Sunday’s (16 June) Youth Day meeting on Turffontein’s Standside track looks set to be dominated by jockeys Richard Fourie and Muzi Yeni, with seven winners on the nine-race card likely to be ridden by either jockey.
The former, who recently broke Anthony Delpech’s record (334) for the most winning rides in a single season, has three potential winning mounts. It could, however, pay to follow Yeni who added to his Grade 1 tally in the Gold Challenge (on Dave The King) at Hollywoodbets Greyville last weekend – on the same day Fourie made history.
Yeni and trainer Paul Matchett team up in Race 3 with two-year-old Tipperary, and this improving Lancaster Bomber filly is good value to open her account with the step up to 1800m expected to unlock further progress.
She has finished second (under Yeni) and third in two starts around the bend – over 1450m and 1400m respectively – and the extended trip in Leg 1 of the Place Accumulator, with Yeni back aboard, should be very much to her liking in a modest maiden.
There are not many sons or daughters of Mogok Master going around and Matchett’s four-year-old gelding, Master Tik Tok, could be the first of his sire’s progeny to win a race. Yeni has steered Matchett’s charge to consecutive close-up thirds recently, the latest over 1600m on the Inside track 10 days ago and reverting to 1800m – the distance over which he finished a 0.75-length third on the Vaal Classic track last month – in Race 4 could bring with it a maiden career win.
Tony Peter-trained Master Of My Fate gelding Power Broker has won twice and finished second three times in six starts with Yeni in the irons. They are reunited for the first time since October in Race 7 and siding with this combination in a competitive 1160m sprint could pay handsome dividends.
Top-weight Mover And Shaker boasts the strongest form of the nine runners but has achieved his rating and produced his best performances over 1000m, although he did win over 1300m as a juvenile. He has to concede 8kg to Power Broker which could prove a bridge too far for Fabian Habib’s inmate.
Consistent Power Broker returns from a nine-week absence but tends to perform well when racing fresh. In four starts after a 60-day break, he has won twice with a second and a third-place finish. He is course-and-distance suited and was at the top of his game when last seen, which his career-high mark attests to.
Another four-year-old gelding aboard whom Yeni has a terrific record is Breeze Over from the stable of Mike and Adam Azzie. This son of Twice Over has not finished worse than fourth in seven associations with the lightweight rider – winning twice, finishing second twice, third once, and fourth twice.
Breeze Over ran twice in April after a two-month freshen-up and acquitted himself competitively on both occasions in Listed races with Yeni in the irons. The Azzies’ maturing stayer finished fourth in the 2850m Caradoc Gold Cup and a game-in-defeat close-up second in the Gold Bowl on 27 April when he led for most of that 3200m contest before being collared late by the winner.
Breeze Over reappears in his peak outing under a resultant four-penalty from the widest No 11 stall but neither his rating nor wide barrier position should halt his momentum.
Earlier on the card, Gimmethegreenlight filly Gimmefabulous could land the first leg of an Azzie double in Race 2 over 1160m. This promising two-year-old made her reappearance (and Highveld debut) after a 14-week layoff following an encouraging stint during Cape Town’s Summer season.
She would’ve come on appreciably with the benefit of that comeback outing, which was against older male rivals, and reverting to juvenile competition with improved fitness on her side and record-breaking Fourie in the saddle should result in a more competitive showing.
Clive Robinson
