Better draw to suit Kileigh
The final Highveld meeting of the year takes place at Turffontein tonight and it could be a fine place to spend a pre-New Year’s eve – as long as the weather obliges.
Karraar looks the best bet on tonight’s Turffontein card when he lines up for Race 8 over 1600m.
Feature-race form will come into use when one analyses Race 7, a MR 91 handicap for three-year-old fillies over 1400m. Many of these runners participated in the Grade 3 Fillies Mile over 1600m on this standside course on Summer Cup Day just one month ago and that form line should prove a reasonably accurate guide to the outcome here.
Kileigh, Brown Sugar and London all participated in that contest, while Drifting Dusk ran in the Starling Stakes over this course and distance but was beaten 11.50 lengths by Majmu. Taking into account the very fast time of that race it was not a bad effort, and the Lucky Houdalakis-trained runner proved that when going down by a long-head to Whatalady in her next start.
There was a lot of talk for Brown Sugar in the Fillies Mile, especially as she appeared to be the first choice of Gavin van Zyl’s stable jockey Keagan de Melo. But the race was won by stablemate Banbury, ridden by Piere Strydom. Brown Sugar, who looked dangerous going through the 400m mark, faded late to finish seventh, beaten 5.30 lengths, and will be far better suited to this 1400m.
This time Strydom takes the ride and they jump from barrier No 7.
Kileigh, the other member of the Van Zyl trio, had to jump from barrier No 15 in the Fillies Mile and jockey Muzi Yeni was forced to make quite a lot of use of her early on. She was also in contention halfway up the straight but it came as no surprise that she faded to run 10th, 8.50 lengths off Banbury.
Ian Sturgeon takes the ride, from the No 3 draw, which should make life a lot easier for the rider.
Houdalakis has his yard in fine form so one can expect a massive run from Drifting Dusk. She was drawn No 13 when she raced behind Majmu, which would not have made her task any easier. This time she is in barrier No 5 and will be ridden by in-form Gavin Lerena.
Another runner with a big chance is Bichett. Sean Tarry’s charge took on the colts in the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes and, despite being bumped twice, did well to finish a 1.25-length fifth to Mitraad. She is drawn No 1, carries just 54kg and has S’manga Khumalo up.
