Some closely contested battles are expected at Fairview on Friday. Picture: iStock
Trainer Andre Nel is staging a concerted raid on Friday’s Fairview turf meeting, which offers prestigious Listed trophies for the East Cape Guineas and the East Cape Sprint Cup.
Nel fields Aussie import Master Redoute in the former and defending champ Pleasedtomeetyou in the latter.
Also travelling in the truck to PE from Nel’s West Coast yard are Winter Furi (Race 4), French Declaration (Race 5) and Lillybelle (Race 8) – all of whom must be included in all bet calculations.
The Guineas is the second leg of the EC Sophomore Challenge, which has become a bit academic with the winner of the first leg, the Ibhayi Stakes in late-March, not starting here.
Indeed, it’s a disappointingly small field of just six. That doesn’t mean it’s not competitive, however, and Master Redoute and rider Grant van Niekerk will know they’re in a scrap. The main combatants will be fellow Cape Town visitor Bush Tracker, from the Glen Kotzen yard, and Gavin Smith’s two local sophomore stars Safari Blue and Peace In Our Time – who were third and fourth in the Ibhayi.
Pleasedtomeetyou has a much tougher job this time than when he won the Sprint Cup in 2021 – mainly because local sprint hero Local Drummer is in the mix now. Smith’s speedster has won 14 of his 18 starts – and 10 of his last 11.
Justin Snaith’s Speed Machine will be another striving to thwart a Nel reprise, as will Alan Greeff’s in-form Inherit The Rain.
Selections
1: 5 Orange Red, 1 Beerenberg, 6 Sand Bank, 3 Honest Quest
2: 9 Pinnacle, 3 Call Me The Breeze, 2 Bavarian Jet, 6 Crionna
3: 8 Crafty Heart, 7 Eshraaq, 4 Lauretta Mia, 11 Klaserie
4: 1 Franca, 6 Glacier Gold, 8 Winter Furi, 5 Afternoon Tea
5: 8 French Declaration, 6 Sabina’s Prodigy, 5 Find Me Unafraid, 7 Cairon
6: 2 Master Redoute, 4 Safari Blue, 3 Peace In Our Time, 1 Bush Tracker
7: 1 Global Drummer, 4 Speed Machine, 6 Inherit The Rain, 2 Pleasedtomeetyou
8: 2 Lillybelle, 12 Meeneera, 1 Golightly, 4 Emaline
Pick 6: 4,7,8 x 1,3,5,6,8,11 x 5,6,8 x 2 x 1,2,4,6 x 1,2,4,8,10,12 (R1296)
PA: 9 x 7,8 x 1,6,8 x 6,8 x 2 x 1 x 1,2,12 (R36)
