Kotzen to score with Goldandsilver

Today he brings Goldandsilver from the Western Cape to tackle the Aloe Handicap (Non-Black Type) for three-year-old fillies over 1300m on the Fairview Polytrack. This nicely bred daughter of Silvano has raced eight times for two wins and five places and while she has not exactly set the racing world alight she has given her owners a lot of fun.

In her fifth outing she was fitted with blinkers and that seemed to make a massive difference. She ran second to highly regarded Alexis, beaten 5.75 lengths, and followed that up with two successive victories. Last time she finished a 3.75-length fourth behind Tales Of Silver and it was then decided to give her some runs in Port Elizabeth.

This will be her first run in her new environment but she certainly looks good enough to win. She is nicely drawn at barrier No 2 and has Gavin Lerena in the irons. The only concern is this will be her first start on the Polytrack.

Ironically the biggest threat could come from a horse previously trained by Kotzen in Durban and now acquired by Dorrie Sham, Garden Treasure. This daughter of Rebel King is also a two-time winner but many feel the KwaZulu-Natal form is not as strong as that of the Western Cape. The handicapper, however, have not seen it that way and has rated Garden Treasure three points higher than Goldandsilver.

What is in Garden Treasure’s favour is she has raced on the Polytrack – both at Greyville, where she won, and Fairview, where she ran a 2.60-length fifth behind Ikati over 1200m.

Of the local runners Vanishing Sails looks best. Grant Paddock’s runner has a record of two wins and two places in six starts and has won her only start over the course and distance.