Most of the interest in the meeting on Thursday 2 May at Turffontein will be the clash between Barbaresco and William Iron Arm in Race 6, a Progress Plate over 1800m.
However, the early races could provide punters with the kickstart they need to ensure a winning day.
Trainer Sean Tarry is once again a frontrunner this season and he holds a very strong hand in the opening event, a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies over 1450m.
Mountain High, by all accounts, should have won on debut. But this Rafeef-filly was slow away and was touched off at the finish by Across The Pond, settling for third just a head off the winner.
That run was enough to give Tarry the confidence to take on the best juvenile fillies in Gauteng and although unplaced, she was by no means disgraced when fifth and 6.75-lengths adrift of Little Ballerina in the Grade 2 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m.
The step up to 1450m and drawn well should give Mountain High the run of the race.
Just to make sure he has all his bases covered, Tarry has backed her up with the improving Varvara.
Team Azzie were not as successful as they had hoped when raiding the Western Cape earlier this year but they are in good form and Lead The Charge looks the likely winner in Race 2, a Maiden Plate over 1450m.
The Lancaster Bomber-colt needed the experience of his debut but has improved since and has finished runner-up twice.
Pole position draw should give jockey Craig Zackey options and he can get the job done.
Back to Race 6 and the mouth-watering clash of improving three-year-olds Barbaresco and William Iron Arm.
Barbaresco has been impressive of late, winning two of his last three starts but in his penultimate he finished 5 lengths behind William Iron Arm in the SA Classic at Turffontein.
It gets worse for the fans of the lovable grey as the weight terms of this race sees William Iron Arm 3kg better off.
That makes it a very tough task for Barbaresco but he will have his supporters and will not go down without a fight.
Clive Robinson
