The midweek Joburg meeting on the Inside track at Turffontein on Thursday 6 June presents bettors with a challenging nine-race card comprised of four Maiden Plates, four handicaps for fillies and mares, and a quality 1450m Pinnacle Stakes event (Race 7) to which leading Highveld trainer Sean Tarry holds the key.
Last season’s Equus Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Mrs Geriatrix, who was unbeaten in five starts as a juvenile, picked up her sophomore year where she left off the last campaign by winning on her seasonal appearance as a three-year-old over 1450m on the Inside track in early October. However, she hasn’t added to her tally in six subsequent outings, though has run well in defeat in all bar one (her latest) of those half-a-dozen starts. This diminutive daughter of Vercingetorix returns to the scene of her last career success in Race 7 and is favourably treated by the conditions of the race. She is the best-weighted runner in the 10-horse lineup and regular pilot Richard Fourie jets in from Cape Town to resume his partnership with Tarry’s charge.
Mrs Geriatrix should – following a disappointing last start in the Grade 2 Camelia Stakes over 1160m – appreciate the step up to this extended trip with the benefit of starting from gate 1.
Interestingly, in her only previous outing on the Inside track, Mrs Geriatrix won from pole position with Fourie aboard over the same course and distance. Tarry has all the ingredients needed in his recipe for success.
Mrs Geriatrix forms the middle leg of a potential hat-trick for the Tarry outfit, as stablemates Magical Flight (Race 6) and Women Of Fame (Race 8) boast solid winning credentials in their respective handicaps.
The former puts her unbeaten course-and-distance record on the line in a competitive FM92 Handicap over 1500m after finishing a game-in-defeat fourth over 1800m on the Inside track last time. She made most of the running that day and was only outsprinted in the closing stages under 60kg to finish 2.75-lengths off the winner, to whom she was conceding 4kg.
Craig Zackey rode Magical Flight for the first time on that occasion, so he should have a better understanding of his mount when he gets back aboard the six-year-old Willow Magic-mare whose chances won’t be harmed by having just 57kg to carry this time.
Fourie takes over the reins aboard What A Winter-filly Women Of Fame, whom he rode to victory in their only previous association. On that occasion, Women Of Fame won an FM81 Handicap over 1000m at this venue off a mark of 83 with 58,5kg on her back. She lines up in Race 8, an FM89 Handicap over 1200m, with 57kg to carry off a rating of 85 having been eased a point by the assessor after her disappointing latest performance over 1000m a fortnight ago.
This Tarry-trained three-year-old is, given her quick reappearance, likely to have come out of that race in good order and the extra 200m at this stage of her career could be what Women Of Fame is looking for. She finished 0.75-lengths behind re-opposing rival War Queen on similar weight terms but conceded first run to the latter before clocking a faster 400m-to-finish time. On that evidence, 1200m and a reunion with Fourie could pave the way to success and complete a ‘Tarry Pick 3’.
In the fourth and final leg of Jackpot TWO, it could pay to side with Candice Dawson-trained Just Be Nice whose consistency will be rewarded sooner rather than later. This versatile Captain Of All mare has maintained a good level of form off her career-high current mark and has finished in the first four in each of her last five outings – including three on the Inside track, where she has won once, finished third three times, as well as three fourth-place finishes from seven course appearances.
Philasande Mxoli has partnered Just Be Nice in her two most recent starts, finishing second over 1400m at the Vaal on 28 March before steering Dawson’s five-year-old inmate to a staying-on third over 1600m six weeks ago. He retains the ride in Race 9 over 1200m and, with an expected quicker pace to aim at, could enjoy the run of the race from gate 1.
Tony Peter’s runners Ride On and Where’s The Party will likely head the betting market after encouraging Highveld introductions while improving last-start winner Just The Two Of Us will also attract her fair share of support with further progress expected over 1200m after a fluent maiden success over, which should provide better Eachway value about Just Be Nice.
Clive Robinson
