Well In – Lafferty’s Love Struck looks well-weighted in Sunday’s Listed Betting World Guineas Trial
Trainer Paul Lafferty will not be losing any sleep over the fact that Sunday’s R125 000 Listed KZN Betting World Guineas Trial will now be run at Clairwood, rather than Greyville. The charismatic Summerveld conditioner will be expecting to win the mile 3yo feature with the smart Kahal gelding Love Struck, who looks gift-wrapped at the weights.
T he second leg of the 2012 Avis Coach Charter International Jockeys’ Challenge was moved from Greyville to Clairwood Racecourse, as excessive rainfall has continued to play havoc with the KZN programme over the past three months.
Gold Circle confirmed that the turf over the recently constructed subway at the 300m marker at Greyville has apparently been independently certified to have rooted well. However, in the absence of a much needed dry spell, the affected area is not 100% ready to ensure safe racing. Shelton drainage is presently being installed. For now, weather permitting, racing goes ahead at the Garden Course. And we may as well enjoy it, as it isn’t going to be around forever.
Promise
Love Struck is a Gr1 placed juvenile who is showing all the signs of carrying his promise into his 3yo season.
The son of Kahal has won 2 of his 8 starts and scored at his last outing in emphatic style when scooting 6,25 lengths clear of the older Mr Harry in a Graduation Plate over 1400m at Scottsville.
Interestingly Love Struck beat Royal Zulu Warrior’s recent conqueror King Of Torts by 10,50 lengths in that race when receiving 5kgs. He admittedly didn’t actually beat too much at all, but showed inspiring confidence in the manner of the execution.
Anton Marcus rides him on Sunday from a 1 draw at probably the fairest track in the country, and if the Handicapper has things remotely on target, he should win it.
Love Struck gives 2kgs to his eight opponents and that doesn’t look enough to stop him.
Danger – Tony Rivalland’s Aussie import Royal Zulu Guard could be the main danger
Body Guard
While the rest are not as exposed early on as the top-rated Kahal, and could produce vast improvement out of literally nowhere, the biggest danger to Love Struck could come in the form of Tony Rivalland’s Australian-bred Royal Zulu Guard, who looks a seriously up-and-coming sort.
The son of Rock Of Gibraltar won at his second start in smart style and was a trifle unlucky when being narrowly downed by King Of Torts at Scottsville last time.
Royal Zulu Guard appeared to enjoy Clairwood when winning and he should relish the extra 200m here. He is something of a pressure horse with expectations around his magnificent neck and owner Roy Moodley deserves something decent again after an extended absence from the feature winner’s box.
Burning Bridges
Greg and Karen Anthony’s King’s Bridge took four runs to win his maiden, and then followed up with a fair, albeit slightly one-pace third, to the promising Umbrella Thorn over this course and distance.
He looks held by Royal Zulu Warrior on an earlier meeting.
Jeff Lloyd rides Gauteng visitor Serissa for Sean Tarry, and the son of Black Minnaloushe put it all together in fine style at his sixth start and his first try at a mile, when streaking clear to win by 5,50 lengths. He has his first run in KZN.
Another Gauteng challenger is Weiho Marwing’s Here Comes Billy, a winner over the Turffontein mile at his third start. His subsequent two starts have delivered two solid thirds, the penultimate with a hit rail excuse, and while this is something of a step-up, we don’t quite know how good he is yet.
Unknown Quantity – The debut winner Wild One gets the services of Piere Strydom
Trip The Light
Garth Puller has engaged visiting Singapore big-name rider Joao Moreira to partner the Trippi gelding, Wind Trip. This 28yo internationally experienced jockey could be the find of the competition and is currently on course for a third Singapore title, having already broken his own record there with more than 174 winners.
Wind Trip is yet to run a bad race in his first four starts, and takes the step up to a mile after a fighting third, just a length behind Mozart’s Giovanni over 1450m last time.
Wind Trip has lots of scope and his dam won right up to 1800m. He could be a dark horse in this small field.
Jeff Freedman has engaged the services of Piere Strydom to ride debut winner Wild One.
The son of Mogok won his only outing in yielding conditions at Clairwood over 1450m in a race best remembered for a Place Accumulator first leg blow-out and some nasty controversy at the start – which admittedly did not affect the winner.
Wild One got up there to beat subsequent Scottsville maiden mile winner, Red Rover, who is also in here.
Both Red Rover and Gavin Van Zyl’s No Worries are recent mile maiden winners, who have got their maiden out of the way within three starts.
They are both, like the favourite, Summerhill-bred produce and capable of being virtually anything at this next test in their careers.
Banker
This doesn’t look a particularly complicated affair.
We can either go with the track record and the Handicapper, and banker Love Struck. Or we can start looking for the ghost amongst the unknowns. But then it becomes expensive.
If we go for the result, then Royal Zulu Warrior or Serissa could provide the back up. Or take the field and hope for a real Sunday result.
But Lafferty is way overdue for a feature win, so let’s stay on the side of love.
