Henk Steenkamp
East Cape Champion Apprentice Jockey Nirvan Nastili has a huge opportunity to upstage his seniors at the Fairview Polytrack on Wednesday.
He has some good winning chances on the day, starting with the second race where he rides Paris Lass for the Gavin Smith stable.
Paris Lass is weighted to win the Racing240 Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares over 1000m. She loves track and trip and is a huge runner.
Ellorix, from the Alan Greeff yard with Richard Fourie aboard, should fight it out with Paris Lass for the win in the first leg of the Place Accumulator - take the Exacta.
Nastili has two winning chances for trainer Jacques Strydom with Garden Sun (race 5) and Thunder Master (race 8).
Garden Sun runs in an competitive Classified Stakes over 2000m, but has the form to win this. Nastili will be looking to seal the deal with a strong late run to the line.
Thunder Master also runs in a Classified Stakes, but over 1300m. He is in fine form, but again Nastili has to time his late run to perfection to win this race.
Greeff should start the meeting on a winning note. Guy Gibson looks way too good for the rest in the Welcome To Nelson Mandela Bay Graduation Plate which gets the show on the road at 12:00 - banker in the first leg of the Bipot.
Diamond Jim is another big runner for the Greeff-Fourie combination in the third race, the first leg of the Pick Six.
Lana View looks ready to win the fourth race, an Open Maiden for fillies and mares over 1900m, after two solid runs for the Lunga Gila stable.
Trainer Juan Nel will saddle two lively runners, Global Scene and Blind Faith, to challenge Lana View.
The Rabada filly Honorable Member is weighted to win the sixth race, a Novice Plate over 1600m, for Sharon Kotzen Racing. She hasn’t won a race for some time, but has been very consistent and is the horse to beat.
Race seven is also a Novice Plate, but over 1200m where we should see a very interesting battle between Royal Kingdom (Greeff) and the filly Instaworthy (Smith).
With banker options to work with it might be worth giving it a go at Fairview!