Fourie Barometer 346

Exciting Changes To Cape Racing Sales' Calendar

The Sales Topper at CRS CPYS 2024 went for R3,2 million, a Trippi full-sister to Trip Of Fortune (Cape Racing Sales)

After a highly successful edition of the CRS Premier Yearling Sale powered by Tattersalls in January of this year, CRS is announcing exciting changes to its sales plans and calendar for 2025.

Since 2022, the South African thoroughbred auction sector has seen a substantial increase in average prices of thoroughbreds sold via auction. This increase is undoubtedly linked to Cape Racing’s significant investment into the industry in the same year. A renewed demand for thoroughbred stock has been created, as reflected in the superior mean and median prices on the sales. For example, the mean sales price at the CRS January 2024 sale of R545,336 compared favourably to the R443,812 mean price in 2023 (an increase of 23%), with a median sales price at the CRS January 2024 sale of R400,000, compared to R300,000 in 2023 (an increase of 33%).

Over this period, vendor support for CRS has been steadily growing. The 122 lots catalogued for the first edition of the CRS Premier Yearling Sale in January 2023 steadily grew by over 11% to 136 lots catalogued in January 2024.

The most pleasing statistic for the CRS team was the receipt of 280 entries for the 2024 sale. This figure was almost double the original entry from the 2023 auction. This is a clear indicator of increased trust in the performance of CRS, off the back of a successful 2023 auction, and the increased desire to sell quality stock in the Cape. This enabled the sales inspectors to select the highest quality draft available for the sale, ultimately translating into healthy mean and median sales increases.

New Sales Calendar

After continued dialogue and engagements with our customers, our owners, our vendors, and our other stakeholders, CRS is pleased to announce an enhanced sales calendar for 2025, which will now include two “select” sales. The revised sales calendar for 2025 is now as follows:

23 January 2025 Cape Racing Sales Met Sale

15 March 2025 Cape Racing Sales Premier Yearling Sale

16 June 2025 Cape Racing Sales Winter Yearling Sale

27 October 2025 Cape Racing Sales Ready to Run Sale

Justin Vermaak (Cape Racing’s Executive: Racing & Bloodstock) explained the thinking behind the expansion:

“Going into the recent January sale, our team discussed, at length, the various options regarding the January sale and its date. It was clear to us, after vendor and buyer consultation, that the time of the sale would never be ideal for preparing large numbers of the highest quality yearlings. Therefore, we planned to delay our select sale into March, which is more accommodating to vendors and thus will attract a larger bench of higher quality stock than would otherwise be achieved in the January sale.

However, after observing the overwhelming success of the recent January sale, it was clear that there was strong demand for a sale in this time slot just before the Cape Town Met. We have therefore decided to split this sale into two select sales, one in January and one in March.

Our January sale will be named the Cape Racing Sales Met Sale and will be held during Cape Town Met week. The Cape Racing Sales Met Sale will be a boutique high-end sale, providing the most precocious and highest quality of yearlings. This sale will be fashioned after the Goffs London Sale, which takes place in Kensington Palace Gardens in the build-up to Royal Ascot – a smaller, select, high-quality sale to take place in the week leading up to a prestigious race meeting.

The Cape Racing Sales Premier Yearling Sale will now be held in March and will reflect a more extensive catalogue. The extra few months will allow a larger group of prospective entries that could not historically be ready and prepped in time for a January auction. Having the second sale in March will also ensure we do not have to turn away hundreds of vendor entries. After consultation with our colleagues at the Hong Kong Jockey Club and our numerous other international buyers, we settled on a date in the middle of March, which is perfectly placed between the two Inglis sales held in Melbourne and in Sydney towards the beginning of March and April, respectively. This gives our Asian-based buyers the opportunity to make all three sales. Furthermore, for our European buyers who are avid fans of the Cheltenham Festival, the sale is positioned just after the event’s conclusion. When we add to that the fantastic weather in Cape Town in March, we believe we have found the ideal date for a select sale of this nature.

New Sales Races

As part of our plans to create a successful sale, it is our intent to host a Cape Racing Sales race day on March 16^th, the day after the Cape Racing Sales Premier Yearling Sale. This race day will play host to our newly established sales races:

The Cape Racing Sales Slipper (1200m / 2yos) – R3,000,000

The Cape Racing Sales Classic (1600m / 3yos) – R1,000,000

The Cape Racing Sales Sprint (1200m / 3yos) – R1,000,000

These races will be open for ALL graduates of Cape Racing Sales auctions throughout the year. The race meeting will be incorporated into the Summer Festival as the eighth Festival meeting of the season. We are thus extending the Festival to a mid-March ending as opposed to the end of February as it is currently.

New Sales Venue

A decision has also been made to hold all the sales at the newly renovated Hollywoodbets Kenilworth going forward. Greg Bortz, Chairman of Cape Racing, added: “The CTICC has been a fantastic host over our first two editions of the sale. The venue does not come cheap, however, and we would much rather reinvest that expenditure into the industry in the form of prize money and incentives.

We have built a world-class home at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and plan to utilise our home base for our sales going forward. I am pleased to announce to our breeders that plans are afoot to build a stunning sales complex at the course. We cannot expect our vendors to sell their best horses with us unless we can provide a venue that is befitting of their support. We will be levelling the holding box area behind our current saddling boxes.

This area will be built into a sales complex and serve a dual purpose as holding boxes for our runners on race days. We will provide a world-class facility for our vendors to show their high-quality stock and confidently sell at our auctions. Our sales facility will match the standards already set at the new Hollywoodbets Kenilworth while retaining the feel of our heritage buildings on-site. We can say with a high degree of confidence that all will be ready for the 2026 sales. We are cautiously optimistic and hopeful that all will be ready for the 2025 sales too, but that is a little more uncertain.

All work requires plans, permits, and approvals from the City of Cape Town and other bodies, which is a process we do not control. Furthermore, add to this the increased degree of difficulty of construction during the lead-up to our summer season and our big feature race days, and one can understand why the January 2025 sale might be a little too soon for us, as may be the March 2025 sale.

But we have pulled rabbits out of hats before, and we will strive for more such outcomes in the nine months ahead! In summary, all the sales from 2026 and thereafter will be held at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. Regarding the 2025 sales, we are confident that the sales in the latter half of the year will be held here too. The January 2025 and March 2025 sales are more uncertain – the ability for the sales to be held at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth will depend on the state of completion of the construction. Should it not be possible, an appropriate alternate venue will be identified.”

New CRS Advisory Committee

Cape Racing Sales is also announcing an important enhancement and addition to the structure of the sales company, namely the formation of the CRS Advisory Committee, which will comprise up to eleven breeder representatives and two representatives from Cape Racing Sales.

Explained Justin Vermaak: “At Cape Racing, we always try to be as dynamic and forward-thinking as possible. The thoroughbred auction business is a global industry. New initiatives and developments from various sales houses around the globe are being rolled out on a constant basis, and we need to stay abreast of the changes. It is essential for us to stay current and connected, with the hope of global exports opening in due course. We have therefore decided to build an advisory committee around Cape Racing Sales. The committee will meet at least three times a year to discuss global trends and provide feedback on matters that affect our service delivery as a company, as well as to discuss initiatives for our upcoming sales. We have invited five breeder members onto the committee during this first phase of the launch. We plan to invite the remaining breeder members over the next few months. We are encouraging breeders interested in giving up some of their time and expertise to put their hand up for consideration. We would like to add to the geographical and size diversity of the breeders on the committee in keeping with the inclusive spirit of our sales company.”

Greg Bortz added further: “The feedback and reaction from our breeders has been terrific and enthusiastic, and for this we are most grateful. Having an extra select sale during a peak month in the Cape makes a lot of sense. Our breeders are committed to selling their highest quality lots on our sales. The logistics of having the sales at our Hollywoodbets Kenilworth home, 200 metres away from the country’s only free-zone quarantine station, is a bit of a “no-brainer”. We look forward to the continued upward trajectory in our sales mean and median prices and the continued resurgence in our breeding industry around the country.”

The initial members of the CRS Advisory Committee are as follows:

Avontuur Stud Ms Pippa Mickleburgh

Drakenstein Stud Mrs Gaynor Rupert

Maine Chance Farms Dr Andreas Jacobs

Ridgemont Stud Mr Wayne Kieswetter

Varsfontein Stud Mrs Susan Rowett

Cape Racing Sales Mr Gregory Bortz

Cape Racing Sales Mr Justin Vermaak

ENDS

For racing queries and sales queries, contact Justin Vermaak at justin@caperacing.co.za or Janine van Blerk at janine@caperacing.co.za

Cape Racing Sales Social Media:

Facebook: @caperacingsales

Instagram: @caperacingsales

Twitter: @CapeRacingSales

Website: www.caperacingsales.co.za

Cape Racing Social Media:

Facebook: @CapeRacing1

Instagram: @cape_racing

Twitter: @caperacing1

YouTube: @CAPERACING

Website: www.caperacing.co.za

Royal Victory To Have One More Grass Gallop

Muzi Yeni will be hoping to salute on Royal Victory again (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Nathan Kotzen would have preferred his Betway Summer Cup winner Royal Victory to have had two races into the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Challenge, but there were no suitable races.

Summer Cup-winning rider Muzi Yeni will be aboard on April 6 in the 2000m weight for age contest at Turffontein Standside.

They will jump from a plum draw of three this time as opposed to the draw 13 they had in the Summer Cup.

However, this is a weight for age contest whereas in the Summer Cup they carried bottom weight of 54kg and were in fact 1kg under sufferance.

So this is going to be a harder task, but on the other hand Royal Victory did win by a comfortable 2,25 lengths.

In fact on the margins of beatings and the weight turnarounds there is not a single horse from the Summer Cup who comes out better than Royal Victory.

Nathan admitted, “It’s not going to be easy, but it never is.”

He continued, “I was hoping to get another run, but the program did not suit me. I galloped him today (Tuesday) and I’ve got another gallop to go and he will then hopefully be right.”

He is hoping to have his final gallop on the Hollywoodbets Greyville turf.

The four-year-old Pathfork gelding had a deserved holiday on the farm after his Summer Cup victory.

In his comeback run he ran a decent 1,90 length third in te Non-Black Type Fever Tree Handicap over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

Nathan said Royal Victory was very well and said he had always been a “good doer”, which is horse parlance for those who eat well and maintain their condition well.

“He loves food,” confirmed Nathan.

One of the keys to victory in the Summer Cup was the excellent journey from Summerveld to Turffontein that Royal Victory enjoyed on the private float of Nathan’s long-time owner Ted Hughes.

Nathan said after the Summer Cup, “Ted owned those two big horses Merlin From Berlin and Paybackthemoney, who were 17 hands so he had the float extended higher. You know what Ted is like with his vehicles, he wants everything perfect otherwise don’t do it at all. You can see by his fleet of trucks, they are immaculate. He has even got a camera so you can watch the horses when they travel. You could see the horse stood deadstill. That float doesn’t even move.”

Ted and Nathan will take Royal Victory up to the Highveld on the same float and will leave at the same time relative to the race that they did last time.

Rachel Venniker Retains Ride On Without Question

Rachel Venniker returns to the winner’s enclosure after clinching a double for Paul Matchett at the Vaal today with two two-year-olds, both by Erupt (JC Photos)

Rachel Venniker rode a double on the Highveld today and will be hoping her first Gr 1 is “a major” on the Highveld as she rides the 25/2 shot Without Question in the Gr 1 wfa R2 million Premier’s Champions Challenge over 2000m at Turffontein Standside on April 6.

She has ridden in 11 Gr 1 races to date, including in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge in 2022, the Betway Summer Cup in 2022, the L’Ormarins King’s Plate in 2023 and the WSB Cape Town Met this year.

Her third place finish on What A Question in the Met is in fact her best finishing position in a Gr 1 to date.

She rode a polished race setttling the The United States gelding in third place with cover after jumping from draw seven out of eleven.

Without Question stayed on well in the straight to finish a 1,65 length third at odds of 50/1.

Trainer Justin Snaith and owner Nick Jonsson have rewarded her for that fine ride by keeping her aboard.

Venniker has had one Listed race victory in her career, on See It Again, and her only Graded win to date has been in the Gr 2 WSB Gauteng Guineas on the Paul Matchett-trained Eye Of The Prophet (Gimmethegreenlight) last year.

Today she rode a double for Matchett both on two-year-olds by Erupt and both in 1400m events.

She rode Moonlight Trader to an easy 2,50 length win and Queen Of Fire to a cosy win by a length.

The double takes her to 43 wins for the season achieved at a strike rate of 9.95%.

Robinson, Habib Look The Duo To Follow

Convocation has been tipped to win the last race (Candiese Lenferna Photography)

Jack Milner (Tab4Racing)

Jockey Calvin Habib takes the trip to Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Wednesday when he will take five rides for trainer Frank Robinson.

There are certainly a number of promising rides in that bunch and it could turn out to be a very good day for the duo.

Perhaps the best two on the card could be The Mikado in Race 3 and positively named Star Of The Future in Race 4.

The Mikado contests a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m and he is expected to improve on his debut performance when beaten just 0.40 lengths in a race over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville by Kalahari Roller, who was sent off a 1-3 favourite.

While The Mikado opened at 7-2, he drifted to 8-1 by the off as a result of the support for the Garth Puller-trained and Richard Fourie-ridden gelding.

Despite a slow start, The Mikado ran on powerfully and had backers of the favourite with their hearts in their mouths as he started to close the gap, but luckily for them the line came in time.

There are some other little exposed runners in this line-up but The Mikado did show a touch of class in his debut.

However, best of the day could be Star Of The Future in Race 4, a Maiden Plate over 1200m. This son of Futura also just found one better on debut when beaten by B Fiftytwo. That run was in August last year but he did produce an electrifying finish that day and if close to peak fitness should have too much ability for this field.

Robinson also has two first-timers in the opening two races and they could have a say in the finish of their respective events as well.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 9 Soho Star, 10 New Frontier, 7 Cats Pajamas, 4 Mickey Blue Eyes

Race 2: 7 The Specialist, 5 Mister Nibbles, 2 Isivivane, 9 Act Of Genius

Race 3: 2 The Mikado, 1 Havana Moon, 4 Dapper, 3 Samuel Longsword

Race 4: 7 Star Of The Future, 1 Teriyaki, 3 Avro Prince, 6 Plettenberg

Race 5: 4 Dynasty’s Last, 9 Tomyris, 6 Gorgeous Girl, 8 Sunshine Sally

Race 6: 5 Ivy League, 4 Grandi Orecchie, 7 Lady Heist, 1 Ice Sunsation

Race 7: 6 Mysterious Girl, 1 Theappleofmyeye, 5 Pinstripe, 3 Last Ginger

Race 8: 6 Convocation, 1 Pelargonium, 2 Berengaria, 7 Get In The Q

BEST BET

Race 4 No 7 Star Of The Future

VALUE BET

Race 7 No 6 Mysterious Girl

BEST SWINGER

Race 5 4×9

BIPOT

R144

Leg 1: 7, 9, 10

Leg 2: 2, 5, 7

Leg 3: 1, 2

Leg 4: 7

Leg 5: 4, 9

Leg 6: 1, 4, 5, 7

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R162

Leg 1: 2, 5, 7

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 7

Leg 4: 4, 9

Leg 5: 4, 5, 7

Leg 6: 1, 5, 6

Leg 7: 1, 2, 6

PICK 6

R1080

Leg 1: 1, 2, 4

Leg 2: 7

Leg 3: 4, 9

Leg 4: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 5: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8

Leg 6: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

JACKPOT 1

R60

Leg 1: 7

Leg 2: 4, 9

Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 4: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8

JACKPOT 2

R360

Leg 1: 4, 9

Leg 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7

Leg 3: 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8

Leg 4: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9

Galopin Des Champs Receives Hero's Welcome Home

Sportsmax.tv

Galopin Des Champs was once again welcomed home by an adoring crowd as the dual Cheltenham Gold Cup winner paraded before locals in the village of Leighlinbridge in County Carlow on Tuesday evening.

Victorious in the pinnacle of National Hunt racing last year, this time the Willie Mullins-trained gelding was able to take his career to the next level when becoming one of a select few to retain the title.

The 11-10 favourite under Paul Townend, Galopin Des Champs never looked threatened by any of his rivals and it was only the loose Fastorslow that ever threatened to thwart a repeat of last year’s triumph.

Victorious by three and a half lengths from Gordon Elliott’s Gerri Colombe, the Audrey Turley-owned eight-year-old has put his name among the greats of the race and next year could join the likes of the mighty Arkle and Best Mate as a three-time winner.

Galopin Des Champs was joined by State Man, winner of the Champion Hurdle in a another memorable meeting for Mullins, with his nine-winner haul including his 100th Festival success when Jasmin De Vaux took the Weatherbys Champion Bumper.

Warren Kennedy Wins Gr 1 New Zealand Oaks

Pulchritudinous and Warren Kennedy soar to Group One Glory in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on Saturday. Photo / Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)

Pulchritudinous wins New Zealand Oaks at Trentham
NZ Herald

Almost two decades after riding Creil to victory in the Gr.1 Avondale Cup (2200m) as an apprentice jockey, multi-talented horseman Chad Ormsby climbed the same mountain in a different way when Pulchritudinous won the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on Saturday.

Ormsby now trains a small team at Cambridge, saddling eight winners so far this season including Pulchritudinous in the Oaks and Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2000m), along with Master Fay in the Gr.3 Concorde Handicap (1200m).

“Things like a Group One win are what we strive for,” Ormsby said. “I really can’t thank my team enough. The people on the ground make it all possible.

“We’re only a small team, around five racehorses, but we bat above our weight and I’m so grateful to the people around us. My mother-in-law has a share in this filly, along with her partner, and they do so much for us with all the days and nights that they look after our kids. It’s a great thrill.”

Training is just one of a number of pursuits for Ormsby, who remarkably won a bull-riding competition at a rodeo on Saturday morning – mere hours before his Oaks triumph.

Ormsby also prepares Ready to Run Sale drafts under his Riverrock Farm banner, and Oaks heroine Pulchritudinous was originally intended to be a pinhook for that two-year-old sale at Karaka. Ormsby bought the Wrote filly for $32,500 as a yearling at Karaka 2022, but she was passed in when he offered her with a $50,000 reserve at the Ready to Run Sale later that year.

“A lot of pride and joy goes into a filly like this, who we bought cheaply and ended up not being able to sell,” Ormsby said. “She’s managed to go on and prove herself.”

Pulchritudinous showed promise with a 1400m maiden win in her second career start back in October, but it has only been in the last eight days that she has really made her mark. She stepped up beyond 1600m for the first time and scored an impressive win in the rescheduled Lowland Stakes at Taupo on March 8, then stepped into the Group One spotlight for the Oaks barely a week later.

Ridden by Warren Kennedy, Pulchritudinous settled in ninth place alongside the rail as Harlow Rocks set a solid pace out in front and turned the fillies’ classic into a true staying test.

Kennedy got her off the fence at the 700m mark and began to creep closer, moving up behind the leading pack and poised to pounce.

Pulchritudinous swooped around the home turn and quickly loomed large on the outside of Harlow Rocks, Positivity, Qali Al Farrasha and Race Ace. Kennedy sent Pulchritudinous into full flight at the 300m mark and she surged to the lead, pulling away from Positivity and Qali Al Farrasha to win by a length and three-quarters in an impressive display of stamina and class.

Pulchritudinous has now had seven starts for three wins and a placing, earning $389,205 in stakes.

Happy Valley Wednesday Selections and Formguides

Sugar Sugar (Photo by Lo Chun Kit))

Luke Middlebrook – Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (20 March) for a 9-race fixture under the lights.

In-form five-year-old SUGAR SUGAR generates considerable interest with the quick turnaround for Wednesday’s Class 3 race over 1200m at Happy Valley.

The Caspar Fownes trainee has been in sensational form recently, winning two on the trot two and three starts ago before finishing third at this track and distance last week. On that occasion, he had to navigate barrier 9. However, usual rider, Alfie Chan, was unable to secure a conducive position in running, leaving him trapped three-wide throughout.

To the horse’s credit, he stuck on well in the straight and was only beaten by 2.5 lengths by Raging Blizzard, which is strong form.

This week, starting from barrier 1, Chan should secure a far more economical run in transit and can bounce back to his winning ways if he handles the quick back up. Last-start winner Colourful Emperor, starting from barrier 2, will likely run his race from the front, while Wings Of War, starting from barrier 3, should map with a chance.

Elsewhere, three-year-old gelding GALLANT VALOUR is on track to secure a second career win when he steps out in the Class 3 race over 1650m.

GALLANT VALOUR has shown ability for the Jamie Richards yard, recording one win and five minor placings from the nine times he has raced. In his last outing, Richards stepped the youngster up in trip for the first time, from 1200m to 1650m.

Drawn out wide in barrier 12 was challenging, but GALLANT VALOUR let down strongly late to finish a close third.

With barrier 3 and ridden by Zac Purton on Wednesday night, GALLANT VALOUR appears to get more favours and he enters a race where he appears to have what it takes to improve upon last start and secure a win.

Track Spy

Video Replay Stars

Race 5 – 6 SUPER CHARIZZARD

He was in the market on debut three weeks ago, after a series of good-looking barrier trials. However, he had excuses, which led to him finishing 3.75 lengths behind in sixth. He began fairly and mapped at rear, but things really turned sour when he was severely checked at the 550m. With experience on his side and taking a rise in distance, there’s a positive outlook for this 3YO’s chances in his second race for the inform Mark Newnham stable.

Race 9 – 9 LIGHTNING BOLT

His last-start fourth-place was better than it reads as he became unbalanced and lost ground at the 450m after becoming contacted before laying in over concluding stages, resulting in the rider having to stop riding and straighten his mount approaching the winning post. This resulted in LIGHTNING BOLT unable to be properly tested. He wasn’t beaten far and the run suggests he could be back in form after going off the boil for a few runs after stringing together two wins in succession earlier in the season.

Sectional Time Stars

Race 2 – 12 KING INVINCIBLE

He has been disappointing but he did show improvement last start with an eye-catching run into fourth after settling well back early from barrier 3. He has since trialled well, in which led from start to fi nish, so perhaps a change of tactics is in store for this week.

Race 8 – 10 AESTHETICISM

A noticeable drifter late in the betting last start, it could pay to watch for any support this week. Despite finishing seventh, his performance still had merit as he raced too keenly throughout. Given the right race shape and a well-timed ride, he possesses the ability to let down sharply in the concluding stages, potentially playing a role in the fi nish.

Luke Middlebrook’s Selections

R1. 6-5-10-3

R2. 7-2-3-12

R3. 5-8-1-3

R4. 11-3-3-5

R5. 1-6-10-5

R6. 3-5-1-7

R7. 6-2-4-5

R8. 6-4-5-8

R9. 3-11-5-9

Betting Strategy:

R2 #12 Each-Way
R5 #6 Win
R6 #3 Win
R9 #3 Win

Race-by-Race Previews

Race 1: Smart Beauty more than capable of winning again in this race, as he should receive all the favours from barrier 4 under Avdulla. Go Go Go last run was better than it reads and do not dismiss. No surprises to see Purton take the ride here. Diamond Winner has been knocking on the door and win won’t surprise anyone. He will map with a chance from barrier 1. Horse Of Good Luck second start in this grade after dropping in class and could improve. Dragon Pride looked unlucky when being held up at a crucial stage last start. Always a chance at this level.

Race 2: Open race with plenty of chances here. Super Fast Dragon generally gets back in the running but dashes strongly home. He should get the race run to suit and is good enough to bounce back for a win here. Spicy Spangle well prepared for debut and watch the bet- ting. Universal Blaze from astute yard and watch betting support as he makes his debut here. King Invincible caught the eye flashing home late, nice effort and has trialled well since (read “Track Spy” for more information). Oversubscribed old-timer who is racing in good form and can run well from a nice, low gate.

Race 3: Another wide-open contest, which is the theme of the night. Double Show turned in a nice effort last run when finishing strongly but comes up with a slightly better draw here and could map handier. Viva A La has been placed last two starts and deserves a win soon. Drawn perfectly in gate 2 and should go close. Wind Speeder will win in this grade very soon but barrier 9 is awkward. Super Elite last run was better than it reads and do not dismiss. Circuit Splendor looks a solid good chance based on last start. Nicely drawn low for his first-up run.

Race 4: High Percentage had vet excuses last start and forget the run. He is better than recent form suggests and from barrier 3 he can run a race here with Purton taking the reins. Glory Cloud turned in a nice effort last run when finishing strongly into fourth. Third start here and is improving all the time. Exuberant generally gets back in the running but dashes strongly home. However, the jockey could make better use of gate 4. Molly’s Witness having second start and can improve with experience. Tattenham eased early before going on to make late ground.

Race 5: Sports Legend down in class in this race and should perform better. He has drawn nicely low in barrier 3 and gets blinkers on for the first time, which he looked to have trialled well in recently. Super Charizzard had genuine excuses last start and can improve in this race (read “Track Spy” for more information). Dan Attack last start placing was full of merit, nice effort and expect a more forward run from a better gate here. Easy Snip needs a fast early speed to produce a big finish but could map closer from barrier 1. E Universe last run was better than it reads and do not dismiss.

Race 6: Gallant Valour ultra-consistent galloper and who can play a part in the finish. He comes up with a better barrier here in gate 3, which should provide Purton the opportunity to position closer to the speed than last start. All Riches looks a solid good chance based on last start. He will run his race on the lead. Loyal Baby down in class in this race and should perform better. Kasa Papa racing well with good sectional time rankings recently. Red Majesty last run suggested a win was very near, but barrier 12 is tricky.

Race 7: A couple of last-start winners here who have what it takes to win again. Strongest Boy last start winner who retains good form and should get the race run to suit from barrier 1. Galvanic more than capable of winning again in this race if he secures a conducive run in transit from barrier 7. Dragon Star should begin fast and will be trying to lead all the way if he gets across from barrier 10. Win Win Fighter always finishes close up and must be rated a chance at this level. Courier Magic has improved since the blinkers were added and might be able to measure up in Class 4.

Race 8: Lovero looks the one to beat based on current form but he will need a decent amount of luck and a smart steer from Chung from barrier 12. Eighteen Palms form is good and must be rated a solid chance. June Planet last start winner who retains good form and can run well again. Samarkand last start winner who rises in class but he is career-best form and should handle the upgrade. Aestheticism was eased early before catching the eye late last start (read “Track Spy” for more information).

Race 9: Sugar Sugar caught wide last start and still ran well into third just last week. Comes up with barrier 1 here, which could provide him the right amount of luck to bounce back to his winning ways. Wings Of War changed stables recently and has improved and is getting close to a win. Colourful Emperor a fast beginner who can run well if he finds an easy lead. Lightning Bolt turned in a nice effort last run when finishing strongly after he had excuses (read “Track Spy” for more information). Solar Partner last start winner who rises in class but should be able to run well again under Purton.