An Intellectual highlight on Sunday
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An Intellectual highlight on Sunday
15 years 2 months ago
Racing is at Clairwood this afternoon and whilst there are no listed or graded headliners on offer, the 5th race is of feature proportions in terms of quality and punting opportunity, and therefore gets the vote as the highlight of the card. Take note that we’ve had a smattering of rain overnight and it’s still overcast this morning with more rain possible so tread carefully.
Class beyond his formline - Intellectual (file pic)
No.1 Intellectual may be getting on in his career but he’s all class and significantly better than his overall record suggests. He’s been unlucky on many occasions but has come into his own as an older horse, his last two runs in particular being out of the top drawer. Last time out in a grade3 feature at Turffontein, he lost the race at the jump when the horse on his outside hung onto him and cramped him for galloping room at a crucial stage. This left him towards the back of the field and when he started to come forward for his run, the gap he went for closed, costing him for a second time. Hopelessly out of his ground with 200m to go, he found daylight and burst through late to put in a finish the likes of which you won’t see often if at all! Prior to this 'shortest of shortheads' defeat, he won with consummate ease over the Clairwood 1000m trip and although it was against weaker than what he meets today, it was the kind of run that says ‘back me next time against any competition.’ Assistant trainer Frank Robinson reports that all is on track with Intellectual; he’s perfectly sound, fit, well and should run to form. Frank is of the opinion that it’s a two horse race with Clearly Silver the only one that could give him any trouble.
How’s this for a lucky! Clearly Silver with groom Peter ‘the magic’ aboard. Peter looks after 3 horses at the Drier stables, as he has done since before they started racing – Val De Ra, Clearly Silver and Case Stated. Val De Ra is KZN’s star sprinter unbeaten in 4 starts, Clearly Silver has won 3 from 4 starts and so has Case Stated, giving Peter a winning strike rate of 84%.
Race favourite No.5 Clearly Silver is available at 22/10 (retail) after shortening in early from 5/2 and assistant trainer Stuart Ferry reports that he is ready for action and talented enough to beat Intellectual. Whilst his impeccable formline promises much more to come, punters backing this one will have to do so on the assumption that he’s going all the way to the top because that will be what’s required to get past the proven ability of Intellectual. In his favour is that he gets 8.5kgs from the old stalwart which may be enough to see him win. 22/10 poor value all things considered.
Charming Lady makes light work of her morning excersize on Friday
Also in the race is another bomb from the Drier yard, No.4 Charming Lady (16/1 Interbet, 10/1 retail) winner of 5 in a row but with her high merit rating she has been sparingly raced since; there’s just no suitable races available for her out of season. She looked in superb condition at Summerveld on Friday morning, a slimmer and tighter version than usual and she came back from her workout without a breath out of place. Expect a big run despite going in against the boys and giving most of them weight.
No.6 Orbit War 5/1 (8/1 on Interbet) fluffed his line last time when going around the turn and out beyond the sprint trip for the first time. Ignore that run and you’re left with consistently excellent performances. He won his penultimate start at Scottsville unchallenged despite finding trouble when getting pushed out of the race shortly after the jump. In his run before that he also found traffic problems during the last 400m when getting boxed out of contention, but then went on to produce a screaming late burst to fight back for 2nd. He ranks right up in the mix with KZN’s young hopefuls but whether he’s up to the task of taking down the likes of Intellectual remains to be seen. He’s an obvious contender with a similar sort of record to Clearly Silver and at 8/1 represents the value option if you’re aiming at rolling the principle.
Overall it’s a tough little race and most have claims of some sort but at the finish line it should be Intellectual whose class comes through to claim victory. Expect the top weight he carries to put off a lot of punters which should see his price drifting out beyond 3/1 and into the strike zone.
Summer Samba the 50/1 shot
In the 4th race we get the opportunity to tata ‘ma chance on a roughie of the highest order – No.8 Summer Samba at 50/1 (20/1 retail). Unfortunately I was unable to reach Duncan Howells for comment yesterday but at the get-rich-quick price offered by Interbet, it’s a chance worth taking irrespective. Summer Samba promised much as a 3 year old but leg problems have stuck her out the mix and she returns now after a 5 month break. Considering the talent and promise she showed last year, she would have no problem dispensing with this type of field if she comes into the race fit and sound. There may be one that could prove good enough to beat her though and that is the 1/1 favourite No.4 Headstrong so all things considered, 50/1 on Summer Samba is not to be missed. As they say, ‘You can’t get hurt at that price’
The Dub (race 6) and Vin De Honneur (race 7)
The Dub and Vin De Honneur met last time out at Greyville over 1900m and what’s interesting is their race time. Vin De Honneur won the race in 116.97 seconds (with The Dub behind him in 2nd), this more than 2 seconds faster than the other two races over the same distance that evening. Both Absolute Heretic (winner of 3 in a row) and Secret Babe (3x time winner) clocked up around 119 seconds when winning their respective races and although this could indicate nothing more than a slow pace on those two occasions, it bears mention nevertheless. Today in race 7 No.14 Vin De Honneur (8/1) meets stronger this time but he is rated by the stable and comes in with only 49.5kgs on his back so could get into the thick of things based on his race time and performance last time out. In the 6th race No.11 The Dub finds himself in a weaker field that what Vin De Honneur has to contend with a race later, so he must have a decent winning chance if he can repeat his last effort. 6/1 seems reasonable.
Farewell to top KZN jock Sean Cormack
Moving to greener pastures can have its drawbacks.. Sean Cormack poses (Friday morning) with KZN sprint sensation Val De Ra whom he’s partnered to all her victories. She will continue her journey to stardom without him as he departs for Singapore tomorrow
KZN jockey Sean Cormack departs for Singapore tomorrow morning and today’s meeting at Clairwood is his last in SA for the near future. No doubt he will be looking to leave on a winning note in the last race where he rides the 3rd favourite - No.1 Dreams and Fancies (7/1 interbet, 4/1 retail). Now when it comes to jockey send offs, we’ve seen both Jeffrey Lloyd and Glynn Schofield get beaten by shortheads on their final ride in SA and the defeats were perpetrated by none other Sean Cormack, so keep an eye on him in the 9th today and watch how his swansong goes.
Val De Ra poses for a picture whilst enjoying her time out the cage and in the paddock. Last week-end she had the attention of racegoers around the country and did not disappoint with another champion level performance to keep her unbeaten record intact.
Class beyond his formline - Intellectual (file pic)
No.1 Intellectual may be getting on in his career but he’s all class and significantly better than his overall record suggests. He’s been unlucky on many occasions but has come into his own as an older horse, his last two runs in particular being out of the top drawer. Last time out in a grade3 feature at Turffontein, he lost the race at the jump when the horse on his outside hung onto him and cramped him for galloping room at a crucial stage. This left him towards the back of the field and when he started to come forward for his run, the gap he went for closed, costing him for a second time. Hopelessly out of his ground with 200m to go, he found daylight and burst through late to put in a finish the likes of which you won’t see often if at all! Prior to this 'shortest of shortheads' defeat, he won with consummate ease over the Clairwood 1000m trip and although it was against weaker than what he meets today, it was the kind of run that says ‘back me next time against any competition.’ Assistant trainer Frank Robinson reports that all is on track with Intellectual; he’s perfectly sound, fit, well and should run to form. Frank is of the opinion that it’s a two horse race with Clearly Silver the only one that could give him any trouble.
How’s this for a lucky! Clearly Silver with groom Peter ‘the magic’ aboard. Peter looks after 3 horses at the Drier stables, as he has done since before they started racing – Val De Ra, Clearly Silver and Case Stated. Val De Ra is KZN’s star sprinter unbeaten in 4 starts, Clearly Silver has won 3 from 4 starts and so has Case Stated, giving Peter a winning strike rate of 84%.
Race favourite No.5 Clearly Silver is available at 22/10 (retail) after shortening in early from 5/2 and assistant trainer Stuart Ferry reports that he is ready for action and talented enough to beat Intellectual. Whilst his impeccable formline promises much more to come, punters backing this one will have to do so on the assumption that he’s going all the way to the top because that will be what’s required to get past the proven ability of Intellectual. In his favour is that he gets 8.5kgs from the old stalwart which may be enough to see him win. 22/10 poor value all things considered.
Charming Lady makes light work of her morning excersize on Friday
Also in the race is another bomb from the Drier yard, No.4 Charming Lady (16/1 Interbet, 10/1 retail) winner of 5 in a row but with her high merit rating she has been sparingly raced since; there’s just no suitable races available for her out of season. She looked in superb condition at Summerveld on Friday morning, a slimmer and tighter version than usual and she came back from her workout without a breath out of place. Expect a big run despite going in against the boys and giving most of them weight.
No.6 Orbit War 5/1 (8/1 on Interbet) fluffed his line last time when going around the turn and out beyond the sprint trip for the first time. Ignore that run and you’re left with consistently excellent performances. He won his penultimate start at Scottsville unchallenged despite finding trouble when getting pushed out of the race shortly after the jump. In his run before that he also found traffic problems during the last 400m when getting boxed out of contention, but then went on to produce a screaming late burst to fight back for 2nd. He ranks right up in the mix with KZN’s young hopefuls but whether he’s up to the task of taking down the likes of Intellectual remains to be seen. He’s an obvious contender with a similar sort of record to Clearly Silver and at 8/1 represents the value option if you’re aiming at rolling the principle.
Overall it’s a tough little race and most have claims of some sort but at the finish line it should be Intellectual whose class comes through to claim victory. Expect the top weight he carries to put off a lot of punters which should see his price drifting out beyond 3/1 and into the strike zone.
Summer Samba the 50/1 shot
In the 4th race we get the opportunity to tata ‘ma chance on a roughie of the highest order – No.8 Summer Samba at 50/1 (20/1 retail). Unfortunately I was unable to reach Duncan Howells for comment yesterday but at the get-rich-quick price offered by Interbet, it’s a chance worth taking irrespective. Summer Samba promised much as a 3 year old but leg problems have stuck her out the mix and she returns now after a 5 month break. Considering the talent and promise she showed last year, she would have no problem dispensing with this type of field if she comes into the race fit and sound. There may be one that could prove good enough to beat her though and that is the 1/1 favourite No.4 Headstrong so all things considered, 50/1 on Summer Samba is not to be missed. As they say, ‘You can’t get hurt at that price’
The Dub (race 6) and Vin De Honneur (race 7)
The Dub and Vin De Honneur met last time out at Greyville over 1900m and what’s interesting is their race time. Vin De Honneur won the race in 116.97 seconds (with The Dub behind him in 2nd), this more than 2 seconds faster than the other two races over the same distance that evening. Both Absolute Heretic (winner of 3 in a row) and Secret Babe (3x time winner) clocked up around 119 seconds when winning their respective races and although this could indicate nothing more than a slow pace on those two occasions, it bears mention nevertheless. Today in race 7 No.14 Vin De Honneur (8/1) meets stronger this time but he is rated by the stable and comes in with only 49.5kgs on his back so could get into the thick of things based on his race time and performance last time out. In the 6th race No.11 The Dub finds himself in a weaker field that what Vin De Honneur has to contend with a race later, so he must have a decent winning chance if he can repeat his last effort. 6/1 seems reasonable.
Farewell to top KZN jock Sean Cormack
Moving to greener pastures can have its drawbacks.. Sean Cormack poses (Friday morning) with KZN sprint sensation Val De Ra whom he’s partnered to all her victories. She will continue her journey to stardom without him as he departs for Singapore tomorrow
KZN jockey Sean Cormack departs for Singapore tomorrow morning and today’s meeting at Clairwood is his last in SA for the near future. No doubt he will be looking to leave on a winning note in the last race where he rides the 3rd favourite - No.1 Dreams and Fancies (7/1 interbet, 4/1 retail). Now when it comes to jockey send offs, we’ve seen both Jeffrey Lloyd and Glynn Schofield get beaten by shortheads on their final ride in SA and the defeats were perpetrated by none other Sean Cormack, so keep an eye on him in the 9th today and watch how his swansong goes.
Val De Ra poses for a picture whilst enjoying her time out the cage and in the paddock. Last week-end she had the attention of racegoers around the country and did not disappoint with another champion level performance to keep her unbeaten record intact.
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