April has been a mostly forgettable month for the Kimberley faithful. With rumblings of discontent still abounding from that disastrous last abandoned meeting, and no word of remorse or inquiry from officialdom, we approach another Monday.
The rescheduled R100 000 Northern Cape Stayers Handicap heads the programme but one wonders how our friends in the Northern Cape survive.
After all, we have to go back all the way to 14 March for their last full racemeeting.
On Monday 4 April a heavy downpour after the running of the seventh race led to a decision to abandon the final two races due to the unsafe track condition.
A week later disaster struck.
Everybody arrived on track – most of them travel a long way for the meeting – only to find that wet patches had not dried.
Prior to the running of the first race, it was decided to delay racing to allow the Track Manager and his team to do further work on the track.
Thereafter a further track inspection was conducted at 2 o’clock – but after consultation, the panel were of the opinion that the track was unsafe and inconsistent and therefore it was decided to abandon the racemeeting.
While nobody is suggesting that safety of horse or rider is ever to be compromised, there was some unhappiness on the part of owners, trainers and jockeys at the lack of proactivity on the part of the racing operator – no notice was provided that the meeting could be in doubt and wasted costs and time could have been saved.
There has hardly been a whimper of explanation since but the loyal will no doubt flock back on Monday – the Track Manager had better have his ducks in a row this time.
On the punting front we may struggle to single out a banker in the R100 000 Northern Cape Stayers Handicap where a competitive field of twelve lines up – with two competitive runners in Jack Friday and Kingofmountain additions from the original line-up.
Jack Friday appears to have lost form of late but it may be a shrewd move in pushing him to the 2200m for the first time.
The son of Greys Inn has won up to 1800m and will be a danger if recapturing his best.
File pic of Kingofmountain winning the Kimberley Classic
Kingofmountain was beaten 15 lengths into fourth in this race last year and is yet to win over the 2200m trip.
The son of Ravishing won his seventh race at his last start beating Seven Kings a length in a weakfish mile handicap.
With 52kgs to lumber, he is surely a quartet hopeful in this field.
Coerie Lensley
Tienie Prinsloo and Coerie Lensley saddle half the field between them and may be the yards to follow in terms of pure weight of numbers.
The A P Arrow gelding Lebeoana appears the pick of the Prinsloo trio, despite his wide draw and the fact that he could be held by Evercell.
S’manga Khumalo rides the course and distance winner who won readily when beating the talented Jaguar over 400m shorter last time out.
He will strip a fit horse and must be thereabouts when it counts.
Pontedera has plenty of weight to carry
Topweight Pontedera is also a course and distance winner but appears to have lost form since his Summer Cup day sortie to Turffontein.
The son of Judpot stays well and is another who should be in the shake up.
Quid Rides has been tried only once over this trip and fared quite well when second to Sidecar. That was in much weaker company, though.
Cristal Arrow looks the best of the Lensley quartet after her fair second when supported in the betting and second to Beautiful Dawn in girl’s only company a week ago.
She was a runaway winner over the Vaal sand 2000m in September 2015 and may be looking for this kind of test to show her best form.
Jannie Borman’s Told You So is an interesting runner off the 49,5kg mark.
Told You So – in white cap – wins at Greyville on the poly and may be ready for a big run
The son of Mogok started his career in the Cape with Ronnie Sheehan before moving to Alyson Wright in KZN.
He has only won twice in 42 starts but has a fair turn of foot and may be worth considering as a value inclusion – even if his opening two runs here were unspectacular.
In an open race, any one of the likes of Quid Rides, Lebeona and Jack Friday look likely – while don’t leave out Told You So as a longshot kicker.
