Followers of S’manga Khumalo and Kabelo Matsunyane could be smiling all the way to the bank after the nine-race midweek meeting on the Inside track at Turffontein on Thursday 24 April.
‘Bling,’ as Khumalo is affectionately known, has a good winning chance aboard team Azzie-trained Winds Of Grace in Race 3 over 1450m.
This Act Of War filly has improved to finish in the money in each of her three starts around the turn, including her latest when Mike and Adam Azzie’s charge finished third over 1400m on the Standside track.
Winds Of Grace needn’t improve much on that performance to open her account under Khumalo.
Bling steered Heavyliesthecrown to debut success over 1200m on the Inside track six weeks ago and continues his association with the Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained filly over the same track and trip in Race 8. The pair led from barrier to box in mid-March and, with natural improvement expected of the three-year-old daughter of Rafeef, Khumalo will likely land himself back in the winner’s enclosure.
Matsunyane retains the ride aboard Corne Spies-trained veteran Whispers Of War who he has ridden three times for two third-place finishes, including in the seven-year-old veteran’s last start over 1600m just nine days ago.
Spies’ charge moved up menacingly at the 400m mark but his challenge petered out tamely so a step up to 2000m in Race 7 and a more patient Matsunyane ride over the extended distance could prove a masterstroke for the Australian-bred Time For War gelding.
Whispers Of War has found form and consistency since given relief from the handicapper, and he races off the same mark he did last time, thus a repeat of his last performance could suffice.
Elsewhere on the card, Paul Matchett and Raymond Danielson should get the meeting off to a winning start with Matcha Mint who needn’t improve much – if at all – after an encouraging debut third against winners to break her duck in the opener, Race 1 over 1200m.
This well-related daughter of Gimmethegreenlight stayed on promisingly to finish less than two lengths off the winner and, with that experience to count on, Matchett’s charge should shed her maiden tag.
Clive Robinson
