Fit Shukamisa hard to beat

Fitness is likely to decide the outcome of Race 8 tomorrow in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1600m on the Turffontein Inside track.

In a race of this nature one of­ten looks to the merit ratings to see who the best handicapped runners are. In this case the top four are Abashiri, Brazuca, Mas­ter Switch and Liege.

The only problem is that all of them have not raced for quite a while and their fitness is dubious.

Abashiri has been out for 280 days and has spent much of that time on the farm. He is back in training and while joint trainer Adam Azzie says the 2016 SA Tri­ple Crown winner is looking good and is sound, he added the five-year-old son of Go Deputy will need the run badly.

Brazuca has not run since fin­ishing 12th in the Vodacom Dur­ban July, 5.90 lengths behind Marinaresco. Master Switch has been off the course since running unplaced in the Grade 3 Cup Trial over 1800m at Greyville on 10 June while Liege last raced in the Grade 3 Jubilee Handicap at Turffontein a day later.

So while Shukamisa is not all that well handicapped in a field of this strength, he could be the runner to follow. Veteran trainer Ormond Ferraris has been in the game for many years and knows how to find the right race for his runners and that looks to be the case in this event.

Look beyond the weight issue and the four-year-old son of Sil­vano has everything in his favour. He has a decent enough record at the course, has performed well enough over the distance, has a top jockey in Anthony Delpech and jumps from barrier No 3.

Many of these runners have been aimed at the Sansui Summer Cup on Saturday 25 November but Irish Pride is probably looking at the Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile on 4 November. This will be his third run after a layoff and should be fit enough to be a contender. Mark Khan rides and they jump from barrier No 10.

Romi’s Boy is another who has no fitness doubts but he does have stamina doubts. He tries 1600m for the first time and if his only run over 1400m is anything to go by, he looks unlikely to stay.

Alec Laird’s charge could only manage seventh place behind Matador Man in the Listed Sec­retariat Strakes over 1400m on the Standside track, beaten 8.50 lengths, but he pulled hard that day and that caused his downfall.

On breeding he should stay. He is a half-brother to In Limine who won over 1800m but it will all de­pend on whether Randall Simons can get him to settle.

Laird’s stable is on fire at the moment and whatever the fate of Romi’s Boy is will be interesting to see how Broadway Trip fares in Race 6.

He is unbeaten in two starts and Zen Arcade, who he beat in a Non-Black Type race last time, has won twice since.

This son of Trippi looks well above average and is likely to prove the handicappers wrong in this Progress Plate over 1450m.