Ferreira’s gelded charge expected to coast home

Gelding seems to have done the trick for Bold Coast and the three-year-old can notch up another win when he runs in Race 7 at the Vaal today.

Stanley Ferreira’s charge has only raced eight times for two wins and three places.

After a disappointing effort in a MR 80 Handicap over 1160m at Turffontein in December the connections obviously felt it was time to pull out the scalpel. The gelding was performed in January and after a four-month break, Bold Coast returned to racing on the Inside track at Turffontein in a race over 1600m. He put up a decent effort, finishing a 5.15-length third behind Navarro but showed his true ability next time out when beating Vulcan over 1400m at the Vaal.

He received a 2.5kg penalty for that victory but that should not stop him from winning again in this MR 69 Handicap over the same course and distance. In addition, high numbers seem the place to be drawn and Bold Coast is nicely positioned at barrier No 9.

Keagan de Melo, who rode him to victory last time, is back aboard and Bold Coast looks to be one of the better bets on the card.

Jockey Craig Zackey should be on the mark in Race 4 where he rides two-year-old Gonnafly for Tyrone Zackey in a Maiden Plate over 1400m. This son of Crusade has raced three times and based on his last start, also over 1400m at the course, he looks the best bet on the card.

Zackey has ridden him in his last two starts and the pair did well last Thursday when running on strongly to finish a 1.80-length third behind Devil’s Peak.

“He’s on the up, he does have a bit of class about him,” said the jockey yesterday. “The penny hasn’t quite dropped, but he is learning and is getting much sharper. I make him a big runner.

“Originally I would have been happier had the race been over 1600m but last time he did well over this distance so I’m quite happy with this 1400m.”

The danger looks to be Sean Tarry-trained Imperial Ounce who is having his second run after having been rested and gelded.