Vaal Trainer Louis Goosen has built up a reputation as a fine trainer of sprinters and the filly Effortless Reward is the latest of them to build up a sequence of victories.
Mike de Kock
This speedy Australian-bred has revelled in the current fast going conditions in the Highveld winter and will be hard to peg back in Saturday’s headliner at Turffontein, the Cullam’s Pinnacle Stakes over 1000m. However, she won’t have it all her own way as she faces an equally talented sprinting filly in Wrecking Ball. The latter is the best in at the weights, although just 0,5kg better off than Effortless Reward, and she is coming off an outstanding fifth place in the Grade 1 weight for age Computaform Sprint. The pair looks to be a ready-made exacta, as both are progressive three-year-olds and they are 2,5kg and 2kg better off respectively with the next best weighted horse Greasepaint, who is a six-year-old gelding. Roquebrune looks held by Effortless Reward on their previous meeting. Golden Man is close to Roquebrune on their last meeting, but the 1000m might be a touch sharp for him. The speedy Isphan has a chance if reproducing his penultimate start, but he is held by Effortless Reward on their last meeting and has become a touch inconsistent.
Punters should get off to a good start with Battle Front in the first over 1600m. On debut over 1400m when running a decent second from an unfavourable draw down the Vaal straight, this rangy sort was green and looked to be crying out for further. He has a good draw over this step up in trip. However, he will not have it all his own way as Wheel Of Time is proven over the trip already in his two good efforts to date and is also well drawn. Gambado, a big horse with plenty of scope, could also make his presence felt having run on over a sprint trip on debut. He should relish the step up in trip. Vacquero should improve over the trip too. Hello is another to consider for quartets as he has always bumped good horses and has never been far off them.
Purple Diamond (Nkosi Hlophe)
Zerodarkthirty wears second time blinkers and in the second race over the fast 1160m course and distance he could lead from start to finish as he has plenty of pace. However, Manitoba will be running at him late and Riding Shotgun should improve and should be right there too. Greenwood Drive is well bred and betting support must be respected, while a debutant by Var can never be ignored, so the betting on Cape Wildcat must be also be watched.’
The third is fascinating as it features the promising Flying Fable up against the well-bred Mike de Kock-trained first-timer Awaafy.
The next race also features a well-bred De Kock-trained first-timer in Mujaafy, while the promising Lobo’s Legend is the best representative of the raced horses.
In the fifth Skiminac is tipped as his form was boosted by Purple Diamond’s victory in the Grade 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe on Saturday.
The speed horses will be favoured in the current fast going conditions in the seventh over 1000m, so Captain’s Girl and Levi Lady look to have fine respective chances. However, Jameson Girl is tipped to mow them down.
Daffiq has always struck as a classy sort and attempts to prove he stays further than 1400m in the eighth over 1800m. If he fails to stay Amsterdam and Stonehenge are tipped to pick up the pieces.
The last is the most difficult leg of the Pick 6, being a MR 67 handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m. Dawn Flight makes most appeal, although all of Juba, Miss Bulsara, Bright Bronte, Cape Infanta, Emerald Bay and Burning Rock have to be considered.
By David Thiselton
