CHANCE FOR LISTED DOUBLE

-Henk Steenkamp

Alan Greeff has a very good chance of saddling a Listed double at the Fairview Turf track on Friday. Fairy Knight is the favourite to win the R175 000 Ibhayi Stakes for three-year-olds over 1400m and Three Rocks is on top of the betting boards for the R150 000 Lady’s Pendant over 1200m for the fillies and mares.

Both favourites will be ridden by Richard Fourie. Fairy Knight will be aiming to make it three wins in a row from a good draw. His last start was his first as a gelding and Greeff was very happy with the run. Fairy Knight will be ready to run a big race.

The Cape Town visitor from the Candice Bass-Robinson stable, Trip To Maputo, could be the biggest danger to the favourite.  The distance suits the three-year-old daughter of Trippi and the long Fairview straight will give her and jockey Gareth Wright the chance to mow down the frontrunners. She is the best weighted horse in the race.

The Gavin Smith stable is always a force in a Listed event at Fairview and Ubisika can’t be overlooked. He won his last two starts over this track and trip and looks ready to take on stronger now. Luyolo Mxothwa takes the ride.

Waz Wouter and Global Force are two other Smith runners expected to run well and fight it out for the minor placings, along with Legal Thriller from the Greeff yard. An exciting rematch awaits us in the R150 000 Lady’s Pendant over 1200m for the fillies and mares.

Three Rocks and the Cape Town visitor from the Candice Bass-Robinson stable, Gimme’s Lassie, met in December in the Grade2 Southern Cross Stakes in Cape Town. Gimme’s Lassie’s finished 1.85 lengths behind Three Rocks (in third place) but is 0.5kgs better off at the weights now and should finish closer.

Home advantage will be in the favour of Three Rocks who won three times and finished second once from as many starts on the Fairview Turf. She can notch up a sixth-career victory. Smith is again a huge factor with Golden Pacific, Pinnacle and Sister Light all capable of earning. Golden Pacific is the stable’s first choice. She hasn’t run a bad race since joining the Smith yard and is enjoying a sensational season.

The Gold Standard filly is the top earner in the Eastern Cape this season with four wins from six starts, for total stakes money of nearly R250 000. Another good showing is expected.

Chere For Me (Jacques Strydom) can be dangerous on best form but will probably be fighting it out for a place rather than threatening the favourites.

The Smith stable can start the meeting on a winning note. After two close up second places, Silvonian could win the first race (12:25) and get Bipot players off to a good start.

Gorgeous Klein (Sharon Kotzen) and My Best Shot (Greeff) are the dangers.

The Place Accumulator starts with the second race at 13:00 and the first leg of the Pick Six is race three at 13:35.

It is Jackpot time with race four at 14:10. This is a competitive first leg of the first Jackpot.

The second Jackpot starts in race five with a very strong Pinnacle Stakes over 1800m. This could be an exciting affair with the main runners, Grazinginthegrass (Greeff), Cherry Ano (Smith) and the Cape visitor Hold My Hand (Glen Kotzen) all drawn wide.

After the Pinnacle Stakes the Listed races will follow, the Ibhayi Stakes is race six at 15:20 and the Lady’s Pendant is race seven at 16:00.

The eighth and last race will end a meeting, a very competitive meeting, which could be one of the best at Fairview in recent times.

Find our tips at Henk Se Wenk.