Gelding seems to have done the trick for Smorgasbord who bounced back to his best in his first race after having the surgical procedure done.
Very highly rated by trainer Paul Peter, this son of Twice Over looked to be heading straight to the top after winning on debut by 3.25 lengths. His future seemed even brighter when three winners came out of that form line but unfortunately he started to have behavioural issues.
When it became clear there was no other option Smorgasbord was gelded.
The three-year-old returned to racing on 30 December over 1200m at the Vaal, and despite a slow start, came from last and won more comfortably than the winning margin of 0.90 lengths suggests.
On Tuesday he will again race over 1200m in a merit rated 96 Handicap, this time on the Inside track at Turffontein, which means he will be running around the turn.
It should not be much of an issue as he has run at the course when finishing a 2.10-length third over 1450m in a much stronger field. That race was won by Mike de Kock-trained Sparkling Water, who has since gone on to win the Grade 3 Victory Moon Stakes and will be contesting a Grade 2 feature at Kenilworth in Cape Town on 29 January.
Gavin Lerena rode him to victory last time and he will be on board for this race.
His main threat is likely to come from another three-year-old, Quantum King, from the Johan Janse van Vuuren yard.
He has run three times over the course and distance for two wins and a second so he extremely comfortable on this track. He will be in receipt of 4kg from Smorgasbord but Peter will have some idea of how good the match-up between the two will be as he has a line through another of his runners. Freed From Desire beat Quantum King by a head, giving him 0.5kg and he will have some idea where Smorgasbord will fit into this picture.
Keagan de Melo has been engaged to ride Quantum King.
Preview by Clive Robinson
