Longer trip unlikely to trouble Santa Therese on poly
August 2021
Jack Milner: The move from turf to Polytrack is unlikely to hinder two strong bankers at Fairview on Friday.
For the second successive week, heavy rains have enforced the powers that be to move Friday’s Fairview meeting from the turf course to the Polytrack.
Some 30mm of rain fell within one hour on Thursday morning, resulting in the turf track left waterlogged in many areas. With further rain forecast throughout the day, it was felt the conditions would pose a danger to both horse and rider.
This has necessitated changes in distance to four races.
Races 1 and 9 will now be run over 1300m while Races 2 and 3 will be over 2200m.
However, the change in surface is unlikely to trouble the two good bets on the card as both Stranger Danger in Race 6, the Speedster Stakes (Non-Black Type) over 1000m and classy Santa Therese in Race 7, the Listed Jockey Club Stakes over 2000m, both have decent form on both surfaces.
Alan Greeff-trained Santa Therese has impressed the further she has gone and the step up to 2000m should not pose a problem.
The daughter of Flower Alley has won six of her eight starts and has placed in her other two. She has also been victorious in her last five outings and has got even better as she has matured.
In her last start she stormed to a 3.25 length win over Water Spirit who opposes her again.
Even with the five-point penalty for that win she comes into this race as the best weighted runner.
Grant van Niekerk rode her last time and will be aboard once again.
Gavin Smith-trained Stranger Danger has raced 11 times for four wins, six seconds and a third. He comes into this race with just 53kg on his back and with in-form Warren Kennedy up, he should dispose of some reasonably strong opposition.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 7 Sugar Snap, 2 Diamonds And Toads, 9 Ladonna Mia, 1 Host Of Angels
Race 2: 1 On Your Marks, 4 Hukum, 2 Nussply, 5 Raio
Race 3: 3 Master Supreme, 4 Miss Orange, 5 Rattle Mouse, 7 Vision Of Fame
Race 4: 1 The Ghan, 3 Joint Effort, 9 Winter Vacation, 4 Mousey On Over
Race 5: 5 Miss Nibbles, 1 Victoria Tower, 3 Mesmerizing Moon, 4 Variety Breeze
Race 6: 4 Stranger Danger, 3 What A Winner, 5 Delicasea, 2 Sullenberger
Race 7: 1 Santa Therese, 11 Katie To, 10 Colorado Springs, 3 First Street