Varsfontein may have bred another top horse in Manz Knight

Varsfontein Stud were far and away top vendors at the National Yearling Sales in April and they may have bred another talented individual in Manz Knight. He looks like a banker in the sixth race at the Vaal on Tuesday.

At the Germiston sale, Varsfontein sold 24 yearlings for an aggregate of R17.5m at an average of R730,000.

It proves Varsfontein horses are not cheap and that was the case with Manz Knight, who fetched R440,000 when offered for sale as a yearling.

An inmate of the stable of Mike and Adam Azzie, Manz Knight started at 4-1 on debut at the Vaal a fortnight ago, but the Gimmethegreenlight colt made a tardy start. Beaten by My True North the three-year-old will have benefited from that experience and provided jockey S’manga Khumalo can get him away on terms, the colt should once again hold off Sean Tarry’s runner Satoshi.

Khumalo has four booked mounts for the Azzie stable at the meeting and he rides the newcomer River Pirate — with the same ownership as Manz Knight — in the third race. The son of Soft Falling Rain cost R100,000 as a yearling.

Pinch Hit — a son of William Longsword trained by Fanie Bronkhorst — has the best form of the raced horses as he belied odds of 40-1 on his debut at Turffontein. The horse who beat him, Taikonaut, looks well above average.

Another interesting runner for the Azzie-Khumalo combination is Rose For Trippi, a daughter of Trippi bred by Drakenstein Stud. The filly finished fifth of six on debut so that didn’t reveal much about her ability.

Obviously, Rose For Trippi has to be included in all exotic bets with Bird In Space (also bred at Drakenstein) and Silver Clock who ran her best race last time out.

Luchelle Kruger is doing well with a small team of horses and her three-year-old Ideal Future can leave the maiden ranks by capturing the fifth race. A daughter of Futura, the three-year-old ran a promising second behind Divine Dynasty at Turffontein.

One rival that Kruger will be aware could prove a tough one is Muzi Yeni's mount Colour Coded. The daughter of Zoffany — trained by Candice Dawson — may have found 2,300m too far when unplaced on her most recent start.

Warren Kennedy is sure to be crowned champion jockey in two months’ time and he will be looking to end the season with a flourish. The affable rider has five booked rides for Paul Peter at the Free State meeting and both I Am Regal (first race) and Cool Winter (second) have winning chances.

The pick of the duo may be Cool Winter. This R200,000 son of What A Winter finished a creditable fifth against older horses on his latest appearance. His opponents include two Turffontein winners, Argo Alley and East Coast.

A runner with each-way claims in this race is Ashley Fortune’s two-year-old Prime Example. The son of Canford Cliffs may appreciate reverting to a shorter trip.

Kennedy’s eighth race mount, Here Is The Tiger, has place prospects in the final leg of the Pick Six, but the selection for this 1,500m contest is Lucky Houdalakis’s recent maiden winner Spin Doctor.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (3) Simple Simple (1) I Am Regal (2) Miss Daisy (11) Tried And True

2nd Race: (2) Cool Winter (1) Argo Alley (3) East Coast (7) Prime Example

3rd Race: (9) Pinch Hit (10) River Pirate (3) Quick Run (2) In The Ether

4th Race: (11) Rose For Trippi (12) Silver Clock (5) Bird In Space (2) Smelting

5th Race: (8) Ideal Future (1) Colour Coded (2) Country Flame (9) Vitosha

6th Race: (6) Manz Knight (1) Satoshi (3) Flag Bearer (4) Rishaan’s Boy

7th Race: (2) Elusive Swann (11) Wondering Star (9) Sea Of Galilee (10) Crusade To Royalty

8th Race: (10) Spin Doctor (1) Waqaas (3) Dual At Dawn (8) Here Is The Tiger