Piere Strydom looks to have bagged the rides on the winners of both the juvenile sprint features at Turffontein on Saturday.
In the R100 000 Storm Bird Stakes for colts, over 1 000m, the champion jockey is aboard Mike Azzie’s highly regarded National Currency, an easy odds-on winner in a strong field in his only start to date. The son of National Assembly fetched R320 000 at the national yearling sales.
Domino Man, runner-up to National Currency on debut, confirmed the value of the form by winning his next start. He meets his conqueror at identical weight terms and there seems little reason to believe that Mike de Kock’s youngster should reverse the order this time.
However, De Kock’s jockey of choice Kevin Shea has opted to ride stable companion Craik, the only two-time winner in the field, who gives away 2kg all round. This one has improved with every run and hasn’t looked in danger of defeat in his past two starts.
Juveniles can show big improvement at this stage of their careers as they learn the ropes and a surprise result can hardly be ruled out.
Geoff Woodruff’s Weston Fragrance, David Ferraris’s trio of Surveyor (1-4 winner of his only start), Fort Danzig (the only horse thus far to have beaten Craik) and Noble Knight (first and second in his two runs) can all improve dramatically.
In the R100 000 Ruffian Stakes for fillies Strydom rides Capture The Gold, a daughter of Kilconnel trained by his brother-in-law Louis Goosen. She has won both her starts to date and gives weight all round but could prove equal to the task. She slammed both Charming Chestnut and Day Lily Delight at her second start. The latter two try their luck again here but seem held.
Ferraris’s Aquila Rapax could emerge as the main danger with normal improvement.
Turffontein best bets: Appeal Process (race 8); Eventuail (race 9) Kenilworth best bets: Glistening (race 1); Crimson Ivor (race 3); Sharlee Boy (race 6); Southbound Again (race 7) Clairwood best bets: Guest Relations (race 2); Los Altos (race 3); Shinade (race 5); Amber Sunset (race 7)