Greeff and Fourie to win again

We are in a new year and we often expect sweeping changes. But one thing that rarely changes is Alan Greeff’s dominance at Fairview.

On Friday 10 January trainer Greeff recently took home five out of the eight winner’s trophies and a week later won half of eight races. Last Friday, he had a quiet day by his standards with only two winners.

However, he looks set for another fistful of triumphs at the Gqeberha track on Tuesday when they race on the Polytrack. Of course, most of his winners are likely to be ridden by Richard Fourie but, as usual, he does have more than a single runner in a number of races and other jockeys could also pick up winners for the stable.

Perhaps the best of the Greeff/Fourie runners comes up on Race 7, a MR 86 handicap for fillies and mares over 1200m, where they team up with You Win Again. This four-year-old daughter of Gimmethegreenlight notched up three successive wins over 1200m, 1300, and 1400m last season, all on the Polytrack, before taking a break from racing.

She returned from a five-month break in December and since then has run second on two occasions, over 1400m and 1300m respectively, and in her third run back jumping from No 4 draw, she looks very hard to oppose.

Greeff could run one, two, three and four in Race 3, a Pinnacle Stakes fillies and mares over 2000m. He has five of the seven runners carded. The top-rated runner with a merit rating of 107 is Official Secret with Fourie up. Three runs back Fourie took her to the front and dictated matters as she came home a facile 7.50-length winner.

She is also patently way better than her last run suggests when eight lengths behind stablemate Lady Silvano, who finished second behind top miler Lunar Halo in the Lady’s Bracelet. The 1600m proved too short but now back to a more suitable distance she can gallop her field into the ground.

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However, preference is for that stable companion who is equally adept over this distance and did finish eight lengths ahead of Official Secret. In addition, she is now 2.5kg better off and will have Craig Zackey aboard this time.

The main threat to the Greeff quintet is Justin Snaith-trained Epikleros with Muzi Yeni up.

Greeff has not only been cleaning up with his top-rated runners but his unraced juveniles have also been coming home easily and it won’t be a surprise to see betting support come for Arabian Blue who is a well related daughter of Heavenly Blue in Race 1.

A Greeff runner has beaten the only horse with decent form, Fiery Countess, easily with Silva Key and Anotherdanceforme respectively and could do so again.

In Race 2, Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Sheets And Goggles should see off Greeff’s runner, Little Lexi. Sheets And Goggles will be hard to beat on any of her best runs. She was a fast-finishing second to All Is Green on debut and should have won by now as the winner of that race has gone on to win again and placed in strong company.

The well-bred Gimmethegreenlight filly has tried different things and in her penultimate start turned in an eye-catching performance, running on well into third beaten 2.30 lengths by highly regarded Eric Sands-trained filly Russian Royal over 1400m. She had valid excuses last time and should be too strong in this Open Maiden over 1200m, even though giving away weight.

Little Lexi is in receipt of 7kg from Sheets And Goggles and while she has run one or two decent races, it must be remembered that she has had many chances in Open Maidens and has not threatened for the win.

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