JACK MILNER RXP
BEAT Patrol did all but win his last start over 1000m on the Vaal sand and after bursting clear with 400m to run was caught in the final stride by KwaZulu-Natal visitor Execute. The handicapper was clearly impressed with that run and although he failed to earn the winner’s cheque, he got the lion’s share of the penalty.
Paul Matchett’s runner was slammed with nine merit rating points, equating to 4.5kg.
Beat Patrol takes a slight drop in class on Thursday when he contests Race 7, a MR 91 Handicap over 1000m on the sand, and atone for that narrow loss.
Unfortunately with 52kg last time out, Beat Patrol was under sufferance with his rivals and his ability to run the others off their feet in stronger company cost him with the handicapper. On the positive side, his grass merit rating is two points higher at 88 and he remains competitive on that surface at that rating.
So, despite carrying 5.5kg more than he did last time out, Beat Patrol remains the runner to beat.
Last time he fell to a KZN raider and it will be up to visiting trainer Mark Dixon to try and repeat that feat.
His runner Valloire looked pretty ordinary until Dixon opted to bring him to the Vaal and he knocked off two wins on the surface over 1000m.
Unfortunately nothing went his way over 1200m in December in his last run at the track. He lost ground at the start and as so often is the case in sand sprints that was the end of the road. He was never in the hunt and Mark Khan did not even persevere with him and so he trailed in 50 lengths behind the winner.
He reverts to 1000m and receives 4kg from Beat Patrol which makes him a massive danger. Brian Nyawo takes the ride.
Auberge has won two of her four races on the sand but has failed in both of her starts following a two-month rest. This will be her third run back and she will only have 50.5kg to shoulder taking into account Donovan Mansour’s 2.5kg apprentice allowance.
Last time Mansour rode her she took on the colts over 1000m on the sand and won going away, beating Mindful by two lengths. If she can reproduce that level of form, she must have a chance.
Special Award has not raced since finishing a 1.50-length second to Valloire in October last year. He meets his conqueror on 1.5kg better terms, which should bring them much closer. Roy Magner’s charge came back well after his last layoff so must be come into the calculations.
Kesha is a good filly who has taken on runners of her own sex in a number of features. She finished a well-beaten third behind Merlene De Lago on three occasions and has also won on the sand. However, she is carded to carry 56.5kg which means she will only receive1kg from Beat Patrol and has to give 3kg to Valloire.
She beat Auberge by 4.75 lengths when they met in January but is now 5kg worse off with the Charles Laird runner. That was Auberge’s first run back after her break and she is sure to strip fitter this time.
While Race 6 is not the easiest event to decipher Sean Tarry’s Sayadaw looks hard to stop in this a MR 84 Handicap over 1800m. His last run was in a Graduation Plate over the course and distance, only his second outing on the Vaal sand, and the Mogok gelding came home lonely, 7.75 lengths clear of Time To Applaud. Since he was handicapped to win that race easily, Sayadaw did not incur a penalty and he looks set to score a quick double, despite having to carry 61.5kg.
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