On Friday 10 January trainer Alan Greeff recently took home five out of the eight winner’s trophies and a week later won half of eight races. His good run can continue at Fairview on Tuesday, despite a strong challenge from raiding Western Cape trainer Candice Bass-Robinson, who looks to have some lively chances as well.
Greeff has not only been cleaning up with his top-rated runners but his unraced juveniles having been coming home easily and it won’t be a surprise to see betting support come for Arabian Blue who is a well related daughter of Heavenly Blue in Race 1.
A Greeff runner has beaten the only horse with decent form, Fiery Countess, easily with Silva Key and Anotherdanceforme respectively and could do so again. The swinger on Arabian Blue and Fiery Countess could be the right bet to take before an onslaught on the exotics.
In Race 2, Bass-Robinson’s Sheets And Goggles should see off Greeff’s Little Lexi. Sheets And Goggles will be hard to beat on any of her best runs. She was a fast finishing second to All Is Green on debut and should have won by now as the winner of that race has gone on to win again and placed in strong company.
The well-bred Gimmethegreenlight filly has tried different things and in her penultimate start turned in an eye-catching performance, running on well into third beaten 2.30 lengths by highly regarded Eric Sands-trained filly Russian Royal over 1400m. She had valid excuses last time and should be too strong in this Open Maiden over 1200m, even though giving away weight.
Little Lexi is in receipt of 7kg from Sheets And Goggles and while she has run one or two decent races it must be remembered that she has had many chances in Open Maidens and has not threatened for the win.
Two more up-and-coming types could come in for betting support and justify confidence. Grand Oasis (Race 4) and Run The World (Race 6) have both been improving nicely of late and are set to run big races. The former did everything but win behind heavily backed Oliver Twist. He should appreciate the drop in distance and jumps from a plum gate.
Run The World seemed to take an age to get into the race last time but once he did, he impressed. Justin Snaith brings him back and the reason may be that the horse prefers the right-handed track.
He is one of only two three-year-olds running in the lower division, the other Always Shining is a battling maiden and Snaith’s runner looks the horse to be with.
Greeff could run one, two, three and four in Race 3, a fillies and mares Pinnacle Stakes run over 2000m. He has five of the seven runners carded. The top horse in the race is Official Secret who, with a merit rating of 107, is the best horse running at the meeting and Richard Fourie gets the ride.
The last time Fourie took her to the front and dictated matters she came home a facile 7.50-length winner. She is also patently way better than her last run suggests when eight lengths behind stable mate Lady Silvano who finished second behind top miler Lunar Halo in the Lady’s Bracelet. The 1600m proved too short but now back to a more suitable distance she can gallop her field into the ground.
Bass-Robinson’s other runner, Coulditbe, who lines up in Race 5, a MR 72 Handicap over 1600m for fillies and mares could be the value proposition of the day. The Canford Cliffs filly may have lost form of late in the Western Cape, but she shows good pace and has been tiring late. She could much prefer the Polytrack which is more forgiving than the Cape’s firm tracks and could be too strong for her local opposition.
Jack Milner
