The R175,000 Listed Spring Spree Stakes headlines this weekend’s Joburg meeting at Turffontein, where racing is on the Inside track for a nine-race card that should provide some valuable pointers to the Highveld’s upcoming feature-race season.
The 1200m main event – Race 7 on the programme – is accompanied by The Lady’s Stakes (Race 8), a 1200m Non-Black Type event for fillies and mares, as well as two 1450m Graduation Plate races that include several promising three-year-olds whose connections harbour big-race ambitions.
Prominent owners Lawrence Wernars and Rikesh Sewgoolam, whose silks will be worn by S’manga Khumalo in Race 2, have high hopes for Chestnut Bomber who was highly thought of as a two-year-old by trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren.
The Lancaster Bomber gelding improved with each run during a three-start juvenile campaign that culminated in a maiden victory at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 25 May, and he confirmed that promise with an encouraging staying-on third over 1450m on his seasonal reappearance on Day 1 of the new season on the Classic track at the Vaal.
He would have tightened up appreciably with the benefit of that comeback run.
Khumalo’s mount has, on official ratings, quite a bit to find at the weights, but Chestnut Bomber is progressive and will strip fitter this time around, so could make a mockery of his current mark before going on to bigger and better things in his sophomore year.
Khumalo rode Robbie Sage-trained Quantum Theory to victory in the Spring Spree Stakes 12 months ago from gate No 9 and that is where the likely winner of this year’s renewal also jumps from.
Quantum Theory is back to defend his title but Denis Schwarz will again be aboard the Querari gelding, having ridden him to victory last time over 1160m in preparing for this title defence, with Khumalo booked to ride Van Vuuren-trained Cliff Hanger instead from stall No 10.
The latter’s in-form stablemate, Chyavana, is drawn alongside in gate No 9 with Kabelo Matsunyane engaged to ride the six-year-old Flower Alley gelding unbeaten in three starts over 1200m., including his only course-and-distance appearance back in March 2022.
Chyavana has been lightly raced, making just 19 starts, but is maturing and only now coming into his own. He looked better than ever when winning off a career-high mark (98) over 1000m and the Standside track late last season. He carried 61kg that day, giving weight and a beating to useful performers – among them stablemate Rainbow Reward, a 1000m specialist to whom he was conceding 6kg.
For that performance, Chyavana earned a mere two-point penalty and that is unlikely to halt his momentum, especially over his preferred trip, and there should be good each-way value on offer in what is an ultracompetitive Spring Spree Stakes renewal.
Versatile Silent War, blinkered-again Guy Gibson, defending champ Quantum Theory, and Khumalo’s ride Cliff Hanger, are those most likely to challenge Chyavana.
Oratorio gelding Presley should provide the first half of a race-to-race double for Van Vuuren and Wernars by winning Race 6 over 1600m. As a three-year-old, Presley kept good company and more than held his own. He finished just 3.25 lengths off the winner from a wide draw in the Listed Secretariat Stakes over 1450m, then ran on well to finish a close-up 0.75-lengths third in the Egoli Mile before finishing a creditable fourth in the 1800m Grade 3 Sea Cottage Stakes won by La Moohal on 7 July.
On the strength and consistency of that form, Presley will be hard to beat with Khumalo in the irons, and back over a distance he has made three starts, winning twice – only defeat over 1600m was in the Egoli Mile.
The return to 1600m and ease in grade off an unchanged mark make Van Vuuren’s charge a very attractive betting proposition.
On the subject of attractive betting propositions, Matsunyane rides arguably one of the better bets on the card in Towers Of Gold in Race 9 over 1800m. This Paul Matchett-trained Gimmethegreenlight (Champion Sire) gelding made an encouraging start to his career as a juvenile, finishing third in both starts as a two-year-old. He confirmed that promise on his seasonal reappearance over 1600m, staying on well to finish second on the Standside track three weeks ago.
Towers Of Gold has found the perfect opportunity to open his account and need not improve much – if at all – over the extended trip to bid adieu to the maidens and have his sights set higher.
Clive Robinson
