Follow your ‘Heart’ to Greyville

With the closing of the Vaal sand track many surface specialists will look for another alternative to make their money. That statement rings true for Wishful Heart who takes his place in Race 9, a MR 70 Handicap over 1000m at Greyville today.

The entire meeting will take place on the Polytrack and favourable results look the order of the day.

The Louis Goosen-trained Wishful Heart has had a good career thus far with three wins and 12 places from 30 starts. All but three of those runs have been on sand where he is rated an 83. His turf starts have been poor so he comes into the race off a turf rating of 63. Sometimes it is misleading when a horse runs on the Polytrack off his turf rating but when that happens punters must stand up and take notice. If Wishful Heart takes to the surface and runs to anything near his sand rating he will prove very hard to beat.

The distance suits at this stage of his life as his last win was over this trip back in August at the Vaal. The five-year-old son of Carpocrates gets the services of Anton Marcus in the irons and will jump from draw No 3. The Goosen stable is based at the Vaal so they will be raiding which is another sign to use positively as this trainer is one of the best in the business when it comes to landing coups.

If we are to look past the top selection then the race takes on a much more competitive look. Elephant Matriarch has done well in both her Polytrack starts, winning her maiden, then running a creditable third behind Respect At Bay last time out. Sandwiched between those outings was a disappointing turf run at Scottsville. Donovan Dillon takes over in the irons and will jump the three-year-old daughter of Great Britain out from stall gate No 4.

Out My Way, El Gallo, Thunder Run, Threshold and Super Guppy make up the shortlist for Quartets.