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May the force be with Nautic Spirit
A heavy load. impressive win and further merit rating adjustment sees her start as joint top weight, but Inyanga and Pretty Penny look to be the main challengers.
USEFUL. Nautic Spirit was a facile winner of his maiden last time and can follow up in Race 6 at the Vaal today. Picture: Supplied
Nautic Spirit has a reputation of being a top filly and she certainly exuded a touch of class last time when she beat Kissmeinmydreams by 5.25 lengths to shed her maiden over 1200m at the Vaal.
That was only her fourth start and her win so impressed the handicappers they raised her from a merit rating of 70 to 76. The additional six points given to all horses on 1 March has seen her go up to 82 so she could have a daunting task when she lines up over the same course and distance in a MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares tomorrow.
On debut Paul Peter’s charge played up at the start and did well to finish a 1.30-length fourth behind Fly North. In her next start she came up against Mike de Kock’s highly regarded Shufoog who went on to place in feature races in the Western Cape over the summer.
Nautic Spirit was given a short break from 4 November to 27 January and then came out to contest a Maiden Plate over 1160m at Turffontein where she only tired late and was caught by Saragon.
When this Australian-bred daughter of Your Song contested her next start the money poured on to her for the first time and she duly obliged. Unfortunately no winners have come from that form line but there is little doubt this is a talented filly and she should follow up, despite carrying joint top weight of 61kg.
It is worth noting that Gunter Wrogemann, who rode her to victory last time, has taken the ride again.
Inyanga has notched up a series of seconds and could fill the runners-up berth yet again. Trained by father-and-son team of Mike and Adam Azzie, this filly has improved since fitted with blinkers and teaming up with Piere Strydom.
She has not been far off the winner in her last three starts and it will be interesting to see whether it will be fourth-time lucky for the Strydom and Azzie team or whether it will be yet another second place.
Pretty Penny has only run twice for a third place on debut and a win in her next start exactly seven months after her first run. She beat Tia comfortably and the form has been franked as seventh-placed Kitty Pryde, who finished almost 10 lengths back, has come out and won. There could be a lot more to come from Alec Laird’s charge so she needs to be included in exotic bets.
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