This Fever is not of the sleepy Natal variety

Visiting Western Cape stables announced themselves loudly in the KwaZulu-Natal winter season at the weekend, annexing all three feature races on Greyville’s Guineas day. However, local trainers held their own in the lesser races on the card and that trend could continue at the venue on Wednesday.

The outstanding bet on the Polytrack card is four-year-old gelding Fever, who is trained by Dennis Bosch, one of the smartest operators on the pastoral gallops of Summerveld north of Durban.

Fever has shown a distinct liking for the Polytrack and Bosch has capitalised by running him exclusively on the synthetic surface over the past seven months – banking cheques but cannily keeping his merit rating modest.

In Race 9, a MR66 Handicap over 1800m, Fever goes for a hat-trick following a couple of well-timed finishes in February and March. Those successes followed two-second places and it’s clear Bosch has got this one purring happily.

Top young rider Luke Ferraris takes the reins and a draw three off the pole will allow him to choose the perfect travelling berth.

Bosch also has a good shout in Race 7, an MR86 Handicap over 1600m, with Gentleman’s Way. This five-year-old has five wins from his 15 starts – with two of those in recent months.

However, to ring up another, the son of Pathfork will have to get the better of Karoo Lark, who also calls Summerveld home – at the yard of veteran Dennis Drier.

This four-year-old finally got his second win last time, after a frustrating series of near misses. One senses he could double down now and string together a few.

Other KZN trainers who could get on the board on Wednesday include Carl Hewitson with Majorca Palace in Race 4, Garth Puller with Purple Nkanyezi in the sixth and Lezanne Forbes with Abbey Wood in the eighth.

SELECTIONS

Race 1:

Many first-timers; watch betting

Race 2:

7 Kailene, q Miss Putin, 3 Sea Eagle, 4 Heartsease

Race 3:

1 Lhasa Star, 5 Intombi, 7 Serene Slam, 6 Soweto Hall

Race 4:

1 Majorca Palace, 2 Di Mazzio, 7 Mind Set, 5 Voice Notes

Race 5:

3 Hurricane Harry, 1 Captain Of Stealth, 8 Cabo Da Cruz, 10 Good Rhythm

Race 6:

2 Purple Nkanyezi, 11 Casadoro, 9 Alphonse Baby, 8 Perfect Princess

Race 7:

3 Karoo Lark, 9 Mach Four, 4 Gentleman’s Way, 11 Truly Wicked

Race 8:

3 Abbey Wood, 11 Rise, 8 Basetsana, 5 Isla Morada

Race 9:

3 Fever, 2 Cool Apache, 7 Rock With Me, 10 Smart Sox

Pick 6:

1,2,7 x 1,3,8,10 x 2,8,9,11 x 3,4,9,11 x 1,3,5,8,11 x 3 (R960)

PA:

1,5 x 1,2 x 1,3 x 2,11 x 3 x 3,8,11 x 3 (R48)