Paul Peter's horses are sure to be fancied by punters at Scottsville on Wednesday. Picture: Michel Bega
Scottsville is a racecourse that requires a bit of local knowledge to be successful; you need to know which type of horses do well there and how to strategize around the local quirks. Naïve trainers from the Highveld raid at their peril.
One visitor who has cracked the Scottsville code in recent times is top Joburg conditioner Paul Peter – a boon for his large Turffontein-based string as it offers new and varied opportunities.
In the last month, Peter has fielded 12 runners in Pietermaritzburg, for a return of five winners and five places – the sort of stats the serious punter finds interesting.
On Wednesday, he ships five horses southeast and all must be taken deadly seriously.
One bright hope is Sabrina Fairchild in Race 4, an FM67 Handicap in which the only real challengers seem to be Dennis Bosch-trained Family Favourite and Andre Nel’s Queen Mercury.
In Race 5, an MR86 Handicap sprint, Peter’s charge Super Agra presents as a potential exotic-bets banker, though Kum Naidoo’s Faustino is a lively rival.
Indus Knight in the sixth is an obvious inclusion for punters who might be nervous about unexposed Runaway Song as a banker.
Then, in the lucky last, Peter is double-fisted with progressive McKenna Skye and most capable Belle Of Belize, starting in positions 1 and 2 and fancied by many to finish in those same slots.
SELECTIONS
1: 10 Totally Rocks, 5 Sabatini, 4 Get In The Q, 9 Catch That Melody
2: 2 Khanyisa Indlela, 7 Ladooshka, 8 Trident King, 1 Firu Star
3: 1 Ajraas, 3 View The Roses, 8 Raspberry Beret, 4 Venturous
4: 7 Sabrina Fairchild, 1 Family Favourite, 6 Queen Mercury, 9 Diamond Girl
5: 3 Super Agra, 4 Faustino, 8 All The Time, 5 Botz
6: 4 Runaway Song, 1 Indus Knight, 7 Lord Wylie, 6 Northern Warrior
7: 3 French Masterpiece, 2 Sonjador, 5 Palace Wind, 6 Laurel Lane
8: 2 McKenna Skye, 1 Belle Of Belize, 9 Crazy Blues, 5 Bingin Beach
Pick 6: 1,3,4,5,8,9 x 1,6,7,9 x 3,4 x 1,4 x 2,3,4,5,6,8 x 1,2,9 (R1728)
PA: 2 x 1,3,8 x 1,7 x 3,4 x 4 x 2,3 x 1,2 (R48)