4
Burning Bright
SPORTING POST • FRIDAY 11th - SUNDAY 13th FEBRUARY 2011
Day Of The Pipera dangerous frontrunner
FAIRVIEW MILE over 1600m at Fairview on Friday With no black type on offer, the weekend’s highlight is the Fairview Mile on Friday. It’s the usual suspects that form the bulk of the line up and with the conditions of the race favouring those with the higher merit ratings, there don’t look to be too many that can win it, writes STEVE FURNISH.
B
est in at the weights is the Yvette Bremner trained Celtic Fire. This son of Bezrin has shown tremendous improvement this season and as a result his merit rating has shot up to 107 from 88. He completed a very smart hattrick when winning the listed Memorial Mile at Arlington in December, where, on similar terms, he had two of today’s major rivals behind him. Celtic Fire has been taking on the best in Cape Town in each of his last two starts and although it was no surprise to most that he didn’t make the frame, he was nonetheless far from disgraced. He’s won his last two starts over 1600m in the Eastern Cape with authority and he does go particularly well over today’s course and distance. He won’t be easy to beat. Gavin’s Trio One of two very strong couplings in the race is that of
Gavin Smith who saddles all of Vangelis, D J Detzky and Wood Be Magic. Vangelis has the highest rating of the three and interestingly, after finishing a runner up in 2009, he did win this race last year. He’s gained eight of his twelve career victories over today’s distance and five of those successes were gained over this trip. For the first time in his career, this 7yo son of Kahal is without a win in eleven starts now though and he has been comfortably beaten by Celtic Fire (most notably last time out at levels) in each of his last three starts. Possibly more of a threat from the stable then could be the 4yo D J Detzky. From the same generation as Celtic Fire, D J Detzky has also shown good improvement during the course of the past twelve months and having run on well to win last time out, he is clearly at the top of his game. D J Detzky won the listed KZN Breeders Stakes over 1600m at Clairwood in July,
but interestingly, he hasn’t managed to win in four starts over today’s trip. This son of Announce was only beaten three quarters of a length by Celtic Fire on 0,5kg worse terms over today’s course and distance when they met in November though and a reproduction of that effort would make him a very serious runner here. Yet to race over a trip shorter than 2000m since arriving in the Eastern Cape, the 6yo Wood Be Magic has not won over a trip this short this landing the Xmas Handicap at Clairwood over two years ago. He also has quite a bit to find at the weights here. Alan’s Coupling The highest rated of trainer Alan Greeff’s three runners is the gutsy 7yo Day Of The Piper. At his best from the front, this son of Joshua Dancer has proven to be most effective between 1400m and 1800m, and what is particularly interesting here is that all
of his seven wins in the Eastern Cape have been gained at this circuit. On paper, Day Of The Piper only has Celtic Fire and Vangelis to beat. He’s a very dangerous customer when given a soft lead. Beware! As with the stable of Gavin Smith though, a younger up and coming equine athlete, namely All Ablaze, could prove to be the biggest runner from the yard. Not the soundest of characters, All Ablaze has been a little in and out in recent months. He does command a very powerful turn of foot on his day though, as he showed when flying up late to beat Celtic Fire on 2,5kg worse terms in the non black type Friendly City Stakes over 1800m at Arlington in August. All Ablaze hasn’t won in four starts since then, but he was again finishing the stronger when only beaten a neck on 1kg more favourable terms behind D J Detzky over 1400m last time out. All Ablaze has his third run after a short break here and Felix Coetzee takes the ride. Expect a big run. Clearly below best of late, Mazar-E-Sharif has failed to find the winner’s enclosure in ten starts beyond 1400m. Malabar One of three 7yo’s in the race, the former Cape Town campaigner Malabar has gained
all three of his wins in the Eastern Cape at this circuit. Not usually the quickest into stride, this grey son of Fard clearly enjoys the long home straight here. He would be thereabouts if reproducing his second to Hawk’s Eye in the Gr3 Algoa Cup earlier in the season, but he has been well beaten by both Celtic Fire and Day Of The Piper in his most recent starts and he was reported as being lame last time out. Barry’s Bid At the weights, the best of Barry Steenkamp’s two runners must surely be the only female in the race, Thunderous Belinda. Mainly campaigned against her own sex, Thunderous Belinda has only managed to get her head in front once in her last sixteen starts and now up against the boys, and out at the weights with the best of them to boot, she is not easy to fancy. Stable companion Desert Kite has won two of his last three starts and is probably a tad better than his current mark in the handicap would suggest. Even worse in at the weights though, Desert Kite has to concede 0,5kg to his stable companion here and she is rated 15 points superior.
Treading Water Representing the stable of Mitch Wiese are Cannonball and Mcintosh. Both have been battling to win in lesser company of late and badly out at the weights here, cannot be seriously fancied. First Honour Very highly regarded earlier in his career, First Honour finished a runner up in the prestigious Gr2 Selangor Cup in 2007, and in that season went on to contest both the Western Cape and Natal Guineas. Since returning from a six month layoff in Nov ’08 though, he’s been a shadow of his former self and has only managed one win in seventeen outings. On his previous best ever mark in the handicap of 100 he is best in at the weights here and he is having his third run since relocating to the Eastern Cape. If there is to be a major upset in the race, then First Honour could be it. About The Pace They usually set off at a fair clip in the Eastern Cape and with a number of candidates for the role of frontrunner amongst the thirteen here, at least a fair pace can be expected. Celtic Fire is the best in at the weights and he does appear to be still improving. He gets the vote, but big runs can also be expected from both All Ablaze and D J Detzky.