Conditions to favour Woodruff’s Captain

There is only one piece of advice to give punters ahead of tomorrow’s race meeting at Turffontein. Find a horse who likes running in the wet!

With all the rain around the meeting has to be under threat but fortunately Turffontein does have very good drainage so if today’s predication of “occasional rain and a thunderstorm” is occasional enough and the thunderstorm stays away from Turffontein, conditions for racing should be good to go.

But even then, the ground will be yielding to soft and that does not suit every horse.

Racing is due to take place on the Inside track and a horse who has run well in the wet before is Captainofmyheart. The Geoff Woodruff yard is in very good form and this lightly raced fiveyear- old looks ready to win again when he lines up in Race 7, a MR 88 Handicap over 1200m.

The son of Captain Al is a twotime winner and both victories have come at this track. In fact,
he has had three runs over the course and distance for two wins and a second place so he clearly enjoys racing at this venue.

Three runs back he won over 1200m at this course and that race was in yielding conditions, demonstrating he does handle the going. His next start was over 1160m on the Standside track where he was up with the pace but faded late to finish eighth, but only 2.95 lengths behind Kapitan.

Last time he raced over 1000m at this track he could only manage fourth place behind Ronnie Rocket. He was clearly outpacedearly on and is a much better over 1200m. He is also 6.5kg better off with Ronnie Rocket for 4.75-length beating so over the extra 200m he should be able to reverse the placings.

JP van der Merwe, who rodehim to victory last time, is back but will have to deal with No 9 draw.

Apocalypse Now looks an interesting runner. Sean Tarry’s charge made his debut on 26 November and beat Furiosa by 3.50 lengths over 1160m in yielding going. Three winners have come from that form line, including Furiosa who has won again since then.