Apache Son looks the part in Vaal handicap

Trainer Tyrone Zackey had a good end to last season with a few winners and then started the new season with a bang – one runner, one winner.

He could keep that 100% win strike rate intact at the Vaal on Thursday when he sends out Apache Son in Race 4, a MR 82 Handicap over 1700m.

The recently turned four son of The Apache has been lightly raced, only having his first race on 14 March.

It took him a couple of runs to find his racing legs but after two unplaced performances, he finished third behind Gorgeous Klein and then went on to win his maiden by the narrowest of margins, getting up on the line to beat Scars Of War.

ALSO READ: The commingling party is a big global bash

He followed that up with a decent 0.50-length second behind King’s Ransom, looking dangerous continuously throughout the closing stages of that race.

He then travelled to KwaZulu-Natal to contest a MR 84 Handicap over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville but ended up quite far behind and despite running on late, he finished fifth, beaten just 2.20 lengths behind Strathclyde.

However, Apache Son has proved to be quite a handful for his jockeys and just nine days after that race the decision was taken to geld him.

So, when he returns to the Vaal it will be his first run as a gelding and hopefully that will make life a lot easier for Philasande Mxoli who has been aboard Apache Son for all but his last race in KZN.

Until now, Apache Son has been racing over no further than 1450m so he takes both and rise in class at distance on this occasion.

But Zackey has been around for quite a while and is one of the “shrewdies” in that game and there is little doubt this fellow will be even better over further. Certainly on breeding, all the signs are there that he should improve the further he goes.

ALSO READ: Rachel Venniker heads for Ascot

Trainer Dave Nieuwenhuizen has three runners in the field and on paper, the pick of the trio looks to be Celtic Rush. The five-year-old son of Willow Magic has been running consistently well in recent weeks and his last win, which was in on 16 May, was over 1800m at this course.

Marco van Rensburg is another jockey who has been riding extremely well of late and has ridden a fistful of winners. He has quite a good record when in the irons aboard this gelding with a win and two thirds in four rides.

Nieuwenhuizen also sends out Trident King, who will be having his first run for the stable.

Interestingly, though, he has engaged Piere Strydom to ride the six-year-old Pathfork gelding and has added a compression hood. As a result, he could be worth keeping an eye on any major betting moves and including him in any larger Pick 6 perms.

Tony Peter-trained Blackberry Breeze is another who could win a race of this nature and needs to be included in exotic bets.