Consistent. Darryl Hodgson’s Australian-bred Rovatorio could make her presence felt in the Lady’s Bracelet
The Australian-bred Cape raider Rivatorio gets another bite at the black-type cherry when she travels to the Eastern Cape for Friday’s R130 000 Listed Lady’s Bracelet to be run over a mile at Fairview. A bumper eight-race programme awaits punters.
The Darryl Hodgson-trained daughter of Oratorio is yet another well-bred member of the Adams broodmare band and looks a filly overdue for a first stakes win after a consistent record of sterling performances down in the Western Cape.
Lightweight
Rivatorio faces a mixed bunch of thirteen opponents and with crack lightweight jockey Gerrit Schlechter in the saddle looks fair value to upstage the locals – even though she has a hard nut to crack in Lunar Lee.
Rivatorio is a winner of only 2 of her 16 starts, but has two excellent Listed seconds in the Ladies Mile and Stormsvlei to her credit earlier last year.
She is a consistent filly with a nice turn of foot, who will be well-suited to a solid pace and the long run-in of the Fairview circuit. It is not the Hodgson –Adams team style to make frivolous trips to other centres without a serious plan and a realistic winning chance.
Handicap Certainty
The Dorrie Sham-trained Lunar Lee looks weighted to win this on the handicap and the 5yo daughter of Victory Moon has won 5 of her last 10 starts in a consistent streak.
Lunar Lee has her first start beyond 1400m but her style of relaxing and running on, as well as the astute judgement of regular pilot Wayne Agrella have no doubt contributed to the decision to try her over the mile.
Lunar Lee’s Australian-bred dam won five races up to 1800m, which adds to the confident assessment.
Snaith Trio
Justin Snaith is inevitably a factor in these minor Eastern Cape features and he sends out a trio of Ocean’s Swift, Rush For John and Estelle.
Ocean’s Swift is the class of the three but has unfortunately pulled a wide draw. While she was disappointing last time when becoming very one-paced in a 1400m Conditions Plate , she ran 2,60 lengths behind Lunar Lee when receiving 6kgs. That means technically that Ocean’s Swift has no chance with the Sham runner, but it is worth bearing in mind that she won the Breeders Guineas by 7,25 lengths over the course and distance – and may just be an in and out sort.
Real Rush
The Cape Winter Oaks winner Rush For John ran a rather flat race behind Razzle Dazzle Rose in the Victress Stakes recently, but looks generally very competitive in this weaker arena and gets the services of Felix Coetzee from a good draw.
The third of the Snaith runners is the Walmer Handicap winner Estelle, who is proving to be very consistent since a regular in the Eastern Cape.
The daughter of Fort Wood gave 3,5kgs away when doggedly staying on to be beaten a whisker by the Laing trained Figure Eight Knot in an MR 90 Handicap over the course and distance last time.
Trainer Mitch Wiese has a coupling of Psaltery and Oil Grey, and the shrewd strategist may have thrown a curved ball with the engagement of a 4kg claiming apprentice for the underrated Psaltery.
Plot ‘N Plan
The former Charles Laird-trained filly won 3 of her first 6 starts in KwaZulu-Natal before losing the plot somewhat. She won her third start in this centre when getting up hard ridden to beat Arewethereyet over the course and distance. Psaltery may be better than rated, and should be watched by the value players.
Steven Janse Van Rensburg sends a three-way coupling to post and his lightly raced 3yo looks an interesting sort, having won twice and earned at all of her six career starts.
While badly drawn here, the daughter of Miesque’s Approval must come into calculations after a terrific win in the Fillies Guineas Plate, where she accounted for some of her highly rated contemporaries over 1400m.
Conversely, her stablemate Hail The Hearty is a well experienced 6yo mare with 5 wins from her 34 starts. She has drawn at 2 but appears somewhat out of her depth at level weights with the better performed types.
Formerly with Joey Ramsden, the Western Winter mare Maxixe has her first run for Yvette Bremner after a four month rest. Formerly campaigned in the red and white Lammerskraal silks, she no doubt got the PE ticket courtesy of her flat recent formline and will have to up her game and prove her fitness.
The rest should struggle.
Analysis
The Dorrie Sham yard have become a serious factor to be reckoned with in the Eastern Cape, and Lunar Lee looks well placed and handicapped to win this.
Rivatorio brings the slightly stronger Cape form into it though, and at her best she could give the Victory Moon mare a serious run for her money.
Psaltery may prove best of the rest, while the Snaith trio should be included in Pick calculations.
