A change is as good as a holiday is a popular expression but as much as it is true for humans, it is also true for horses.
If you need proof, just look at Aussenkehr. The Elusive Fort gelding obviously worked well when down in the Western Cape because he was often well supported in the betting, only to let everybody down.
At the beginning of the year he transferred to Tony Peter’s stable and the transition was amazing. Whether the fields were weaker, the thinner air on the Highveld more to his liking, or just the track conditions, but Aussenkehr took toto his new surroundings and in his eight runs since then, he has notched up four wins, three third places and one fourth place.
He could score once again when he lines up in Race 6 on the Vaal Classic on Tuesday in a Middle Stakes over 1000m up the straight.
For those wondering about the name, Aussenkehr a town is on Namibia’s southern border, some 50 km northwest of the Noordoewer border post with South Africa.
The four-year-old has been allocated top weight of 62kg for this race but will have the services of promising apprentice Trent Mayhew who will take 4kg off his back.
Mayhew did ride the gelding two starts back over 1000m on the Turffontein Inside track in a similar race and on that occasion the pair finished third, beaten just 0.75 lengths by stablemate Captain Hindsight.
The one concern is that Aussenkehr has yet to win over 1000m but two of his three runs were still in the Western Cape and he did well enough in his lone run over the trip on Joburg.
Aussenkehr comes into this race as the second best weighted runner, but leading that column is five-year-old mare On Cue, who will carry just 50.5kg.
There is no doubt Paul Matchett’s charge is at her best over this distance as three of her five victories have come over the distance. Also, Matchett’s yard is in top form and the combination with jockey Philasande Mxoli has been rock solid of late. At the time of writing this young jockey was placed sixth on the national jockey log and his having the best season of his career.
Cliff Hanger comes from another in-form stable, that of Johan Janse van Vuuren, and will have Gavin Lerena in the irons, who is in third spot on the jockey log.
Cliff Hanger started his career in KwaZulu-Natal where he won his first two starts before finishing unplaced in the Grade 1 Gold Medallion. He was rested and gelded after that and had a credible comeback on 2 September to finish a 0.75-length second to Ready To Charge.
That race will have brought him on and the three-year-old son of Canford Cliffs is expected to contest the finish.
Clive Robinson
