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An indication that the stable of Ashley Fortune is on the rise is evident by the fact that the female trainer sends more runners than Paul Peter and Sean Tarry to her home track of the Vaal on Thursday.
While the Free State course is the intended venue, it must be noted Tuesday’s meeting was switched to Turffontein because of a waterlogged track.
Fortune, who has only been training for four years, sends a dozen runners for the nine-race programme. Both Peter and Tarry have entered seven horses each from their yards.
Winning Form statistics to March 30 show Fortune in 10th place in the national trainers’ log and Majestic Mozart’s second in the Summer Cup has been the highlight. The gelding was sent to the highveld by another female trainer Candice Bass-Robinson who has recently added her grade 1 winner Zarina to Fortune’s team.
Punters will be quick to notice that Fortune’s stepson, Aldo Domeyer, flies from the Cape to partner Bard Of Avon (fifth race) and four-time winner, Rozara, in the seventh.
The suggestion from this column is to take the double of Bard Of Avon and the Special Variety who takes on 14 rivals in the sixth race.
Despite the steadier of 61kg, Bard Of Avon cannot be opposed as the Var gelding bids to chalk up the fourth win of his career. His merit rating is six points higher than Ecstatic Green who is returning from a long break.
With three representatives in the seven-runner field, Fortune will fancy her chances of saddling the trifecta as both Captain Morisco and Irfaans Boy are useful sorts on their day.
The one runner who might pose a threat to the favourite is Lucky Houdalakis’s speedy filly Lucy English who returns to action after an absence of more than four months.
Lucy English — a daughter of Duke Of Marmalade owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud — showed tremendous speed when winning twice earlier in the season on the Turffontein inside track. If anywhere near her peak, Lucy English could give plenty of cheek as — including the apprentice allowance — she will receive 7kg from Bard Of Avon.
Victories by Aragosta (SA Derby) and Master Archie (Man O’ War Sprint) was a boost for the stallion Rafeef, who will be well represented at the National Yearling Sales at Germiston at the end of the month.
Off her current merit-rating of 72, Rafeef’s daughter Special Variety might even be the pick of Fortune’s strong team. The three-year-old followed her maiden win with a credible third behind Marigold Hotel.
As well as Special Variety, Fortune saddles three other runners in this 1,000m contest — On Cue (Mfanelo Zuma), Jam Fancy (Kyle Strydom) and one-time winner, Abalus. On Cue — just pipped on her latest outing at Turffontein — has improved with the addition of blinkers but won’t find it easy conceding weight to her stablemate.
Apprentice Gabriel Pieterse, who rides Special Variety, should go close on Brett Webber’s three-year-old Back To Basics in the final leg of the Pick 6.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (1) Maharanee (9) Twin Strike (5) Green Sceptre (8) Star Coin
2nd Race: (1) Magic Tycoon (3) Inevitable (2) Time For Glory (4) Misty Cliffs
3rd Race: (5) Night Lily (1) Colour Coded (2) Country Flame (6) Ray Indigo
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Fortune stable set to challenge the big guns
An indication that the stable of Ashley Fortune is on the rise is evident by the fact that the female trainer sends more runners than Paul Peter and Sean Tarry to her home track of the Vaal on Thursday.
While the Free State course is the intended venue, it must be noted Tuesday’s meeting was switched to Turffontein because of a waterlogged track.
Fortune, who has only been training for four years, sends a dozen runners for the nine-race programme. Both Peter and Tarry have entered seven horses each from their yards.
Winning Form statistics to March 30 show Fortune in 10th place in the national trainers’ log and Majestic Mozart’s second in the Summer Cup has been the highlight. The gelding was sent to the highveld by another female trainer Candice Bass-Robinson who has recently added her grade 1 winner Zarina to Fortune’s team.
Punters will be quick to notice that Fortune’s stepson, Aldo Domeyer, flies from the Cape to partner Bard Of Avon (fifth race) and four-time winner, Rozara, in the seventh.
The suggestion from this column is to take the double of Bard Of Avon and the Special Variety who takes on 14 rivals in the sixth race.
Despite the steadier of 61kg, Bard Of Avon cannot be opposed as the Var gelding bids to chalk up the fourth win of his career. His merit rating is six points higher than Ecstatic Green who is returning from a long break.
With three representatives in the seven-runner field, Fortune will fancy her chances of saddling the trifecta as both Captain Morisco and Irfaans Boy are useful sorts on their day.
The one runner who might pose a threat to the favourite is Lucky Houdalakis’s speedy filly Lucy English who returns to action after an absence of more than four months.
Lucy English — a daughter of Duke Of Marmalade owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud — showed tremendous speed when winning twice earlier in the season on the Turffontein inside track. If anywhere near her peak, Lucy English could give plenty of cheek as — including the apprentice allowance — she will receive 7kg from Bard Of Avon.
Victories by Aragosta (SA Derby) and Master Archie (Man O’ War Sprint) was a boost for the stallion Rafeef, who will be well represented at the National Yearling Sales at Germiston at the end of the month.
Off her current merit-rating of 72, Rafeef’s daughter Special Variety might even be the pick of Fortune’s strong team. The three-year-old followed her maiden win with a credible third behind Marigold Hotel.
As well as Special Variety, Fortune saddles three other runners in this 1,000m contest — On Cue (Mfanelo Zuma), Jam Fancy (Kyle Strydom) and one-time winner, Abalus. On Cue — just pipped on her latest outing at Turffontein — has improved with the addition of blinkers but won’t find it easy conceding weight to her stablemate.
Apprentice Gabriel Pieterse, who rides Special Variety, should go close on Brett Webber’s three-year-old Back To Basics in the final leg of the Pick 6.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (1) Maharanee (9) Twin Strike (5) Green Sceptre (8) Star Coin
2nd Race: (1) Magic Tycoon (3) Inevitable (2) Time For Glory (4) Misty Cliffs
3rd Race: (5) Night Lily (1) Colour Coded (2) Country Flame (6) Ray Indigo
4th Race: (3) Chariot Master (1) DJ Junior (2) Leeson (4) Parker Getrix
5th Race: (1) Bard Of Avon (6) Lucy English (2) Captain Morisco (3) Ecstatic Green
6th Race: (5) Special Variety (1) On Cue (2) Imposing Angel (12) Verinova
7th Race: (3) Sweet Sensation (5) Rozara (6) Big Eyed Girl (4) Rise As One
8th Race: (5) Power Ranger (13) Snow Symphony (6) Gilded Butterfly (2) West Point
9th Race: (7) Back To Basics (5) Funky Music (9) Golden Tune (10) Catchthegreenlight
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