JOY AND PEACE AT FAIRVIEW

-Henk Steenkamp-

The Listed East Cape Oaks and the R175 000 Non-Black Type Fairview Flying Five are the highlights at Friday’s Fairview meeting.

It is a bumper meeting of nine races, moved from the Turf to the Poly after rain earlier in the week.

Joy And Peace gives the Eastern Cape a very good chance to win the Oaks, a race over 2000m for three-year-old fillies, for the first time since 2018.

The Oaks has been dominated by the Western Cape visitors in recent times but the daughter of Master Of My Fate looks ready to strike for the Alan Greeff stable.

She tries the distance for the first time but should have no problem. Greeff is “very happy” with her work at home. Richard Fourie takes the ride.

There is a Cape Town visitor in the race and Epikleros (Justin Snaith) must be respected. She has been in good form in Cape Town and has won over the distance.

The move to the Poly is a setback though. This surface is completely unknown to the visitor and makes her task more difficult.

If the two top choices fluff their lines, Public Benefit (Kelly Mitchley) and Back For More (Greeff) are the runners to look out for.

The Oaks is race seven and will jump at 15:35.

In the Fairview Flying Five sprint over 1000m, race six and the first leg of the second Jackpot at 15:00, Cruise Control gets a chance to put the record straight.

He was very disappointing in this race last year when he was the favourite to win but ran a poor race.

Since then Cruise Control has been in excellent form for the Gavin Smith yard and is the horse to beat.

In his last start Cruise Control showed a lot of speed under Luyolo Mxothwa and looks ready to win this.

“He loves the trip and should be a big runner,” Smith said. Mxothwa retains the ride.

The Winter Lake ran a cracker for second place in the Listed East Cape Sprint Cup. He should run well again and give the Smith stable a really strong hand in this event.

Cliff Top (Greeff) is the defending champion and seems to be back on track after a few disappointing runs. He is always a danger when at his best.

“He is starting to bounce back and will enjoy this,” Greeff said.

Another interesting race is the Derby Plate over 2000m, race eight at 16:10. Some of the three-year-olds will use the race with an eye on having a crack at the WSB East Cape Derby on May 10.

The first of nine races is at 12:05 and the Bipot starts with the second race at 12:40.

Race three gets the Place Accumulator underway at 13:15. The Pick Six starts with race four at 13:50.

The Mauritian (Greeff) looks ready to win in the first leg of the first Jackpot, race five at 14:25. It is a Middle Stakes over 1600m.