Jockey Anton Marcus and the 7yo Ice Machine go together like love and marriage – or if you prefer, a horse and carriage. The pair look very likely to produce the goods to deliver a knockout blow in a high quality line-up in Saturday’s R400 000 Gr2 Hawaii Stakes at Turffontein.
Ice Machine – new lease on life
Charles Laird sends out the Silvano gelding who bids for his eleventh career win (as well as a personal hat-trick) as he takes on ten class opponents over the Turffontein standside 1400m.
Interestingly Ice Machine has only ever run once at Turffontein and that was in the Gr2 Joburg Spring Challenge where he was beaten 5,25 lengths by his main opponent on Saturday.
Ice Machine conceded a half kilo that afternoon and at level weights on Saturday, he has it all to do.
But he is bang in form, having clocked up meritorious wins at his last two starts.
Trip To Heaven
Trip To Heaven is a top class younger horse and was probably outpaced in the Joburg Merchants when failing to find his usual finish and fading out and running a 3,55 length eighth.
He is top-class over this trip and presents a major threat.
His stablemate Whiteline Fever is getting on with it but boasts the distinction of having won this race in 2013 and 2014.
The son of Right Approach finished unplaced and 4 lengths behind Chekilli last year.
Drawn wide out, the others may be better.
Johan Janse Van Vuuren will be looking for a major effort from the lightly raced 2014 Dingaans winner Unparalleled, who showed a spark of form return in an incident filled race last time out.
4yo Unparalleled
The son of Lateral was one of the better 3yo’s of his year and has the chance to show his credentials.
His stablemate Winter Star looks to be out of her depth in this line-up and her recent form does not inspire confidence.
The Mike de Kock pair of Moofeed and Jayyed are not without hope of running a place.
The Duke Of Marmalade entire Moofeed has a great turn of foot and races like a horse that needs more ground. Ironically his best efforts have come off blistering pace in the sprints.
The year younger Jayyed was beaten 0,90 lengths by Ice Machine last time in receipt of 4kgs.
He has a tough task here on 3kgs worse terms against the seasoned warrior.
Captain Aldo won a cracker last time under Piere Strydom when winning the Wolf Power 1600, beating Shadow Ofhis Smile.
Captain Aldo – nice last win
The 5yo son of Captain Al has won 3 of his last 4 starts and his overall form and consistency is impeccable.
Bernard Fayd’herbe looks a perfect foil for the St John Gray charge from the 1 draw.
Coenie De Beer’s Talktothestars returns from the Cape after five runs down in the Cape.
The very fast son of Overlord was not disgraced in the Cape sprint features but his best trip seems to be around 1200m and he looks a touch outclassed here.
Mister Matchett has his first run for Weiho Marwing after relocating from Darryl Hodgson in the Cape.
The son of Badger’s Drift has lost form after a four race winning streak and is another who looks outgunned in a race of this nature.
High On Hawaii
The Hawaii Stakes is a support feature to the Gauteng Guineas double feature.
The race is named in honour of the Platberg Stud bred Hawaii, a champion at age two and three in South Africa after which he was sent to race in the United States by owner Charles W. Engelhard, Jr. where he was voted the 1969 American Champion Turf Horse.
Hawaii
Among his wins in the United States was a track record setting performance in the mile-and-a-half Man o’ War Stakes on turf at Belmont Park.
Hawaii retired from racing after the 1969 racing season having won 21 of 28 career starts with earnings of US$371 292.
In his career his major awards included South African Champion Two-Year Old (1966), South African Champion Three-Year Old (1967) and American Champion Turf Horse (1969)
He stood at Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentuck and famously sired Henbit, who raced in England and won the 1980 Epsom Derby.
Hawaii died at Claiborne Farm in 1990 at age twenty-six and was buried in their Marchmont division equine cemetery.
In an illustrious career, Hawaii’s Major wins included such races as the African Breeders’ Plate (1966), the Chairman’s Handicap (1967), the South African Guineas (1967), the Clairwood Winter Handicap (1967) the Cape Mellow-Good Guineas (1967) and the Transvaal Spring Champion Stakes (1968).
