Danie Toerien
Today’s race meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth can only be described as a day of quantity over quality – and understandably so, as it is a Tuesday meeting at the same venue that hosted a meeting just two days prior.
Considering that the highest rated runners at today’s gathering boast a Merit Rating of 85, the maiden rated at 82 must surely be of particular interest as there are 117 horses carded to contest a total of 10 races.
In Race 2, a Cape Racing Sales Maiden Plate over 1000m, Star Performer is the hottest prospect having placed five times from six starts.
Obviously overdue a first win, this son of What A Winter is having his third run after gelding. Last time out he was left with a bit too much to do at the business end, but today he is hard to oppose.
Priced up at 11-10 by World Sports Betting, Vaughan Marshall’s charge will be having Bernard Fayd’Herbe in the irons again. The three-year-old has been attracting wheelbarrows full of money, but has somehow failed to deliver the concrete results.
The only problem is that the 82-rated Star Performer will be challenged by unrated three-year-old filly Pink Moon, who has no official rating having raced just twice.
Trained by Brett Crawford, Pink Moon was the second fastest finisher over 1000m on debut, but faded slightly when tested over 250m further second time out.
Dropping back to the shortest sprint, she could actually throw a spanner in Star Performer’s works.
A Swinger with these two could prove to be the safest bet early on.
Later in the day, Radicchio could send bettors home with more than just KFC money.
At 12-1, Piet Botha’s runner looks a mighty fine value bet going third time out in Cape Town.
His track introduction after moving to the Milnerton-based Botha was disappointing, but travelling 1600m after a four-month break may not have been a realistic test.
Second time out at Kenilworth and dropping down to 1200m, this Flower Alley-gelding moved up well, beaten only 1.15-lengths.
This time round, in Race 8, a Class 4 Handicap over 1200m, he looks ready to score a second career win carrying just 55.5kg and with Sean Veale in the saddle.
Danie Toerien's selections:
Race 1: 3 Sahara Cat, 9 Disting, 6 Kinda Wonderful, 8 Poetic Princess
Race 2: 7 Pink Moon, 2 Star Performer, 5 Einstein, 10 Celtic Chief
Race 3: 3 Ellorix, 5 True Horizon, 4 Jet To The Sun, 9 Rocking Peonie
Race 4: 12 Moonacres, 1 Future Gem, 5 Kaapse Klopse, 6 Explosive Speed
Race 5: 1 Heliotrope, 6 Princess Of Bayeux, 10 Lickety Split, 11 Sansa Stark
Race 6: 5 Two A Penny, 6 Typeface, 2 Basic Maneuvers, 8 Cattaleya
Race 7: 6 Unicorn Alert, 2 Allez Moris, 3 Bardolino, 8 Kingdom Of Heaven
Race 8: 3 Radicchio, 2 Hammies Hero, 13 Guarding The Wall, 5 Riverstone
Race 9: 4 Black Path, 9 Simply Beautiful, 3 Royal Lytham, 8 Seeking Peace
Race 10: 5 Silver Screen, 4 Kythera, 6 Palo Queen, 9 La Divina