Mark will be discussing tactics with Gavin in the parade ring.
Racing express: Jack Milner
A return to form could see field bow to Her Excellency
TRAINER Geoff Woodruff has always said a horse may lose its form, but never its ability. That statement could well apply to Her Excellency who runs in Race 7 over 1400m on the Vaal turf track on Thursday afternoon.
Going back to her juvenile form, this Australian import had the makings of a champion. She shed her maiden on debut, beating no less a filly than Zirconeum by 1.75 lengths on the Turffontein inside track. She then participated in the family fun day at Randjesfontein and finished second to stablemate Hurricane Force, who was rumoured to be unbeatable on the day.
Charles Laird’s filly next raced in The Nursery at Turffontein where she finished a 3.30-length fourth to another stable companion, Merlene De Lago and then went off to Greyville where she ran a 2.50-length third to Mike Bass’s Consensual over 1300m at Greyville.
She followed that up with her second career win at Clairwood and then things started to go awry. She faded badly to run last behind Gypsy’s Warning in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes at Clairwood and was off the track fort some three months.
Her next few runs were not bad, just disappointing. In four successive starts she never finished more than 3.75 lengths behind the winner but never really excelled.
She has been off for 111 days and could be in need of a run. But her merit rating has dropped from 88 to 76 and that should make her competitive once again. This FM 77 Handicap that she contests tomorrow is not particularly strong, and if she can produce even the kind of run that saw her finish 3.25 lengths off Sean Tarry’s Lady Bequick over 1200m at this course, she should be good enough to win.
Eruption has only once run out of the first three in her six runs and George Scott’s filly looks the one they all have to beat. The problem with this daughter of Mogok is that she has to be left alone to run her own race and that has seen jockey Gavin Lerena become the victim of some vitriolic remarks. Last time she came from 7.60-lengths back at the 400m mark to go down 0.10 lengths to Iditarod, who she will meet again here.
If he can get Eruption to erupt a little earlier this time, she could run them down. However, if she takes off too late, Lerena could find himself in the same boat yet again.
Paint The Town is another runner whose merit rating is falling like the US dollar. She raced off a 91 in February, but Dominic Zaki’s filly is currently languishing at 77. She finished fourth to Iditarod, beaten 3.75 lengths, and looks unlikely to reverse that form with just a 2kg pull.
However, it is interesting that ``Willie’’ Figueroa has got off St John Gray’s runner this time to ride A Little Tibsy for Brian Wiid, and that could be significant.
Having said that, Paul Whitmore, who has been churning out the winners of late, will be a fine replacement on Iditarod
Woodruff and Mark Khan should get punters off to a winning start on the day when they pair up with Ex Unitate Vires. For those interested, the name is Latin for the old motto ``unity is strength’’.
The National Assembly filly was probably unlucky in her debut run because she raced very green and only went down a neck to Silver Candle, who is a half-sister to National Colour. The winner is thought to have a bright future so Ex Unitate Vires should prove very hard to beat in Race 1.
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