The Greeff army has a Regimental air about it
A top trainer with a big string of horses must run his stables with military precision. Everything must be in synch and everyone marching to the same beat.
Picture: iStock
The biggest certainty in horse racing is that Alan Greeff will have a powerful entry for any given race card at Fairview racecourse. The East Cape champion trainer is a relentless winner and that consistency in a
tough job is down to fanatical dedication and fierce discipline.
That’s why the name of the exotic-bets banker for Monday’s meeting on the Polytrack is appropriate: Regimental, who runs in Race 8, an MR 74 Handicap over 1200m and Leg 6 of the Pick 6.
Regimental has followed standing orders fairly well since decamping from Brett Crawford’s care in Cape Town late last year and setting up a forward battle station in Greeff-controlled territory. He was backed on his PE debut over 1000m, but ran into unexpected skirmishes and ended up 0.85 lengths off the winner.
Since then, he has been imperious in dispatching his foes, rattling off successive 1200m wins on the Fairview turf. Greeff’s leading jockey Greg Cheyne rides on Monday and there doesn’t appear to be any horse among the 15 opponents with the firepower to scare the son of Captain Al. Two small concerns are the 61kg he must carry and the fact that this is his Poly debut. But what military engagement didn’t have a hint of uncertainty about it?
Mousey On Over from the Sharon Kotzen yard is proven on the synthetic surface and might do a lot better than in his last two starts on turf – and might offer a bit of value for the Trifecta and Quartet. Of course, Greeff has winning potential throughout the programme. In Race 5, he sends out no fewer than five runners to try to deny Gavin Smith-trained filly Blue Duchess from clocking up her fifth win on the
trot. And he has a pretty good chance of doing just that – particularly with owner Jessica Jell’s duo of Golden Chance and Bloom.
Greeff’s next best chance is possibly in Race 6, with Full Score, an improving three-year-old who is nicely bred and appears to have the DNA to handle a 300m step up in distance from his exploits over a mile
of late.
SELECTION
Race 1:
3 Whatever Next, 1 Admiral Shine, 6 Grace Lightning, 2 South Sandwich
Race 2:
1 Iron Henry, 2 Jaspero, 8 Rooibos, 5 Captain Calico
Race 3:
10 Red White And Blue, 1 Madam Seville, 3 Val Gardena, 6 Marry In
Haste
Race 4:
9 Nu Bell, 6 Cherry Pop, 2 Scarborough Fair, 3 Waldorf Astoria
Race 5:
2 Golden Chance, 3 Bloom, 6 Blue Duchess, 7 Travel In Style
Race 6:
7 Full Score, 6 Flying Thunder, 5 Capernaum, 8 Just Sonic
Race 7:
8 Ancient Times, 5 Arion Express, 1 Palo Alto, 7 Bush Fever
Race 8:
2 Regimental, 12 Mousey On Over, 13 Chainsaw, 4 Sputnik One
Pick 6:
1,3,10 x 2,3,6,9 x 2,3,6,7,9,10 x 6,7 x 1,5,7,8 x 2 (R576)
Mike Moonmental PA:
1,2 x 1,10 x 2,6,9 x 2,3 x 7 x 5,8 x 2 (R48)
