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Muzi Yeni — a 33-10 chance to win his first jockeys’ title — will be delighted to have been booked for a number of decent mounts for champion trainer, Paul Peter, at the Vaal on Tuesday.
Yeni has been engaged for Mathis (sixth race), Queen of Gaul (seventh) and Cabinet Shuffle (eighth) and the first-named horse looks the pick of the trio.
A son of Redoute’s Promise, Mathis made a sparkling debut last December when trouncing his rivals by four lengths. Peter kept him under wraps till he reappeared in mid-July when — heavily backed to keep his unbeaten record — he had to settle for third place behind Tuscan Winter. That winner is useful so the form looks strong.
Yeni’s toughest rivals are likely to be Burning Wings from Roy Magner’s stable and Twice As Splendid with Gavin Lerena booked for Grant Maroun’s runner. With apprentice Kaidan Brewer in the saddle, Burning Wings will be no pushover and he looks the right one for the exacta with Mathis.
Queen Of Gaul has two seconds to her name so will be one of the fancied contenders in the final leg of the jackpot. However, it remains to be seen whether she can match strides with the year-older Benguela Cove, who looks another promising mount for Lerena.
Clean Living is worth including in exotic perms as this inmate of Corné Spies’s stable has ability and shouldn’t be far away.
In the eighth race Yeni gets the leg up on Peter’s five-year-old Cabinet Shuffle who must be frustrating the trainer with three consecutive seconds in his last three starts.
Once again there is the prospect of Lerena spoiling the party for Yeni as he rides Sound Of Hounds for St John Gray and the four-year-old looks ready to notch his third career win.
At the beginning of the year Sound Of Hounds won his first two races at the Free State track and looked destined to move up the divisions. That has not happened and his next six runs have yielded places but not another victory.
Mcebisi seems to turn out nearly every week yet he can be relied on to give his best and could pick up the pieces if Sound Of Hounds and Cabinet Shuffle fail to fire.
Candice Dawson’s three-year-old Houston will have gone into the notebooks of many pundits when finishing third behind Twice The Storm on his recent debut at Turffontein. The son of The United States must have been showing good work at home as he was sent off the 2-1 favourite for that race. Punters who lost their money should recoup it in Tuesday’s opening event.
The market will be worth a check in this race as Peter introduces a newcomer in Gimme Gorgeous with Rachel Venniker booked for the ride on the Gimmethegreenlight gelding.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (6) Houston (5) Gimme Gorgeous (1) Uncle Ticky Bird (14) What You Say
2nd Race: No Selection
3rd Race: (1) Now I Got You (2) Battleground (4) Captain Throne (7) King Of Rome
4th Race: (1) A Colourful Poet (3) Kit Kat Katie (2) Countess Denza (4) Streets Ahead
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.
Yeni gets Peter support in title chase
Muzi Yeni — a 33-10 chance to win his first jockeys’ title — will be delighted to have been booked for a number of decent mounts for champion trainer, Paul Peter, at the Vaal on Tuesday.
Yeni has been engaged for Mathis (sixth race), Queen of Gaul (seventh) and Cabinet Shuffle (eighth) and the first-named horse looks the pick of the trio.
A son of Redoute’s Promise, Mathis made a sparkling debut last December when trouncing his rivals by four lengths. Peter kept him under wraps till he reappeared in mid-July when — heavily backed to keep his unbeaten record — he had to settle for third place behind Tuscan Winter. That winner is useful so the form looks strong.
Yeni’s toughest rivals are likely to be Burning Wings from Roy Magner’s stable and Twice As Splendid with Gavin Lerena booked for Grant Maroun’s runner. With apprentice Kaidan Brewer in the saddle, Burning Wings will be no pushover and he looks the right one for the exacta with Mathis.
Queen Of Gaul has two seconds to her name so will be one of the fancied contenders in the final leg of the jackpot. However, it remains to be seen whether she can match strides with the year-older Benguela Cove, who looks another promising mount for Lerena.
Clean Living is worth including in exotic perms as this inmate of Corné Spies’s stable has ability and shouldn’t be far away.
In the eighth race Yeni gets the leg up on Peter’s five-year-old Cabinet Shuffle who must be frustrating the trainer with three consecutive seconds in his last three starts.
Once again there is the prospect of Lerena spoiling the party for Yeni as he rides Sound Of Hounds for St John Gray and the four-year-old looks ready to notch his third career win.
At the beginning of the year Sound Of Hounds won his first two races at the Free State track and looked destined to move up the divisions. That has not happened and his next six runs have yielded places but not another victory.
Mcebisi seems to turn out nearly every week yet he can be relied on to give his best and could pick up the pieces if Sound Of Hounds and Cabinet Shuffle fail to fire.
Candice Dawson’s three-year-old Houston will have gone into the notebooks of many pundits when finishing third behind Twice The Storm on his recent debut at Turffontein. The son of The United States must have been showing good work at home as he was sent off the 2-1 favourite for that race. Punters who lost their money should recoup it in Tuesday’s opening event.
The market will be worth a check in this race as Peter introduces a newcomer in Gimme Gorgeous with Rachel Venniker booked for the ride on the Gimmethegreenlight gelding.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (6) Houston (5) Gimme Gorgeous (1) Uncle Ticky Bird (14) What You Say
2nd Race: No Selection
3rd Race: (1) Now I Got You (2) Battleground (4) Captain Throne (7) King Of Rome
4th Race: (1) A Colourful Poet (3) Kit Kat Katie (2) Countess Denza (4) Streets Ahead
5th Race: (4) Chasing Mavericks (1) Leshawes (3) Wondering Star (7) Parker Getrix
6th Race: (7) Mathis (4) Burning Wings (6) Twice As Splendid (1) Kings Road
7th Race: (1) Benguela Cove (5) Queen Of Gaul (6) Clean Living (2) Quick Run
8th Race: (5) Sound Of Hounds (2) Cabinet Shuffle (8) Mcebisi (6) Spin Doctor
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