Eightfolds lass: Must overcome top weight and widest draw

Trainer Joe Soma must think the racing gods prank him with every draw. He saddles three runners at Turffontein tomorrow where racing is on the Inside track and two of his runners are set to jump from the widest gates.

Eightfolds Lass – Soma’s solitary winner so far this season is already burdened with a top weight of 60.5 kg in Race 4, an FM 84 Handicap over 1600m. Jump- ing from gate 9 in a field of nine won’t help her cause.

This Eightfold Path filly boasts a most enviable 3-3-3 record this year – that’s three wins, three seconds and three thirds – from nine starts.

Bad draws at the Vaal Classic and Turffontein Standside track have proven that she is not comfortable coming from too far back, so Craig Zackey will have to play his part in order to give Soma some long overdue joy.

Evening Bell, on the other hand, has the advantage of returning to gate 2, the same gate she jumped from when breaking her maiden over 1700m in March this year. Gavin Lerena is in the saddle, as he was then.

She ran a cracker in her season debut just over two weeks ago when second to Aurelia Co a, edging out Eightfold’s Lass by 0.3 lengths into third. These two should fight it out on the line, with the Fabian Habib- trained Now You See Me possibly in the picture too.

Although a model of inconsistency, this Elusive Fort filly impressed in her last two outings under Piere Strydom, who retains the ride. In Race 6, an MR 104 Handicap over 1800m and the headline act on the day, Soma’s Tirzan was “lucky” to draw gate 7 of 10. Although he comes off a three- month rest, Tirzan should have the measure of Sea le Force as he will be carrying 5.5kg less. Tirzan has twice had the better of Sea le Force this year, but both those races were run on the Standside track.

On the Inside track, Sea le Force, trained by Stuart Pettigrew, is unbeaten while Tirzan has never recorded a victory on tomorrow’s racing surface.

Tyrone Zackey-trained Gi For The Gap also has an impeccable record over tomorrow’s course and distance, with a victory and a third place from two starts. And with Muzi Yeni aboard for his third successive ride on this Master Of My Fate gelding, it won’t come as a shock if they steal the show.

Others to include in a Pick 6 are Jet Start and Owlinthetree. For the record, the meeting kicks off at 13:00 with a Maiden Plate for fillies and mares over 1800m where Soma’s third runner for the day, Hear The Tempest, drew gate 10 from 10. This Oratorio filly is making her third appearance and on every occasion has drawn a double-figure starting gate. Don’t hold your breath.

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