Former Storm Bird Stakes winner Jimmi Choo is a matured racer who could win this
The once precociously talented youngster Jimmi Choo has matured as a 4yo and mastered the finer arts of racing, particularly when it comes to conservation of energy. He gets a wonderful opportunity to register his first victory in over a year when he lines up against the dominant ‘Zak Attack’ at the Vaal on Tuesday.
One could be forgiven for labelling the day’s topliner, the R120 000 MR 104 Handicap, the Dominic Zaki Stakes. The astute Gauteng conditioner certainly dominates proceedings and fields five of the seven runners. But he may still have to play second fiddle to the speedy Leon Erasmus-trained Jimmi Choo.
Shoe Fits
The thrice winning Bezrin gelding Jimmi Choo campaigns in the red and blue silks of one of our most enthusiastic owners, Johan Botha. He started his racing career like a scalded cat but was always going to find things would get tougher as he progressed through the ranks.
But there are positive signs that maturity has taught him to settle and to turn the jets on when it really counts. That was in evidence in an MR 88 Handicap over the course and distance last time, when he ran on smartly under 59kgs to get within 1,75 lengths of De Var Hyt.
He drops dramatically in the weights as he steps up in class and If Akash Aucharuz can settle him here, he could score a first win since 8 August 2013.
Giveaways
Deliver The Power – impressive turn of foot
But Dom Zaki is a noted proponent of the speed game and he won’t be giving any free sweets away. Heading his quintet of runners is the very smart Toreador gelding Deliver The Power who also broke a long winning drought when showing plenty of pace to give the speedy Alcanina 11kgs and a 2 length walloping over 1200m at Turffontein.
Based on his lifetime peak MR of 114 and his best performances against stronger than this lot, Deliver The Power looks very competitive and could assert himself.
Gavin Lerena rode him last time, but Francois herholdt gets the nod this time.
Bouncing
Lerena has been engaged to ride his troubled stablemate Valberg, who looks to have plenty to do after a 14 week break. He has a good win-run strike rate, and could bounce out fresh and fighting. The 7yo Rodeo Dandy has managed seven wins and has his 51st run. He showed flickers of like last time when going third and 1,30 lengths behind De Var Hyt.
Shine Tiger is an interesting runner. Relatively lightly raced with 3 wins from his 19 starts, he has been on the fringes recently and off his galloping weight of 52 kgs could chase Trifecta money.
Big Task
Bradley Maroun’s Cohiba is another horse who looks to have a seriously high mountain to scale. The son of Stage Call has won 6 of his 65 starts and has course and distance credentials. He will also enjoy running at the leaders off the frenetic pace guaranteed here but is often slow away and could find that counting against him. Another Toreador gelding, 4yo Sacred Ground won his maiden well enough three runs back, but is hopelessly under sufferance here, and should not trouble the classier, proven runners.
Decision Time
Deliver The Power made a smart form return last time and is the obvious class act in the field. Jimmi Choo is also edging back to best and if he settles and runs on, his 9kg advantage may prove more decisive than it appears on paper.
They look the most likely to fight things out, but with the nominal margin for error that exists in these short events, don’t be surprised if something else pops up.
