough ask for him.
The prospects of a tight finish looks to be on the cards. The pace of the likes of Undercover Agent and Lady In Black, versus the late finishing power of Rainbow Bridge, Cirillo and Zouaves sets the stage for a great start to the season.
