Playingtheenemy could prove the value – if he doesn’t pull
Month end public holiday meetings usually mean decent sized exotic pools and today’s Freedom Day meeting at Kenilworth looks capable of providing some generous dividends. Jockey Greg Cheyne has been riding like a demon for the in-form Darryl Hodgson yard and he may just be on the value runner in the day’s topliner.
The Milnerton-based Hodgson saddles a smart coupling of two Australian-bred 4yo’s in the eight horse field for owner Hassen Adams. The MR 91 Handicap is run over 1400m and Cheyne looks to be riding the stable elect, Playingtheenemy.
They are a form combination.
Cheyne has ridden a winner for the stable at each of the last three Cape meetings – Triple Bluff (Kenilworth 12 April); Henry Of York, who was ridden unusually from off the pace with fine timing to win at Durbanville on Saturday 18 April; and then Mister Matchett at Kenilworth on Wednesday, who got the better of the free-striding Captain Blackmore in the hands of Richard Fourie, to win a cracker.
Needs To Settle
Greg Cheyne – things could work out on Playingtheenemy
Cheyne said on Thursday that Playingtheenemy had to go into permutations, but the secret to his winning lay in him settling in running.
“I won on him over the course and distance three runs back when he beat the useful Tomba La Bomba. That was purely because he settled. But he unfortunately did not play the game at his last two runs – where he was beaten narrowly. He has been working well though and the well-being of the yard shows in the recent results. I am hoping that there will be a pace on and then I expect him to be very competitive.”
When asked about the true ability of the son of Teofilo, Cheyne said that he felt that he had the ability to be a four or five time winner.
Stan’s World
Stan Elley – Ideal World may need further
Stan Elley saddles the improving 3yo stayer My World, who has won 2 of his last 4 starts – but over 2400m. This could be a sharpener for the second and third legs of the forthcoming the winter series.
The son of Ideal World holds decent rank on our race ratings and carries a paperweight courtesy of apprentice Xavier Carstens. But on the surface of it looks to be outgunned and outpaced over this trip.
He did run second on the winter soft going in the maidens over the Durbanville mile to the half decent Valerin, but it is difficult seeing him going with this lot.
Topweight
Justin Snaith’s Captain Al 3yo Alpha Pegasi is stakes placed and carries topweight.
The two-time winner returns from a break of 12 weeks following a break of 12 weeks- but at his penultimate jump showed his class with a good win over the talented Gulf Storm.
The likely pacemaker in the race is the once very promising Black Toga, who has failed to live up to the early hype.
He ran 2,90 lengths behind Playingtheenemy last time but meets the Hodgson runner on 2,5kgs better terms – a significant turnaround – particularly if Playingtheenemy fights his rider again.
Rested
Mike Bass – saddles Sheer Trouble
The Mike Bass-trained 3yo Sheer Trouble also returns from a break following his unplaced run in the Politician Stakes on L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate day.
The son of Silvano was considered good enough to run in the Cape Guineas and the Cape Classic – he was outclassed in the former but ran a respectable fourth in the latter, 3,90 lengths behind Act Of War.
Brett Crawford’s Night In Seattle also returns after a good second on Queen’s Plate day to the highly regarded St Tropez, who beat Ultimate Dollar on an objection in his KZN debut last Sunday.
He has run seven times for just one win – but has run four seconds to some smart sorts. The betting boards may be the best indicator to stable confidence in terms of his fitness.
Red Rag
Playingtheenemy’s stablemate Matador In Red has his second run since relocating from the Snaith yard and as a course and distance winner must be considered.
His form has been rather uninspiring of late though and he may be waiting for the kinder winter going to show better form.
Friendly Tibbs has not won in close on a year and may be better suited to a further 200m as he tends to run at them late in his races.
Decent
Playingtheenemy represents some decent form and fitness and if he doesn’t pull hard, he could produce a performance lengths better than his rating.
Night In Seattle looks the obvious danger with his smart formline – that is if he is not in need of the outing.
