- Henk Steenkamp
A small field of eight runners will face the starter in the open looking feature race of Friday’s meeting on the Fairview Polytrack.
The R150 000 Walmer Handicap is a Non-Black Type event for fillies and mares over 1800m and it is not easy for punters to discard the chances of most of the runners.
If Medlers Tart takes to the Poly surface she might just be the one to beat. The daughter of Master Of My Fate has been running well since she made the Eastern Cape her home in the care of trainer Sharon Kotzen. It is her second run after a layoff and that might put some off but Medlers Tart looks ready for a huge effort for an inform stable. Louie Mxothwa is the jockey and knows how to ride winners on the Poly.
Trainer Zietsman Oosthuizen won this race last year with Rattle Mouse and returns with Unconditional Love. Unconditional Love likes the Poly but will have to carry the top weight of 60kg and try the distance for the first time. She won her last start so well that her chances can’t be discarded.
But can Kotzen or Oosthuizen stop the mighty stables of Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith?
Greeff looks particularly strong with four runners, half of the field, who are all in with a shout.
Wildest Dreams was disappointing in her last start when she finished 1.25 lengths behind stablemate Definitely Maybe. She is 1.5kgs better off at the weights this time and top jockey Richard Fourie decided to stick with her. The daughter of Dynasty might be the pick of the Greeff runners but Definitely Maybe should also be right there.
Smith saddled a treble at the last meeting and the stable is clearly in fine form. Aerial View and Heartsease have to up their game to win this race but can be dangerous with a nice galloping weight of 53kgs.
It might be risky to go light in this race and punters will probably have to look at other races for bankers on the day.
The Walmer Handicap is race seven at 15:05. The meeting of nine races starts at 11:25, a bit earlier than usual. The second race at
11:55 is the first leg of the Bipot and the Place Accumulator gets underway in race three.
It is a challenging Pick Six for punters which starts with the fourth race at 13:05.
Find our selections at Henk Se Wenk, then #TakeABet & #WinBig at www.TAB4racing.com