Jack Milner
Champion trainer Paul Peter is looking ahead as he prepares to defend his title this season and believes the potential of the stock in his stable has enough promise to make him competitive once again.
The first horse mentioned was Electric Gold, who showed he is a runner to watch with an impressive victory in Race 5 at Turffontein on Tuesday.
Ridden by Rachel Venniker, the three-year-old son of Flying The Flag lengthened his stride beautifully in the closing stages to beat stablemate Indus Knight by 0.50 lengths.
“He’s a smart horse,” said Peter, “and his mission will be the Dingaans.”
In fact, they nominated Electric Gold to run in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes at Greyville but despite being a two-time winner, one of them a handicap in open company, he was eliminated from the final field.
Peter said the fillies in the yard look particularly useful. “Three-year-old fillies I’ve got bombs, but overall the colts are not strong.
“We have a filly called Moraine. She won at the Vaal first time out and we put her away for the winter.
“Mrs Browning also won on debut and looks useful. She’s very closely related to Summer Pudding and she’s a full sister to Aragosta.
“Obviously we’ve got Glittering Girl, she ran second in the Grade 1 Allan Robertson at Scottsville.
“Bless My Stars ran third in the Thekwini Stakes (beaten just 0.35 lengths) and she was still very green. She’s very lightly framed but she’s very decent.
“We’ve given her a bit of time off now and I think she’s going to be a very smart filly. I also think she will stay up to 2400m. I make her a Triple Tiara filly.
“Then we have Summer Pudding and Vanderbilt’s unraced half-sister, Gimmethecherry, who is by Gimmethegreenlight. She’s also nice. We haven’t pushed her, but she has a good action and she shows us a lot at work.
“Ode To The Ocean hurt herself in the Storm Bird Stakes early in the season. She came back to run in the Grade 2 Debutante on Gold Cup day and ran just out of the money, about three lengths off them, but she had a rough race and got a bit left.
“She’s also decent and needed the run.
“Of the younger colts, Swing Upon A Star won the Grade 2 Umkomazi Stakes at Greyville on Gold Cup day and he’s still very immature. I think there is a lot more to come. Being by Elusive Fort, to win over 1200m in the manner he won is impressive.
“His half-brother (Flying Bull), ran second in the Lonsdale over 2400m.”
Of the fillies who are more exposed Peter says he really rates River Queraress. “She’s slightly built, but tall, and I think you’re going to see the best of her in six months’ time.
“I’m going to really take it easy with her. She had a hard campaign as a two-year-old but I really do fancy her as a horse and I think she can go places.
“Maharanee we took to Durban for the Golden Slipper. She had a bad draw so Warren (Kennedy) pushed her early and when he asked her to come back to him she was a bit headstrong.
“I kept her in Durban for the next month and a half and just gave her very, very light work. She’s developed into a really nice thick-set filly, her temperament has gone the right way. She’s very nice.”
Then he still has the “older brigade” with likes of Big Burn, Master Archie, Sprinkles, Val D’Orcia, Smorgasbord, MK’s Pride and Astrix to keep the winners ticking over.