Doosra tunes up for Guineas in G3 feature

Van Vuuren ex­pects better from Irish Pride.

Highly regarded  three-time winner Doosra will be using the R250,000 Tony Ruffel Stakes (Grade 3) over 1450m on the Turffontein Inside Track on Saturday as a stepping stone into the R1-million Bet­ting World Gauteng Guineas next month and trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren is not expecting fire­works.

“Doosra is badly handicapped under these conditions, but we have no other race to prep him for the Guineas,” he said by sms.

Doosra is likely to start favour­ite for the race even though he has tasted defeat at the hooves of two of his Tony Ruffel Stakes rivals. He finished a head second to Al Fa­had in a 1200m Vaal sprint and a five-length third behind Chili Con Carne over 1400m on the Turf­fontein Standside Track. He is 3kg worse off with Al Fahad and 2kg better off with Chili Con Carne.

Van Vuuren is expecting better from Irish Pride in the R150,000 Wolf Power 1600 (Listed). “He is doing well and from No 1 draw has to be respected.”

Irish Pride, the Grand Herit­age winner, was beaten a length by Rafeef in a 1400m race on the Standside Track in December and meets his rival on 1.5kg better terms. He has not won over fur­ther than 1450m, but showed he gets 1600m with a second to Top Shot last time out.

Also in the Wolf Power is Champagne Haze, who has an Eachway shout according to train­er Gary Alexander. But he did cau­tion: “I believe 1600m is his limit distance-wise. But we have to be careful because he’s a very good 1400m horse and won so well over 1200m last time out that maybe he doesn’t get 1600m.”

He added: “This race is a step­ping stone to decide which direc­tion we go.”

Final field for the R250,000 Tony Ruffel Stakes (Grade 3) over 1450m

1 – 8 DOOSRA (J A Janse van Vu­uren) G Lerena 60.0 – 98

2 – 2 CHILI CON CARNE (M N Houdalakis) P Strydom 59.0 – 94

3 – 3 EKTIFAA (M F de Kock) C Murray 58.5 – 98

4 – 6 AL FAHAD (M F de Kock) R Simons 57.0 – 94

5 – 9 MATADOR MAN (S G Tar­ry) S Khumalo 57.0 – 91

6 – 5 LIFE IS GOOD (M G Azzie) J P v’d Merwe 57.0 – 89

7 – 1 MAXIMIZER (P A Peter) L Hewitson 57.0 – 83

8 – 4 MISTY ROLLER (W H Mar­wing) Wes Marwing 57.0 – 77

9 – 7 DAWNBREAKER (C Daw­son) K Zechner 57.0 – 69

Same Trainer: (3,4)

Final field for R250,000 Three Troikas Stakes (Grade 3) over 1450m

1 – 1 LAST CHIRP (S J Gray) C Zack­ey 60.0 – 93

2 – 6 BABBLING BROOKE (O A Fer­raris) P Strydom 59.0 – 94

3 – 8 AL HAWRAA (M F de Kock) M Yeni 59.0 – 91

4 – 11 POOL PARTY (R R Magner) J Penny 59.0 – 88

5 – 5 ANNA PAVLOVA (R R Magner) J P v’d Merwe 59.0 – 87

6 – 9 MALEFICENT (A G Laird) R Simons 57.0 – 99

7 – 7 ZAAKHIRA (M F de Kock) C Murray 57.0 – 87

8 – 4 VISUALITY (S G Tarry) S Khu­malo 57.0 – 82

9 – 12 COMME-CI-COMME-CA (R R Magner) L Hewitson 57.0 – 81

10 – 10 ROUGE ALLURE (S Moffatt) R Danielson 57.0 – 81

11 – 3 ELUSIVE STRIKE (S M Fer­reira) G Lerena 57.0 – 78

12 – 2 TRIPLE DIGIT (M N Houdala­kis) K Zechner 57.0 – 75

Same Trainer: (3,7) (4,5,9)

Final field for the R150,000 Wolf Power 1600 (Listed) 1600m

1 – 5 CHAMPAGNE HAZE (G M Al­exander) A Fortune 60.0 – 104

2 – 3 ROMANY PRINCE (O A Fer­raris) P Strydom 59.5 – 103

3 – 9 BULLETING HOME (S G Tar­ry) S Khumalo 59.0 – 102

4 – 1 IRISH PRIDE (J A Janse van Vuuren) G Lerena 57.5 – 99

5 – 6 STONEHENGE (S G Tarry) J P v d Merwe 57.5 – 99

6 – 8 KINGS ARCHER (S T Petti­grew) R Danielson 55.0 – 94

7 – 7 RAFEEF (M F de Kock) C Mur­ray 54.5 – 93

8 – 10 OFF THE MARK (S G Tarry) L Hewitson 53.5 – 91

9 – 4 ARCTICA (M G Azzie) A Delpech 53.0 – 90

10 – 2 FAREEQ (M F de Kock) J Pen­ny 52.0 – 81

Same Trainer: (3,5,8) (7,10)