In general, the fields are quite small at Turffontein on Saturday but they are also highly competitive.
A perfect example of this comes up in Race 7, a MR 96 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m on the Inside track, where just nine runners are carded to go to post, but one could make a winning case for every one of them.
Perhaps the most progressive runner in this field is Coldhardstare, a three-year-old filly trained by the father and son team of Mike and Adam Azzie. This daughter of What A Winter has only raced four times for two wins and a third place.
Racing on the Inside track is all around the turn, which is why low draws are an advantage, particularly over the minimum trip. In the case of Coldhardstare, she will jump from No 3 draw which is ideal.
It is also an advantage that she has raced three time on the Inside track, winning her last start comfortably by two lengths.
Against her is that she is taking a slight jump in class and all of her runs have been over further, so coming back to 1000m could be a concern.
However, she has just 52kg on her back and has a very in-form jockey in Kabelo Matsunyane in the irons.
Some of those issues also will apply to Moonshiningthrough, who looks to go off the likely favourite.
This Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained four-year-old is a four-time winner who takes quite a drop in class. She has been running in feature races and even took on the boys in the Grade 3 Gauteng Merchants over 1160m last November.
This Rafeef filly has not been in action since finishing 5.25 lengths behind Big Burn in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1100m on the Standside track at Turffontein in January.
However, much like Coldhardstare, she seems a little better when running over further than 1000m. She will be racing fresh though, and that could work in her favour. She has been allotted top weight of 62.5kg but she will be ridden by talented apprentice Siyanda Sosibo who will take 2.5kg off her back.
The Azzie’s have a second runner and she is a 1000m specialist. Rose For Trippi has run eight times and seven of them have been over 1000m. The three-year-old Trippi has won two of those races and has placed on three other occasions.
She also takes a drop in class, carries 56kg and has S’manga Khumalo in the irons.
The only concern is this will be her first run around the turn.
Clive Robinson
