Mitchley to build on early season success

Danie Toerien

Tuesday marks the sixth day of the new season, and already 33 trainers have saddled winners.

If anything, this statistic proves just how competitive South African racing is.

In the Eastern Cape, Kelly Mitchley and Gavin Smith opened their accounts last week with a brace each, while local conditioners Emmanuel Kaknis, Alan Greeff, and Juan Nel, also got onto the scoresheet.

Mitchley has been making huge strides, recording 78 winners last season – almost double the 40 she had in the 2022-23 campaign.

At Fairview on Tuesday, she has every opportunity to keep the scoreboard ticking over when eight races are contested on the Polytrack.

In Race 3, a Maiden Plate over 1900m, Torix Night ridden by Sandile Khathi is the form choice.

Torix Night showed potential in KwaZulu-Natal but was kept to shorter distances and seemed to not be progressing. In his last start there he was finally tried over distance on the Polytrack and he finished a respectable 1.55-lengths behind improving Code Of Conduct, showing he wanted ground.

It was an encouraging run, and back on the Polytrack after a close-up local debut effort on the turf, he should have every chance.

The gelded son of Vercingetorix meets a weak field and Khathi should have little work to do aboard the best weighted runner.

In Race 4, a FM70 Handicap over 1600m, Beau Kala is expected to be a big runner under apprentice jockey Nirvan Nastili, who has the benefit of a 4kg claim.

The five-year-old daughter of Elusive Fort has come frustratingly close to recording a second career win, beaten less than a length in four of her last five outings.

She is way overdue but should reward followers this time round.

Selections:

Race 1: 3 My True Love, 1 Ice Cap, 6 Extraction, 2 Queen Ofthe Palace

Race 2: 5 Coral Creek, 1 Hat Hot Hat, 6 Home Reef, 3 James Fitzjames

Race 3: 1 Torix Night, 4 Mayor Of Merrivale, 2 Take A Mulligan, 3 Agamemnon

Race 4: 7 Beau Kala, 2 Hanging Rock, 3 Outer Dimension, 1 Raising Quinn

Race 5: 10 Silent Whisperer, 1 Launch Code, 4 Meetatthewindsor, 2 Heknows

Race 6: 2 Aadehya, 6 Articuno, 8 Notorix, 7 Bethel

Race 7: 2 United Express, 1 Gocekwithlove, 3 Cabaret, 4 European Summer

Race 8: 2 Pashtunwali, 7 Miss Shaivi, 5 Charlie Malone, 6 Magic Prince