Overdue. Translator (red and black silks) looks the right one in Sunday’s Sentinel Stakes
A small but high quality field of 2yo colts goes to post for Sunday’s R120 000 Sentinel Stakes at Clairwood. While four of the seven runners are winners,we have a fancy for the smart looking maiden Var gelding, Translator.
The Var success story is well documented and the Avontuur bred Translator has gone down narrowly in his only two starts to date.
First time out he showed pace but ran a bit green when going down to New Sensation. Charles Laird is known to rate him highly.
It was much the same story at his next outing, when he was desperately unlucky to be beaten narrowly by Emperor Niarchos over Sunday’s course and distance.
Translator has both his conquerors held at the weights here, and we expect him to come on with the experience and turn the tables. He will be ridden by Anthony Delpech in this non black type feature.
Doug Campbell has a strong coupling in his two homebreds, King’s Bay and NewSensation.
King’s Bay lumps topweight as the only two time winner in the race.
He has shown solid speed at all his three starts, and after running a promising second first tome round behind Mighty Var, he won his next two starts well.
He is 2 kgs worse off with his stablemate New Sensation, whom he beat 2,25 lengths over the course and distance at year end.
New Sensation didn’t waste time though, and next run he promptly shed his maiden over the Greyville 1000m, beating Translator 1,25 lengths. He now has to give the Var flyer 2kgs, which will be tough.
Frank Robinson sends out the Miesque’s Approval colt Emperor Niarchos who beat Translator on debut at any price by a head over Sunday’s course and distance.
Ridden again by apprentice Donovan Dillon, he meets the son of Var on 2kgs worse terms, and this sway could see a reversal of the finishing order.
Duncan Howells sends out the Windrush colt Fly At Em, who won very smoothly on debut over the Clairwood 1200m, beating subsequent smart winner, Full Combat.
The latter, trained by Mike De Kock, impressed us on Tuesday over 1200m at Clairwood, when gearing away to beat the highly vaunted Normanz, at his second outing.
That makes Fly At Em’s win look very strong, indeed.
Punters should watch the betting on the two first timers, both of whom may need a touch further than 1000m on breeding, but hail from top yards who wouldn’t run them for fun.
We suggest Translator will be good enough, to win this at the expense of Emperor Niarchose and King’s Bay.
