Donny G looks set to make it three in a row

It is almost impossible these days to preview a race without a runner from the Sean Tarry stable coming into contention. Race 6 over 1200m at the Vaal today is no exception and the improving Donny G could prove very hard to oppose.

He won on debut and Tarry wasted no time in taking on the best juveniles in the country when he sent the son of Seventh Rock to Scottsville to contest the Grade 1 Gold Medallion over 1200m. Donny G was badly drawn on the outside of the track and after a slow start was never in contention.

Two more moderate runs followed and then the decision was taken to geld him. That seemed to have done the trick because since then Donny G has won both of his starts. He first beat Bah by 0.50 lengths over 1200m and then led all the way over 1400m to beat talented Will Pays by 0.30 lengths.

He kept going gamely to hold off the runner-up and this drop to 1200m will probably be right up his street. S’manga Khumalo takes the ride again.

The main danger looks to be Master Spirit from the Mike de Kock yard. The four-year-old son of Jet Master has not raced since finishing unplaced behind Kapellmeister in a MR 86 Handicap over 1160m at Turffontein.

Prior to that his form was good and with Weichong Marwing taking the ride Master’s Spirit has to be a contender.

Once you look beyond those two the race starts to have a very open appearance. Reef Of Fortune hails from the Louis Goosen yard and made a decent return to the track following a three-month layoff when a 3.50-length third behind Captain’s Causeway over 1160m at Turffontein.

The three-year-old Trippi gelding had tried 1600m in his penultimate start but faded badly to finish 13.25 lengths behind Analyse This. His early races over sprint distances were very decent and included a 4.50-length third behind Buckland with second-placed New Predator just 1.25 lengths ahead of him.

Reef Of Fortune beat Resolute Captain when winning his maiden and four winners have come out of that form line. It seems that sprinting is his forte.

The only concern is that Goosen has been complaining about a virus in his yard and hopefully this horse will not have been affected.

Although 0.5kg under sufferance, the Lucky Houdalakis-trained Oculus could have some sort of chance. The four-year-old gelding has raced eight times for two wins and five places with his only unplaced run coming in his last start, in which he finished nine lengths behind Rafeef. However, he was found to be coughing after the race so that run is best ignored. With just 52kg to carry and Marco van Rensburg in the irons, Oculus could be upset material.