Trainer Gavin Smith likes to rotate his riders and on Friday at Fairview it seems jockey Muzi Yeni is in favour. He has a solid book of rides so one can expect some winners.
However, one Smith runner he will not be riding is Cruise Control in Race 6, the Fairview Flying Five (Non-Black Type) over 1000m on the turf.
One cannot blame Smith for that decision as Mxothwa is unbeaten in two starts aboard Cruise Control and the gelding could hardly have been more impressive with his preparation for this race.
Cruise Control has won nine of his 15 starts and has three wins from four runs over this particular course and distance.
In his last start, Cruise Control thrashed his stable companion and rival in this race, Ledell’s Echo, by 5.50 lengths.
on his six defeats it is worth noting that Cliff Top is responsible for three of them and Evie’s First for another and both will take him on again.
Cliff Top, the mount of Richard Fourie, has been in good form of late and can fight out the finish again.
Evie’s First is speedy and has won a few over the course and distance but beat Cruise Control over 1200m when Cruise Control clearly went for broke too soon.
Yeni will be on the improving three-year-old The Winter Lake. This What A Winter gelding has won twice in four starts since blinkers were fitted and will be doing his best late in the race.
Only seven runners are carded for the main race on the card, the Listed East Cape Oaks over 2000m, but we should get an exciting finish.
Justin Snaith has a number of promising three-year-old fillies in the Western Cape who could be competitive in a race of this nature so one needs to take heed that only Epikleros will represent the stable.
This daughter by Master Of My Fate has won twice in nine starts with both wins coming in her last four starts. Yeni, who comes off a victory in Saturday’s Grade 1 Premier’s Champions at Turffontein aboard Royal Victory, could make all the difference this time around.
His winning chances do not end with just those rides as all off Queen Of Jazz, Cabaret, Metar, Waz Wouter and Destiny’s Angel are all capable of winning.
Clive Robinson
