The tough as teak Code Red carries local hopes
The established Kimberley star Code Red shoulders top weight in today’s R100 000 Flamingo Park Sprint and has to take on Corne Spies’ fighting fit 3yo visitor, Kiss Me Hardy, as well as Vernon Rugg’s ultra-consistent Tribal Code. It looks like an entertaining feature to get the first Monday of 2015 under way.
This size purse is not available every week down in the Northern Cape and the long-suffering locals will be keen to send the plundering Spies team packing with just their petrol money.
But stopping Kiss Me Hardy in this 1200m sprint, won’t be a simple matter.
Fancied
The son of Captain Al was strongly fancied to win his last start at the Vaal last week.
The weather gods played havoc with those calculations though and the meeting was switched from the sand to the turf at the last moment. While he has won and been stakes placed on turf, he struggled to get going and was comprehensively beaten into second by the Sean Tarry trained Samogan.
Kiss Me Hardy’s best form on the Vaal sand suggests he could paralyse this field if he travels well and having his third run in just over three weeks, he will be a very fit horse.
Course And Distance
Soldiersailor has won over the course and distance and ran on very strongly last time to be beaten a whisker by Stone Pine.
He had Code Red two lengths behind him there and with Ryan Munger’s handy claim, he comes in 3kgs better off with the son of Windrush.
Owner Paul Barrett and his partner Charlmain Reeves enjoyed a long-priced success at Kenilworth last Saturday when Devin Ashby upset the popular trebles on Black Marble.
Consistent
Corne Spies – sends out Kiss Me Hardy
They also own the consistent sand warrior Code Red.
An eleven time winner, he will be ridden from a 10 draw by Randall Smons and will be running at them late in the race.
They have good back-up in the same silks in the Doowaley gelding Kirtling Towers, another course and distance winner capable of delivering the goods.
He has the beating of Tribal Code on his August outing over the course and distance.
It is probably fair to observe though that Tribal Code has continued to improve and has maintained his Vaal form of earlier on.
He is another, who should be right there.
Sham Duo
Dorrie Sham bids for the generous stakes on offer with two interesting runners.
The Jooste owned Stars And Stripes could be the shrewdie in the race.
The son of National Emblem has his first outing at Flamingo Park and comes off some very consistent form on the Fairview polytrack.
If he carries that aptitude on to the sand, he should prove competitive on the 54kg mark.
His stablemate Protest Song is a course and distance winner who ran on well for a two length second behind Black Pepper last time out.
He was beaten three runs back when receiving 2,5kgs from Secret Delight and three lengths in arrears, and thus may be held by that one here at level weights.
No Delight
Secret Delight ran a very flat race last time and is a nerve wracking horse to back as he comes from miles back late in his races.
Former Cape-based Jamie Lee Jet has had only one run in Kimberley. It was a weak 8 length fourth to Black Pepper where he pulled up distressed – couple that to his penultimate start four months prior to that where he bled, and he really does not appeal at this point.
Tienie Prinsloo’s Atso Fields won his last start and made it two wins from six starts since shedding his maiden.
He has a veritable mountain to climb off his 62 merit rating, but may be better than rated and has a place chance from a good draw.
Competitive
There will be little to choose between the likes of Kiss Me Hardy, Code Red, Tribal Code and Soldiersailor.
The pace will be on from the jump and we are inclined to lean towards Kiss Me Hardy – but he will need to pick up his feet in the final 200m to hold the locals.
