Danie Toerien
With the added benefit of home-ground advantage, trainer Ashley Fortune has set herself up for a hat-trick when racing returns to the Vaal Racecourse today.
Based at the country course on the Highveld, she has concentrated her efforts on races 5 to 7, where she will be saddling seven of her 10 runners on the day.
In Race 5, a Progress Plate for maidens, as well as 1, 2, and 3-time winners over 1000m, two of the six contestants are from her yard.
Bard Of Avon is not only the highest rated runner in the field, but will also have Aldo Domeyer in the saddle, suggesting he is the stable elect.
Domeyer does not often travel to the Highveld, but when he does, he is inevitably Fortune’s first choice jockey.
With three wins from eight starts, and topping the speed rating table, this three-year-old son of Var has only finished outside the top four once in his career. The only concern is that he comes off a rest of 100 days, and his only unplaced effort was racing fresh after a break.
In his last outing before the break, he did finish third in a Group 3 event on a yielding track, so with good going he should be the one to catch.
Fortune also has Captain Morisco in the line-up, with S’manga Khumalo in the irons. This Captain Of All gelding is better than his last few runs suggest, but he did have valid excuses. He has also proven that he can bounce right back after a setback, so should not be ignored.
In Race 6, a FM 74 Apprentice Handicap over 1000m, Fortune saddles three of the 12 runners. On Cue and Special Variety are the most prominent and could give her a 1-2.
Fortune could complete her hat-trick with Rozara in Race 7, a FM 90 Handicap over 1000m.
This Wylie Hall filly has been in phenomenal form lately and it won’t surprise if the post-race comment again reads “no sweat”.