Jack Milner: In a rare move, Highveld-based trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren has dispatched two horses to race on the Polytrack at Fairview on Monday.
He sends out Emerald Floe in Race 2 and Forward March in Race 8 and the pair could have different fortunes at the track.
Emerald Floe is still a three-year-old and she contests a Maiden Plate over 1300m where she will be taking on some colts and geldings. Of course, that gives her a 2.5kg sex allowance and based on merit ratings, this should be no contest.
She is rated at least 6.5kg better than any other runner in the field and is beautifully drawn at No 3. While this will be her first outing at Fairview, the daughter of Oratorio has raced on the Polytrack at Greyville where she put up one of her best performances. That was last August over 1600m where she finished a 2.60-length second behind Anmer Hall.
Forward March won his maiden at this track in December when he beat Sunshine Beach by 0.50 lengths. No winners from six runners have come out of that form line and Janse van Vuuren’s charge does face some tough opposition.
Chase Maujean will be making the trip to Port Elizabeth and is carded to ride both horses.
Greg Cheyne took no time at all to get back among the winners after the restrictions on jockey movements were lifted, and on Friday rode a double for Alan Greeff.
Greeff holds a strong hand in Race 4 with three runners, headed by best-weighted Polytrack specialist Calandra. But it’s Cheyne’s ride, course-and-distance winner Green Dragon, who makes most appeal.
She finished a close-up third to Jaeger Moon in open company over 1600m last time and a return to 1900m against her own sex should suit her down to the ground.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Just So Easy, 5 Al’s Lass, 3 Field Dancer, 2 Innogen