Marauding Horde is raced in partnership by some of the biggest connections in South African racing, Laurence Wernars, Drakenstein Stud, Lammerskraal Stud, Wilgerbosdrift Stud, and the partnernership of Ridgemont and Devin Heffer (JC Photos)
The Listed Hawwaam Stakes, the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial and the Listed TAB Aquanaut Handicap are the highlights of the nine-race meeting at Turffontein Standside tomorrow.
Viva Brazil has been scratched from the Hawwaam Stakes which has left the door open for Marauding Horde. The latter has a wide draw but looks to be a progressive sort who is crying out for this trip. He should be able to wear the field down in the straight after being dropped out. He is merit rated only 83 but has got better with each step up in trip and the form of his win over 1800m has been franked by Judgement Day winning in eyecatching stiyle on Saturday, albeit over 1600m. Marauding Horde is by Vercingetorix, who is known to produce more speed and precocity than his father Silvano, but he has alslo produced the Gold Cup winner over 3200m, Nebraas. Furthermore, Marauding Horde’s Indigo Magic dam My Lady Bluff is a half-sister to the Gold Cup winner Major Bluff and her only win was over this trip. George Handel is officially the second best in at the weights and is officially 2kg better off with Marauding Horde. In his last win over 1800m, running off an 87 merit rating, he beat some decent older horses like On The Horizon, Street Art and Twin Turbo. His subseqeunt run over the same trip in soft ground was disappointing, but he ran a fair fifth last time out and the weather forecast suggests the ground will be nice and dry and fast on Saturday. George Handel’s sire Oratorio won the prestigious Gr 1 Eclipse over this trip. However, his dam by King Of Kings won three times from 1200m to 1400m, so he does have to still prove he stays the trip. He has a fair draw of four out of eleven. Thunee Player was a touch disappointing last time but won his maiden well over this course and distance and should be in the shake up from draw six, although he is only rated 80 so is up against it according to the official weights. Dubai Hills has to be included having won impressively over 1800m in his penultimate start, even if he did run a touch disappointingly in comparison over 2000m next time out when starting at 9/4 and being beaten 2,75 lengths by The Brief. That brings Hawkbill right into it because Hawkbill had beaten The Brief before that. Hawkbill had a tough task last time against the well weighted East Coast when being tried in blinkers for the first time and ran a reasonable third. He is officially the best weighted runner here. He has Piere Strydom up from a tricky draw of eight. He is a galloping sort with plenty of scope and might lead. Eiffel Tower has shown some class and his Bankable dam’s eight wins included three between 2400m and 2600m, so this Potala Palace colt should stay the trip on pedigree. He finished 9,50 lengths back in his first try at 1800m last time, but he was caught wide from a wide draw and overraced so a line can be drawn through that run. He should get cover from draw two this time and is a contender. Atarime is hard to leave out because he is drawn well and won well in the maidens when stepped up to this trip. Taxhaven is still a maiden but on paper will finish on top of Thunee Player. Dhoni was staying on well over 1400m last time and although his Kahal dam only won up to 1400m he is by July winner Pomodoro. Crepuscelo has had three moderate runs since his maiden win and doesn’t make appeal. No PLace Like Home failed in his first attempt at 1800m and has another wide draw.
In the Listed Ormond Ferraris Oaks Trial over 2000m Frances Ethel is a scopey, long-striding sort who has caught the eye in her two wins from just three career starts. She has a good draw and strikes as one who is looking for this trip. Sukhumvit is also looking for this trip and this long-striding sort can make a bold bid if it pans out well from a tricky draw of eight out of 14. Forgiveness ran a cracker against stablemate East Coast last time when way out at the weights over this trip and she can also be involved if able to overcome a wide draw. Mary’s Greenlight was unlucky when running on against Frances Ethel over 1600m last time and is now 4,5kg better off for a 1,80 length beating. However, she is by Gimmethegreenlight out of a mare by Irish-bred sprinter Kyllacchy, so is not sure to stay a trip that she has not been tried over before. Explosve Bond is a progressive stayer and should be running on. Those are the ones who make most appeal.
In the Listed Aquanaut over 2400m Rule Book is hard to predict as he is lazy at home and takes a lot of racing, but with two runs in the last two months he could be in good shape and he can put his last disappointing effort behind him. Prime Example won well over this course and distance last time and should make a bold bid from a good draw. East Coast must have been given a confidence booster when winning last time over 2000m and has always struck as a staying sort. Good Council has been bridesmaid recently to the seemingly invincible stayer Zeus, so will make a bold bid despite having topweight and a wide draw. Raiseahallelujah is an admirable stayer who can never be ignored. However, it is an open race with the like of Black Thorn also having staying class and Red Maple being one who should come into her own, so including the field in the Pick 6 could be the way to go.
It should be an intriguing day’s racing.
