The Turffontein Inside track stages an eight race meeting today and there look to be some fair opportunities for punters.
The best bet could be Tambalang (G Lerena / S Tarry) in the third race, a maiden for fillies and mares over 1800m. Last time out over 1600m she didn’t settle perfectly from a low draw as she waited on the rail for a wider drawn horse to cross over and set the pace, so that is a slight concern going over this further trip. However, her pedigree suggests she should relish the extra trip being by Go Deputy out of a Western Winter mare who won over a mile.
Furthermore, Go Deputy’s progeny are known to improve as they get older. However, the main factor on her side is simply the formline. The two horses who beat her over 1600m in her penultimate start, Red Pomegranate and Little Swift, both won next time out. The horse who beat her last time, Komeshan’s Flight, also looks decent and was beaten only 0,2 lengths over 1450m by Little Swift in her penultimate start. Tambalang’s opposition tomorrow do not have nearly as strong form. Cidada, being by Galileo, should enjoy the step up in trip and coming from the Alec Laird yard should show improvement in her second career start. However, on the downside she made a breathing noise in her fair debut over 1600m. Nevertheless, she looks to be the chief danger.
The highest rated race of the day is the second, a Graduation Plate over 1600m. The classy Negroamara would prefer a bit further now but running fresh it is easy to imagine her running on strongly from off the pace to get up. She is 6,5kg better off with any other horse in the field on official merit ratings. However, Querari Falcon, who won the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes over this trip on Gold Cup day could be a big danger if able to dictate from the front and use her decent kick to steal a march. On the downside she has a wide draw to overcome and also the Thekwini form has not worked out well to date.
The value bet of the day comes in the seventh race, a MR 68 Handicap over 1200m. The Alec Laird-trained Endearing has dropped to a mark six points lower than her last win. In her penultimate start she ran a decent race over 1160m when appearing to be a bit outpaced but staying on well. The 1200m over this slightly tougher track should suit her down to the ground, and in fact, she won her maiden over course and distance by a facile 5,25 lengths, albeit against a weak field. On the downside she is the only female in the race. She was also drawn two in the aforementioned maiden win, whereas this time she has a tricky draw of six. The horse who does have the plum draw of two is the Mike de Kock-trained Springhills, who just got up on debut over 1000m despite having to be switched inward in the closing stages. He is superbly bred being by top Australian sire Redoute’s Choice out of a Gr 1-winning sprinter by Volksraad. However, he didn’t actually reach his reserve of AUS$100,000, the final bid being AUS$90,000, so might not be the perfectly conformed sort.
However, his debut suggested he would enjoy this trip and it isn’t the most inspiring of fields so he can be involved off a reasonable merit rating of 77. Side Show has come class and will be perfectly course and distance suited from a draw of two. However, he was accorded a merit rating of 84 for his easy win against weak maiden opposition and it is never easy for a three-year-old to carry topweight against older horses off such a merit rating. His stablemate Copper Pot won his maiden in taking style over 1450m. However, he has to race off quite a harsh 81 merit rating, considering that was a weak workrider’s event. On the other hand he has a 4kg claimer up. Quattro is distance suited and could also earn from a fair draw off a competitive merit rating.
One of the most difficult races is the sixth, a MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m. Paree, in the typical fashion of an older horse by Silvano, has suddenly come into her own. The ease with which she has won her last two starts over 1160m and 1450m respectively suggests she has more to offer, so she is selected to make it a hattrick. However, one horse who could go off at decent odds and has a definite winning chance is the topweight Perfumed Lady. She has always had a touch of class and, after being hampered in her penultimate start over 1000m at Scottsville and then finding it too far last time out over 1400m, she is now back to a suitable trip and has been dropped to an attractive merit rating. Furthermore, she has a plum draw with Delpech up. Penny Serenade has also been dropped to an attractive merit rating. She was undone by a wide draw over course and distance last time and is now drawn well off a three point lower mark.
An intriguing runner on the day is Al Fahad in the fifth, a MR 80 Handicap over 1450m. He likely has a feature campaign lined up for him, so this might be a preparation outing in his first run around the turn. Furthermore, he has to race off a merit rating of 89 in a handicap in just his second career start. However, the way he kicked again when challenged on debut over 1200m and then the courage he showed to get up in a ding dong tussle makes him the one to beat with Delpech up from a plum draw.
David Thiselton
