Moofeed ready to win
Early in his career Moofeed looked to be developing into a decent performer – but then things started to go wrong.
BACK IN ACTION. Moofeed appears to have sorted out any problems during an eight-month layoff and should pay to follow in Race 5 at the Vaal today.
This Australian-bred son of Duke Of Marmalade won three of his first four starts, his lone defeat coming in the Listed Sea Cottage Stakes over 1800m at Turffontein in which he patently failed to see out the distance and trailed in 8.75 lengths behind Louis The King.
Returning to shorter distances, the Mike de Kock-trained runner picked up where he left off by winning the Non-Black Type Gold Rush Sprint over 1100m at Turffontein, beating Trip Tease by a length in the process. But after that everything went haywire.
He contested the Grade 3 Man O’ War Sprint, again over 1100m at Turffontein, and Trip Tease easily reversed the form. Moofeed was beaten 6.75 lengths by Louis Goosen’s charge but was reported not to be striding out.
In April he ran in a MR 90 Handicap over 1200m at the Vaal and was fitted with blinkers but the race turned out to be a disaster as he was beaten 22 lengths by Abbotsbury. Moofeed was off the track until 27 December and delivered a promising comeback display by finishing a 2.25-length second behind Mod Barley.
Today he runs in Race 5, a MR 92 Handicap over 1400m on the Vaal turf and if he can reproduce that sort of form then Moofeed should prove hard to beat. There will be concerns about this being his second race after long layoff but De Kock does not entirely go along with that theory an if he is proved right, then champion jockey S’manga Khumalo is likely to bring home another winner.
For the record, Moofeed’s first two races were over this course and distance and he won both of them.
Another runner who is at home over 1400m up the Vaal straight is Move Like Jagger. Trainer Louis Goosen has his string in top form currently and with Piere Strydom back aboard, the five-year-old Daylami gelding deserves the utmost respect. He has raced 10 times over the course and distance for four wins, one second and one third.
Last time out he comfortably beat Victory Cruise by 3.25 lengths and the runner-up has twice franked the form – finishing a 0.50-lengths second behind Mr Mulliner in his next start and then beating Leeuloop Jet over this course and distance last month.
An interesting runner is The Stones. Dominic Zaki’s charge has won his only start, beating Beyond A Doubt by 1.50 lengths over this track and trip. He won in an excellent time and with owners Markus and Ingrid Jooste going through a purple patch, with just 50.5kg to carry he needs to be included in all bets.
