American Story well weighted at the Vaal
Zackey’s runner still looks the main threat.
WELL WEIGHTED. American Story is the best handicapped runner in Race 6 at the Vaal tomorrow, an Allowance Plate for fillies and mares over 1800m.
An Allowance Plate for fillies and mares over 1800m tops the card on the Vaal Inside track tomorrow and lightly weighted American Story can score for the Ormond Ferraris yard.
This four-year-old daughter of Judpot is the best handicapped runner and with just 52kg on her back and Muzi Yeni at the helm could prove hard to beat. However, there are mixed form lines with top weight Pennington Sands, two of which favour American Story and one that points to Tyrone Zackey’s charge.
Twice this year the pair met in races won by Banking April. The first, on 21 January, saw Pennington Sands finish 4.35 lengths in front of American Story. However, there is now a 7kg turnaround, more than enough to reverse the form. They met again on 11 February in a FM 91 Handicap over 1800m on the Inside track at Turffontein and again Pennington Sands had the edge but was only one length in front at the finish. Again, from the weights in that race there is a 7kg turnaround in favour of the Ferraris runner.
Inaninstant, who is also in this race, finished behind both of them and is 8.5kg worse off with American Story and 3kg worse off with Pennington Sands so Sean Tarry’s charge looks unlikely to reverse the placings with the pair.
Pennington Sands and American Story met for the third time on 16 March over 1800m at Turffontein and Zackey’s runner finished 3.25 lengths ahead of American Story. The weight turnaround from that race is just 2kg which favours Pennington Sands. However, 2.5kg of the weight difference in that last race was made up on an apprentice claim. The change to an experienced jockey like Yeni could make a huge difference.
Secondly, American Story ran in blinkers for the first time in that event and raced a lot handier than normal and faded late.
She is carded to race in blinkers again but could be more used to them and with her light weight, and Yeni behind a master of pace, it could suit them to race close to the leaders this time.
Pennington Sands also ran on Classic Day in the Grade 3 Jacaranda Handicap over 1800m on the Turffontein Standside track. Despite a slow start and a wide draw, she still ran a 1.40-length second behind Polyphonic.
