Trainer Alan Greeff must have been well pleased when the final field came out for the Sophomore Plate, Race 6, at Fairview this Friday as his three-year-old colt Fairy Knight only has seven challengers.
Of those seven only two or possibly three could be considered serious threats to the Global View gelding.
Fairy Knight has won three of his nine starts with two of them having been on the Polytrack but he is arguably better on the turf and the 1400m of this race suits him down to the ground.
Jockey Richard has been aboard Fairy Knight in all his runs and he would have noticed that the last win of Fairy Knight was his best yet and it shows he is improving.
The slight query will be how he has taken to the unkindest cut of all that was performed on his last month
Form-wise it is very hard to see Fairy Knight not winning comfortably as he has his two likeliest dangers well held on form.
Fairy Knight was a couple of lengths ahead of both The Winter Lake and Waz Wouter when they have met recently.
The three-year-old gelding was 4.75 lengths clear of The Winter Lake when they both were behind Zoomie back in November.
In December Fairy Knight won and Wax Wouter was only third and 4.25lengths adrift.
Admittedly bot The Winter Lake and Waz Wouter have subsequently won after that and were impressive in those wins but the form of Fairy Knight should be too strong
Rival trainer Gavin Smith should have a good day however as both Gilden Pacific and Paris Lass hold decent chances in Race 5.
Golden Pacific has made remarkable improvement of late.
She was well beaten in her two turf starts to start her career but Blinkers has seen this filly win four of her last six starts.
Stable companion Paris Lass is very speedy and is a proven winner over this course and distance so is good back-up in the exotics.
The lucky last race can also fall the way of Smith as his Charlie Malone could prove a bit better than the rivals that take him on and is only the stable companion Wartch Tower that may threaten him during the running.
Clive Robinson
