Champagne Days

Let’s see the old year out with a bang - and welcome the year of the monkey

The sun is about to set on a crazy year of dizzy highs and shaky lows and with 2016 tagged as the year of the monkey, we should probably be approaching matters with some caution.  So let’s see the old year out with a bang and stick with the big gun combination of Mike De Kock and Weichong Marwing at Turffontein on Tuesday evening.

mOOFEED WINS TOM HOTSOUR

Moofeed – decent sprinter on his day

This game tames lions and tigers and makes monkeys out of most of us – but the topweighted Duke Of Marmalade entire Moofeed stands out in the MR 102 Handicap at the final Turffontein meeting of 2015 on Tuesday evening.

Moofeed is a rare speed horse by his outstanding sire and this half-brother to top performers Musir and Merhee ran on really well to chase One Man’s Dream home over the Turffontein 1000m last time.

A bit of a bridesmaid – he has won 5 races from 19 starts, but has 7 seconds to his credit – Moofeed has a touch of class at his best, and trainer Mike De Kock looks to have found the right race for him.

Alec-Laird-720x732

Alec Laird – Aurum Pot is consistent and fit

His biggest danger looks likely to be the Alec Laird trained course and distance winner, Aurum Pot, a lightly raced son of Judpot, who has run two cracking feature places at his last two jumps.

He was under two lengths back in the Gr2 Merchants behind Brutal Force and the same margin adrift of Doing It For Dan in the Listed Golden Loom.

In-form Gavin Lerena rides this very fit gelding, who must go into all calculations.

Sean Tarry’s 7yo Prince Jazeem has not won a race in over two years but showed some decent pace in an MR 92 Handicap over the Vaal 1400m last time after a late winter stint in Cape Town.

The son of Toreador has probably lost some of his early edge which saw him rattle off three wins in a row in 2013, and cannot be tipped as a likely winner.

Romeo Francis’ dogged hardworking  6yo Flag Of France has his 70th career outing on Tuesday. He ran on smartly behind Splendid Garden last time and enjoys a 3kg swing with the Azzie speedster.

Flag Of France - place chance at best

Flag Of France – place chance at best

The 6yo National Key is a consistent gelding but may lack the pace to win a race of this nature.

His last two runs in KZN have been decent efforts – his last 3,85 lengths behind high-class Group winner Ice Machine in receipt of 4,5kgs.

He shed his maiden over the course and distance over three years ago and his subsequent four wins have all been over more ground.

That said, he is never far off the action and is very capable of sneaking a quartet berth.

Mike Azzie

Mike Azzie

Splendid Garden is starting to fulfil some of his early promise and is bang in form at this stage of the season, having won 3 of his last 4 starts.

He is 3kgs worse off with Flag Of France for a 2,50 length course and distance beating last time. As a still improving 4yo Splendid Garden could have the scope to make up the leeway and go in again.

The second of the Azzie runners, Rock Me Var is battling to put a decent effort together on the turf and appears to have enjoyed his Greyville polytrack exposure of earlier this year.

He was highly thought of, but will need to start showing the signs again before he can be included with any confidence.

Moofeed and Aurum Pot look set to fight out the finish and as long as he doesn’t get too far out of his ground, the De Kock galloper holds a slight edge.

The improving Splendid Garden looks best of the rest.

Here’s to a happy, healthy and winning 2016 to you all.

Have Your Say - *Please Use Your Name & Surname

Comments Policy
The Sporting Post encourages readers to comment in the spirit of enlightening the topic being discussed, to add opinions or correct errors. All posts are accepted on the condition that the Sporting Post can at any time alter, correct or remove comments, either partially or entirely.

All posters are required to post under their actual name and surname – no anonymous posts or use of pseudonyms will be accepted. You can adjust your display name on your account page or to send corrections privately to the EditorThe Sporting Post will not publish comments submitted anonymously or under pseudonyms.

Please note that the views that are published are not necessarily those of the Sporting Post.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Share:

Facebook
WhatsApp
Twitter

Popular Posts

The Enchanting Currency Of Fate

It is eerie to think that there would have been no Siren’s Call, Sound Of Warning, or for that matter Call To Unite, had fate not decreed that Enchanted Cove follow her dam to South Africa, and that Peter de Beyer had the foresight to return Elusive Fort back home from the States as well!

Read More »