Final Fling. The classy Galileo mare Rain Gal should be too strong for the locals in Friday’s Listed Jockey Club Stakes
Jockey Richard Fourie and trainer Justin Snaith launch their 2013/14 Eastern Cape campaign at Fairview on Friday. Big things are expected this season from the relatively youthful duo who team up in the R130 000 Listed Jockey Club Stakes with the recent Final Fling Stakes winner, Rain Gal.
Fourie returned to South Africa last month after a successful stint in Hong Kong and has joined the molten hot Equus Award winning Snaith outfit.
Needle
The 27yo lightweight rode one winner (for Mike Bass) at his first meeting of the new season at Kenilworth last Saturday and will be keen to start his long haul assault on the upper peaks of the National Jockey Log. Reports in the South China Morning Post indicate that Fourie returned to the land of his birth on the promise of a ‘guaranteed’ South African premiership.
He said at the time prior to leaving Hong Kong : “I could not have asked for a better moment, with the horses that are there – it’s looking very strong the way the yard is going. It’s a guaranteed championship and the job was there for the taking. With what I have learnt here, taking it home, I’m pretty sure I can win the championship.”
That adds some much needed needle to a rather dull competition at the best of times and, while undoubtedly a prodigious talent, Fourie will have to conjure up some serious magic, with his colleagues Piere Strydom and S’manga Khumalo already well into their stride.
Start To Finish
Fourie rides the 6yo Galileo mare Rain Gail in the Friday feature. Hassen Adams’ mare was an impressive end to end winner of her last start in the Gr3 Final Fling Stakes. Like many of the ladies in the race, Rain Gal is probably on the brink of going to stud.
While the breeding season only begins on 1 September 2013, breeders generally try and give the mares a chance to enjoy some much needed rest and catch their breath, prior to commencing maternal duties. It is thus probably practically possible to race up to 15 September. The downside of delaying a covering is that the earlier they foal the following year ,the easier on average they are to sell.
Sean Cormack rode a terrific race to get Rain Gal home in the Final Fling Stakes. She has generally been a racer that has battled to get into her races early, but showed remarkable toe and enthusiasm. She has won in the Eastern Cape previously, and her class and ability could be the deciding factor from a good draw.
Spoiler
Gutsy. The East Cape Paddock Stakes winner Stormy Coast is yet to win at 2000m but is fit and well and could challenge
Alan Greeff looks likely to be the one man capable of spoiling the Snaith party. He saddles recent East Cape Paddock Stakes winner Stormy Coast and the two solid back up runners Jet In The Sky and Silvan Spirit. Stormy Coast has only won up to 1700m in her long career of fifty starts that have produced 7 wins.
She is full of vigour and her racing style of switching off and running late, could make her a serious runner here under Stuart Randolph that knows her well. Jet In The Sky is a quality and talented mare who won three on the trot, before failing to jump last time. She appears held by Stormy Coast on a previous meeting, but is worth considering.
East Cape Oaks winner Silvan Spirit is one of the younger contestants as a 4yo, and is a good sort having won 3 of her 8 starts. She was a runaway winner of the Wedgewood Handicap last time, but jumps in the weights and has a serious test against the older proven ladies.
Smith Trio
Promising . Wedgewood Handicap winner Silvan Spirit jumps in the weights but is improving and should not be ignored
Gavin Smith also saddles a three way coupling of the well handicapped Fly Emirates, and supported by Pamela Sue and Bella Aroma. Fly Emirates will be ridden by S’manga Khumalo and the Jet Master mare is always a consideration in staying features, despite the fact that her form has tapered negatively at her last four starts. Formerly trained by Mike Bass, she has won five races and is a course and distance winner too.
She carried top weight in the Wedgewood Handicap when running fifth and beaten close on ten lengths by Silvan Spirt. Fly Emirates is nine kgs better off here and that turnaround should make the world of difference. She is also 1,5kgs better off with Jet In The Sky on her penultimate start when beaten 2,75 lengths.
Her stablemate Pamela Sue has pulled the best of the draw, and gets the services of claiming apprentice Luyola Mxothwa. She has failed to win in PE in 8 starts, but ran a fair race in the Paddock Stakes, and could run a place. Bella Aroma has not won on ages, and needs drastic improvement to feature.
Promising
Steven Janse Van Rensburg saddles the promising Tiger Ridge filly Show Time, who has her sixth run here. The 4yo ran a cracker last time when flying up for a 3,60 third behind Stormy Coast and Daffodil Day in the East Cape Paddock Stakes after a five month break from action.
A glance at her formline shows that she won her first two starts smoothly before a third in a graduation. She was then thrown in the deep end when taking on the big guns in the SA Fillies Guineas at Turffontein. She never featured there.
Her first start back, as we already observed, was a very good effort and she meets her conqueror Stormy Coast on the same weight terms here. While not well drawn at 13, she could improve further and strip fitter, which would put her in a challenging position.
Lightly Raced
Yvette Bremner saddles the lightly raced Silvano filly Anatalya, who has not run since winning her maiden over a mile at Clairwood in very impressive style at the end of April. Formerly with Mike De Kock, the beautiful filly has her fifth career start and her first jump in the Eastern Cape.
She could be just about anything, although her match fitness must be a major concern for potential backers. The Mike Bass yard have started the season with a bang and Gavin Blake saddles the one time winning 4yo Internet Jet for the Milnerton based yard. The daughter of Jet Master takes a significant step up in class and looks to have a mountain to climb at the weights.
Fit
A fit and well Rain Gal looks likely to add to her black type credit and she should be too strong for the local challengers. Jet In The Sky and Stormy Coast always try their hardest, while the younger Silvan Spirit and Show Time could complete the quartet.
