South Boy and Civil Princess are among the nine runners trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren is sending to the Free State track
08 February 2023 - 16:18
byDAVID MOLLETT
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Horses bred in Argentina have done trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren and owner Laurence Wernars proud this term and the South American country could provide two more winners at the Vaal on Thursday.
Puerto Manzano, winner of the Betway Summer Cup in November, has been the primary Argentinian-bred earner for Van Vuuren this term. The gelding has been a big factor in his current third place in the national trainers log.
Van Vuuren sends nine runners to the Free State track and they include two Argentinian-breds, South Boy (eighth race) and Civil Princess (ninth).
With Silver Mensa scratched from the 1,000m sprint in the final leg of the jackpot, South Boy has the chance to notch up an overdue second win. Gavin Lerena takes the ride on the five-year-old for the third time.
Siberian Steel, a R650,000 son of Silvano, gives Van Vuuren good backup as the three-year-old opened his account at the Vaal in December.
Stablemate Insatiable has the services of leading jockey Keagan de Melo and the filly can earn a place cheque.
Roy Magner will be delighted with Rollwiththepunches’ win in last Saturday’s Tommy Hotspur Stakes and he saddles five-year-old Stormy Seas. The Time Thief gelding was beaten in a photo-finish in his most recent outing.
Surprisingly, De Melo has only four booked rides at the meeting but he can leave the meeting with a double, courtesy of Celestial City (seventh race) and Civil Princess (ninth).
Celestial City was withdrawn from his proposed engagement last week and the R7m yearling has been priced up at even money to chalk up his second win.
Winning debut
With Silvano’s Song going 2,000m for the first time, the right horse for the exacta could be Lucky Houdalakis’s runner King Of Rome. This is easier than his task in last month’s Sea Cottage Stakes.
De Melo was in the saddle when Argentinian-bred filly Civil Princess made a winning debut at Turffontein last month. Her starting price of 7-10 is proof that the three-year-old was expected to make a winning debut.
There are three other runners from Van Vuuren’s stable in this 1,000m sprint with Corvette Captain and Rose Velvet giving the stable the chance of filling the first three places.
Hennie Greyling will be pleased to have got the call-up for Corvette Captain as the six-year-old is admirably consistent and boasts a win and four placings from his last five starts.
With two seconds in his first two outings, Van Vuuren’s two-year-old, Xplicit Content, has strong claims in the second race, yet the field contains several useful juveniles including last-time-out winners, Virginia Beach and Fire ’N Flames.
The Africa House, a R450,000 son of What A Winter, is another Wernars-owned runner making his debut for Sean Tarry’s stable. The former champion trainer told Winning Form that the youngster “may need the run”.
SELECTIONS
1st race: (8) On The Guest List (4) Spring Will Come (2) Wolfram (5) Broadway
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.
Argentinian-breds can play leading roles at Vaal
South Boy and Civil Princess are among the nine runners trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren is sending to the Free State track
Horses bred in Argentina have done trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren and owner Laurence Wernars proud this term and the South American country could provide two more winners at the Vaal on Thursday.
Puerto Manzano, winner of the Betway Summer Cup in November, has been the primary Argentinian-bred earner for Van Vuuren this term. The gelding has been a big factor in his current third place in the national trainers log.
Van Vuuren sends nine runners to the Free State track and they include two Argentinian-breds, South Boy (eighth race) and Civil Princess (ninth).
With Silver Mensa scratched from the 1,000m sprint in the final leg of the jackpot, South Boy has the chance to notch up an overdue second win. Gavin Lerena takes the ride on the five-year-old for the third time.
Siberian Steel, a R650,000 son of Silvano, gives Van Vuuren good backup as the three-year-old opened his account at the Vaal in December.
Stablemate Insatiable has the services of leading jockey Keagan de Melo and the filly can earn a place cheque.
Roy Magner will be delighted with Rollwiththepunches’ win in last Saturday’s Tommy Hotspur Stakes and he saddles five-year-old Stormy Seas. The Time Thief gelding was beaten in a photo-finish in his most recent outing.
Surprisingly, De Melo has only four booked rides at the meeting but he can leave the meeting with a double, courtesy of Celestial City (seventh race) and Civil Princess (ninth).
Celestial City was withdrawn from his proposed engagement last week and the R7m yearling has been priced up at even money to chalk up his second win.
Winning debut
With Silvano’s Song going 2,000m for the first time, the right horse for the exacta could be Lucky Houdalakis’s runner King Of Rome. This is easier than his task in last month’s Sea Cottage Stakes.
De Melo was in the saddle when Argentinian-bred filly Civil Princess made a winning debut at Turffontein last month. Her starting price of 7-10 is proof that the three-year-old was expected to make a winning debut.
There are three other runners from Van Vuuren’s stable in this 1,000m sprint with Corvette Captain and Rose Velvet giving the stable the chance of filling the first three places.
Hennie Greyling will be pleased to have got the call-up for Corvette Captain as the six-year-old is admirably consistent and boasts a win and four placings from his last five starts.
With two seconds in his first two outings, Van Vuuren’s two-year-old, Xplicit Content, has strong claims in the second race, yet the field contains several useful juveniles including last-time-out winners, Virginia Beach and Fire ’N Flames.
The Africa House, a R450,000 son of What A Winter, is another Wernars-owned runner making his debut for Sean Tarry’s stable. The former champion trainer told Winning Form that the youngster “may need the run”.
SELECTIONS
1st race: (8) On The Guest List (4) Spring Will Come (2) Wolfram (5) Broadway
2nd race: No Selection
3rd race: (1) Iron Sky (6) Brosnan (8) Camerata (9) Absolute Pleasure
4th race: (2) Keep The Fort (8) African Azure (1) Green Bubbles (3) Memorial Day
5th race: (4) Irontail (3) Admiralty Arch (9) Never To Clever (6) Prairie Falcon
6th race: (7) Son Of Raj (6) Nuclear Force (4) Pacific Express (2) Monsieur Chevelle
7th race: (1) Celestial City (4) King Of Rome (3) Silvano’s Song (2) Little Prince
8th race: (1) South Boy (2) Stormy Seas (5) Siberian Steel (4) Insatiable
9th race: (2) Civil Princess (1) Corvette Captain (7) Rose Velvet (10) Beaded Gown
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