Dennis Drier will be sweating on the performance of Miss Frankel at Kenilworth tomorrow where the much-hyped filly makes her debut. However, the veteran trainer will be immediately concerned with the performance of Heir Line at Greyville this evening. The colt has had a couple of warm-ups for this maiden event and should strip pretty much close to his peak. With Anthony Delpech up from a plum draw he will have his supporters.
Dennis Drier(Nkosi Hlophe)
However, Highveld raiders are seldom less than competitive and Johan Janse van Vuuren is raiding with two runners, the first of which is Captain Rockhopper who takes on Heir Line.
Like his rival, Captain Rockhopper has only has a couple of outings but stretches to this trip for the first time. His pedigree suggest that he will enjoy every yard of the trip and with Anton Marcus booked for the ride the inference is obvious.
Both horses make their poly debut but Master Shogun is familiar with the surface and improved nicely when sent over a ‘mile’ at his last outing. Apprentice Denis Schwarz takes 2.5kg off the back of Alyson Wright’s charge and this trio look the pick of the Pick 6 opener.
Sean Tarry is in such hot form of late that he could saddle the stable cat to win and he sends out Lonely Arethebrave in the Soccer 6 Handicap. There was only a nose separating Tarry’s runner and Breakfast Club last time out but the former spread a shoe in running so one could possibly add a length or two to that showing. Dean Kannemeyer sends out Tanjiro and Night Circus with the latter possibly pick of the pair with stable rider Anthony Delpech aboard and blinkers on for the first time. Tanjiro has not been out since early November but is never far back and Eric Ngwane has dine well on him before so cannot be written off.
Janse van Vuuren saddles the Australian-bred Readforyourlove in the fifth and the switch to poly could be exactly what the front-running daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown could be looking for aided by a light weight and a pole position draw.
By Andrew Harrison
