Unbeaten since Mark Dixon decided on blinkers, Isingamoya returns to what is arguably her best course and distance when she lines up in the Pinnacle Stakes at Scottsville today.

The mare will be bidding for the eight victory of her career, five of which have been over course and distance and under the conditions of the race, is fairly favourably weighted.

She shows tremendous pace and plenty of intestinal fortitude as she displayed when holding off the attentions of Kiteecador on the Greyville poly last time out.

She appears much better suited to the turf track and Scottsville in particular and although she faces some seriously talent opposition, she has a lot in her favour.

The dangers are many but Lunar Rush, Too Phat To Fly and Statute look the most likely threats.

Lunar Rush has done her connections proud as victory today will see her earnings breech the R1 million mark. She is just below top class as her recent form suggests but Duncan Howells has been astute in picking her races and although she will shoulder top weight, her last win came at the expense of Isingamoya back in September last year.

Young apprentice Luke Ferraris has got his fledgling career off to a flying start and came within one race of riding the jackpot at Turffontein last Saturday. He partners Too Phat Too Fly for Glen Kotzen but will only be allowed to claim 2.5kg.

She was running on strongly in the recent Post Merchants, finishing three lengths off the winner Sniper Shot who is one of the fancied runners in Saturday’s Gr1 Mercury Sprint.

The lightly raced Statute has had a bit of and in-and-out career so far but she has twice won convincingly over course and distance. She is obviously talented and looks to be over her preferred course and distance.

Ferraris will be aboard Cumulus in the opening leg of the Pick 6 and Nathan Kotzen’s charge should make a bod bid. The gelding has yet to run a bad race and was just in need of his last outing when two lengths back to Unbelievable Lad. The latter is again in opposition but is now 2.5kg worse off at the weights, taking the apprentice allowance into consideration.

A bigger threat could be Amazon King who was a neck behind Unbelievable Lad in the same race and appears to have found his better form in blinkers.

Silvan Saint is due a change of luck in the fifth after finishing close-up in his last two outings where he started favourite. He has a plum draw and is taken to get home ahead of the giant Haddington and the temperamental filly High Altar who put her best foot forward to win last time out.

Rio De La Plata takes a drop in class in the sixth where he is way better than his last effort after finding traffic and can do better here. Season trainer Ormond Ferraris is giving his grandson Luke plenty of opportunities and American Indian makes the trip after finishing second in a strong handicap field at Turffontein and looks a serious threat.

Trojan Harbour and Baltic Amber have been scratched from the seventh where Captain Courteous can make amends from being a beaten favourite last run. Justin Snaith’s runner only got going late in that race and he can do better over this extended trip. The Ferraris’s team up again with Shogun who was an easy winner on the Highveld last time out. With a light weight from a good draw he can make it tough for Captain Courteous.

By Andrew Harrison