RACING TIPS: Raiseahallelujah to give again

Some horses can be defined by their owners as “the gift that keeps giving”.

The phrase refers to something that continually provides benefits or pleasures over a period of time, items that have enduring value or repeatedly create joy or satisfaction.

One of those is Raiseahallelujah. This Querari gelding might just have turned seven, but he is a runner that would have provided his connections with a great amount of pleasure.

While he might not be among the best horses in the land, he is honest and still appears to enjoy his races. Admittedly, our staying ranks are not that strong in South Africa, but Raiseahallelujah has certainly been paying his way.

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He has raced 40 times for seven wins and 15 places. Yes, he has gone off the boil at times, but trainer Candice Dawson always seems to find the way back for him and he still continues to bring in some stake money.

Dawson has her runners in good form, and she will not be too disappointed in the performance of Raiseahallelujah in the recent Grade 3 Gold Cup over 3200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville when he finished ninth, but beaten just 5.75 lengths by Master Redoute.

He did not have the best of fortune that day as he was drawn wide and ended up at the back of the field. He turned for home still in last place and more than 12 lengths off the leaders but produced the second fastest 400m to finish to procure that ninth position. He returns to action at Turffontein tomorrow to contest Race 5, a Middle Stakes over 2600m on the Inside track.

With Gavin Lerena tasked with the ride for the first time, he should benefit from a patient ride and it won’t come as a surprise if he takes the honours in this event as the joint best-weighted runner along with Prime Example and Weather Wizard.

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While he has not raced over this distance Raiseahallelujah has run well at this course and in six starts has notched up two wins and a second place. He certainly takes a drop in class as his last two run were in Grade 3 events in KwaZulu-Natal.

Prior to that, he overcame a slow start in a Middle Stakes over 2400m on the Standside track, coming from well off the pace and producing the fastest final 400m to get the better of Breeze Over by 0.40 lengths.

That was a very similar field to the level he will be meeting in this contest.

The average merit rating on that occasion was 87 while this time it is 88. He carried 62kg to victory last time and he will have the identical weight on his back this time.

Once one looks past Raiseahallelujah this race becomes quite tricky. Based on his last start, the main danger looks to be Stuart Pettigrew-trained Twenty Drachma’s.

The gelding put up an excellent performance last time when touched off by Versuvio over this course and distance but a run earlier he failed to overcome a slow start and ended up beaten 12.75 lengths by Raiseahallelujah so it will depend on which Twenty Drachma’s turns up.