BLOWING HOT. Spring Breeze, trained by the new Azzie training combination, looks to have Race 6 at Scottsville on Sunday at her mercy.
Scottsville hosts two R1-million races sponsored by Bloodstock South Africa over 1400m on Sunday but what separates this race from all others is the weight structure.
The weights are determined by the price at which the horse was sold or was bought back by its vendor so the cheaper the horse, the less you carry.
Any horse who cost R401,000 or more carries 60kg, from R201,000 to R400,000 58kg, from R101,000 to R200,000 56kg and for R100,000 or less 54kg.
The races are restricted to two-year-olds (now three-year-olds) who were sold at the 2016 National Two Year Old sale and were entered in the Sweepstake Races when purchased at
this specific sale.
Race 5 is for colts and geldings and here one has a case in point. Silva’s Bullet from the Dean Kannemeyer yard is joint top weight with 60kg on his back and is a one-time winner, while Kimberley Star, an Alan Greeff-trained runner from Port Elizabeth who cost R120,000 and is a two-time winner, comes in with 56kg. Greeff learned well from late father, Stanley, who used to bring runners to KwaZulu-Natal with great success.
Kimberley Star is the best handicapped runner and should have been conceding weight to all the others. He has raced five times for two wins, both over 1400m on the Fairway turf, and three second places.
He is well enough drawn at gate No 5 and what is particularly relevant is Greeff has engaged Anton Marcus for the ride.
Silva’s Bullet might be better than his rating and the most relevant factor is he is a course-and-distance winner. He didn’t beat much but is well bred and one should expect further improvement. Anthony Delpech is carded to ride and hopefully he will be back from the Shergar Cup in the UK by then.
Broadway Trip is a winner of his only start and there was a lot to like about the way he took off late to mow down Riding Shotgun over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside track. The concern is he is drawn wide at No 12.
Race 6 is for fillies and this one looks to be at the mercy of Mike and Adam Azzie-trained Spring Breeze. As she cost R200,000 she carries 56kg and comes out of competing in two successive features in KZN. She finished just 2.05 lengths behind Desert Rhythm in the Grade 2 Golden Slipper and then a 2.50-length fourth to Princess Peach in The Debutante.
This is her first start at Scottsville but has the services of Weichong Marwing although they will have to contend with No 9 draw.
On merit ratings she is at least 3kg better weighted than any of her rivals.
The dangers look to be Make Me Happy and Pearl Glow.) 42.0