whipping boy
Who would have bet that cricket would supplant horse racing as the sleaze-pit of sport? But there it is.
Come Saturday, though, fans of the sport of kings could wistfully remember one of the kings of sport if 40-1 shot Bunter Barlow rises to the occasion like his legendary cricketing namesake did so often.
A win by Bunter in the J&B Met at Kenilworth might seem as unlikely as the story of how Hansie got his leather jacket but he could hit more than a few quartet and trifecta bets for six by scampering into the places.
If the four-year-old son of Fine Edge (out of Jungle Creature, hence the gelding’s teasing name) does emulate Charles Fortune’s shock Met victory in 1985, the bookies are likely to take as strong a shine to him as they did to Hansie.
If you prefer to win in singles, the 15-10 favourite Free My Heart seems to have a lot going for him. Leading jockey Piere Strydom got him into the crease easily in the Queen’s Plate in December and will be keen for a quick second run. The five-year-old is seeing the ball well at present and has every chance of seeing his side home.
To do that, though, he has to beat 2000 Horse of the Year El Picha, who seems to delight in playing the role of Shane Warne to “Heart’s” Daryl Cullinan.
The favourite has failed to come out on top against this underrated but undeniable champion in three attempts. In last year’s Met Free My Heart finished three lengths behind El Picha and is now 1,5kg worse off at the weights. In the July he was 1,5 lengths back and is now 0,5kg worse off. In their last meeting, in July, “Heart” was again easily run out by more than a length. This all seems to suggest Free My Heart will again be found wanting.
El Picha, however, hasn’t raced since then, and may need some time in the middle. That problem may be offset by the fact that his trainer, Geoff Woodruff, and jockey Anton Marcus are the reigning South African champions in their respective disciplines.
El Picha, the Met runner-up last year, is also a two-time July winner and Summer Handicap victor and has earned more than R3,5-million from 29 runs. He is a bet of great value at 8-1 he invariably starts at generous prices and if he wins perhaps the public will at last give him some credit for his speed between the wickets.
The consistent Young Rake was given out by the third umpire in a memorable photo-finish with El Picha in last year’s July. It took modern technology to separate them at the wire, and with a 0,5kg pull on the champion, “Rake” must have every chance.
The first three in the July may very well bat in the same order they did seven months ago: El Picha, Young Rake, Free My Heart.
But include Bunter Barlow for some big hitting to rattle up the score.