It is back to the Polytrack at Fairview on Friday and it looks a particularly difficult card.
Trainer Gavin Smith is enjoying a cracking season and his charge, filly Golden Pacific, has been one of the most improved horses in the Eastern Cape.
She started the season racing off a mark of 82 and is currently a 101.
Golden Pacific has had four victories through the season with three of them being on the Polytrack.
Just in case you thought she is only a Polytrack horse she has been just as good on the grass, with a win in her penultimate start and a good third last time out behind crack sprinter Three Rocks.
Interestingly, jockey S’manga Khumalo is unbeaten in five starts on the filly but it is apprentice Trent Mayhew who gets the ride on this filly, Smith obviously taking advantage of Mayhew’s 4kg allowance in Race 7, a MR 96 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1000m.
Golden Pacific has cracked pole position draw and should have the run of the race.
Smith could be the trainer to follow on the day and his runners Run For Me in Race 3 and Demigod in Race 4 may also be worth small bets.
Run For Me has been a disappointment in that he has now reached 18 starts without a victory but keeps threatening to win a race.
He found interference early in his last start and did well to finish off his race as well as he did so in a weak field he should be right there at the finish of this Maiden Plate over 1600m.
Filly Demigod is a challenging ride as she is often slowly away and does have a short burst so her finishing run needs to be timed to perfection.
She has been at her best on the Polytrack and her last run can safely be ignored as that was a very strong field.
Demigod is more at home in handicap company and will be doing her best work in the final 200m of this MR 72 Handicap over 1600m.
Let’s see if she can get up to win this time.
Clive Robinson
