Nursery Winner. Seattle Storm is a progressive sort and should challenge for top honours in the Listed Dahlia Plate
Ascot Stud’s exciting Gone West stallion Sail From Seattle could dominate the R130 000 Listed Dahlia Plate to be run over 1200m at Fairview on Friday. His smart sons Navistar and Seattle Storm look like two very good racehorses in the making. Justin Snaith and Piere Strydom may have other ideas though.
Both 2yo’s are trained by Alan Greeff and Seattle Storm had the distinction of being the first stakes winner for his sire, when he cruised in to win the Listed East Cape Nursery at the beginning of last month.
Big Value
After two excellent opening runs, it was rather puzzling to see Seattle Storm jump at double figure odds in the East Cape Nursery, but he stamped his class and ability with a hard fought and courageous win.The Ascot Stud bred gelding has to give the Snaith’s Another Idea 2kgs here and will have to be at his best, but looks a very progressive sort.
Navistar was the 8 to 10 favourite for the East Cape Nursery after three very nice opening efforts, that included a really nice third on Met Day in the Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes.
He failed to go through with it in the Nursery though and faded to a three length fourth after showing pace. That may well just have been an off day, and he gets a chance to redeem his reputation here. The third of the Greeff trio is the Antonius Pius filly Yoshie who has chalked up two wins from her three starts, with a second place at the third.
She was withdrawn from the East Cape Nursery on the grounds of lameness and bounced back well after a two month rest to win well over the Fairview 1100m. She tries 1200m for the first time, but is out of a brilliant mare who won 8 times up to a mile.
Combination
Redemption. Navistar will be looking to redeem his reputation with a big run in the Listed Dahlia Plate
Justin Snaith and Piere Strydom team up with the Toreador colt Another Idea who is 2kgs better of with Seattle Storm for a narrow beating in the East Cape Nursery.
Another Idea ran on very strongly late there and Strydom will know more what to expect this time around. He is a very real threat and looks to be headed in the right direction.
Gavin Smith sends out a coupling headed by the Windrush colt Be The Best, who is 2kgs better off with Seattle Storm for a 3,10 length beating in the East Cape Nursery.
Prior to that Be The Best had run a fair second 3,50 lengths off Navistar when receiving 4kgs from the Greeff flyer. He also appears held by Another Idea on their East Cape Nursery run. The second of the Smith contingent is the Horse Chestnut colt Zobens, who ran a fair second on debut behind Seattle Storm.
He failed to impress when subsequently finishing 8,10 lengths behind in the East Cape Nursery though, and as a maiden is going to have to improve markedly to have a say here.
Fateful
Master Of Fate was beaten 6,25 lengths by Navistar on debut and won smoothly at his next start over Friday’s course and distance. He meets Navistar on 2kgs better terms, but appears unlikely to turn the tables. Mitch Wiese’s Follow The Tiger is the second member of the fairer sex in the race.
She has run five times for one win and four places and ran third 5 lengths behind Navistar at her penultimate start. She now meets Navistar on 4,5kgs better terms and is the same level better off with Yoshie for a 2,75 length beating at her last start.
It still requires a stretch of the imagination to see Follow The Tiger winning this one though. The Neville Benecke trained Crown Of Crimson is a maiden with very poor form and has no chance against this opposition.
Any Idea?
On paper Another Idea looks set to register his first stakes victory. He will have every assistance from the saddle and goes to post a fit horse. He needs to stop the Alan Greeff Sail From Seattle duo in order to achieve that. On home ground they could come up trumps.
