It is Polytrack racing again this Friday at Fairview and the track has suited front-runners recently so keep that in mind when looking for the winners.
Jockey Richard Fourie was away last week and trainer Alan Greeff struggled, but they will be back in the winners’ box soon enough.
It does seem, though, that Fourie’s best ride will be Oliver Twist for trainer Gavin Smith in Race 2, a Maiden Plate over 1600m.
This Ideal World colt has improved with each run and was also a runner-up under Fourie twice in a row.
He was only run out of it late by Karoo Gold last time out over this course and distance last month. That was his first run on Polytrack and he will have learned from that experience.
Fourie and Greef team up with last season’s Champion Two-Year-Old-Filly Splicethemainbrace in Race 6, the Fillies Guineas Plate over 1400m.
Unbeaten in five starts as a juvenile Splicethemainbrace won some good races. She does, however, have a couple of question marks that need to be answered on Friday.
The Master Of My Fate filly struggled in her only start of this season when never in the race on a soft track in September. It is likely she did not like the track that day.
More concerning is that she tries the Polytrack for the first time and has to give rival Happy Holly 8kg. That is a lot of weight to give to a filly she has beaten three times all by very narrow margins.
Happy Holly also disappointed when returning from a break and was only fifth and beaten six lengths by Ellorix over 1000m in her first try on the Polytrack.
Happy Holly was given a soft ride that day and she will be hard to beat at these weights if showing her best side.
Race 8 does look a three-cornered contest with fillies Cicadidae, Get It Done and Lady Writer looking likely to fight out the finish.
Cicadidae likes the Polytrack and is well drawn and will have Fourie in the irons but it is Get It Done that gets the vote to score.
The Ideal World mare has been at the top of her game of late and picked up her third win in her last four starts when winning over the course and distance in September.
Clive Robinson
