Big Gun. Uncle Tommy is a rising star on the sand and looks the part in the Riverside Handicap
Weiho Marwing’s Uncle Tommy has found a new lease on life on the sand and he looks set for a first stakes victory when he goes to post for the R150 000 Listed Riverside Handicap at the Vaal on Tuesday. The services of Piere Strydom won’t do his cause any harm either over the 1450m trip.
The chestnut son of top stallion Kahal is an impressive specimen, and a half brother to our retired champion sprinter and first season stallion Rebel King, who has made such an outstanding early impact. His blood and dashing good looks are what no doubt contributed to him being sold for R2,4 million as a yearling.
Talking Horse
Lost Form. Former Emerald Cup winner The Mouseketeer needs to recapture his form
Leading owner Hassen Adams went to R170 000 to acquire Uncle Tommy on the Graham Beck Dispersal Sale in January 2011, when he was just a recent maiden winner.
The son of Kahal had always been something of a talking horse when trained by Mike Bass, and he has subsequently won a further seven races for the astute Mr Adams. A winner of 8 of his 30 starts, Uncle Tommy has relished the switch to sand, where he has registered three wins and a second place from 4 starts.
He was comprehensively beaten by Pylon over a mile last time, but appears infinitely more at ease over slightly shorter. He won his previous two starts over Tuesday’s course and distance, including a win over the sand star Mr Tobin.
It is of concern that he starts 3kgs worse off with Calanish on that run, but we have no doubt that Piere Strydom will make the difference on a horse that just seems to be getting into his stride.
De Kock
Mike De Kock ‘s coupling of Right Beauty and Merhee will present some resistance for Uncle Tommy. Right Beauty is a classy sort who has won 3 of 12 starts.
He probably found the 1000m of his last run too short, when outpaced and finishing just over 3 lengths off the speedy Solarium. The beautifully bred Merhee is a lightly raced Australian bred who returns from a 3 month layoff.
A winner of 3 of his 7 starts, he has an excellent sand run to his credit dating back to end October, when finishing 2,25 lengths behind the capable Across The Ice.
Top Weight
Inconsistent. Lightning Stakes winner Napoleon Dynamite could raise his game to feature
Stuart Pettigrew’s Calanish won the Autumn Sand Sprint by 4,25 lengths beating Commissionerstreet at the end of February. He carries topweight here, and is 3kgs better off with Uncle Tommy from his penultimate start over Tuesday’s course and distance when beaten 1,2 5 lengths.
Roy Magner’s Eastern Cobbler is a tough soldier, who appears to be returning to some of his better form. A winner of 7 races, the son of Al Mufti has drawn a touch wide at 10, but can be dropped out and ran on strongly over a mile behind the forward Taptap Makhatini last time.
Napoleon Dynamite is always a factor on the sand, and the son of Muhtafal won a sensational race when charging up late to win the Lightning Stakes. He faded badly and showed no kick at his last start, when finishing 7,75 lengths behind Calanish in the Autumn Sand Sprint last time. If that run is ignored, he must be considered for the places.
Musical
Gavin Van Zyl’s Newton gelding Motown looks a fair sort, but steps up in class.Both of his wins have been registered on the sand , but is a worrying that he has coughed repeatedly and been reported lame on occasions too. He obviously has his problems.
The rest should battle against the stronger proven sand specialists. We are going confidently with the Marwing trained Uncle Tommy, who is selected to beat Calanish, with the De Kock pair fighting over the spoils.
