Main Defender to get back on track

Main Defender did not have the best of luck this winter. It all went awry when he was carded to race in the Grade 2 Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Greyville where he was priced up at 7-10 to win the race.

Tony Peter’s charge became one of the early victims of the CO^₂ testing campaign and was pulled out of the race not long before the off.

That scratching put paid to Main Defender’s prep run for the Grade 1 Gold Challenge a few weeks later and coupled with the level of interference the three-year-old Pathfork gelding incurred he did well to finish only 5.40 lengths behind winner Dave The King.

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On Saturday, Main Defender comes back to the course over which he is unbeaten in four starts when he lines up in Race 8 at Turffontein to contest a Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m on the Standside track.

The distance is also well within his ambit as three of those unbeaten races were over 1400m at this track. He is also the best weighted runner and is at least 2kg better handicapped than any of his opposition.

He has a change of jockey on this occasion as Muzi Yeni has picked up the ride.

Main Defender looks the best bet on the card but another runner to consider as a banker in all bets is Time Fo Orchids, trained by Johan Janse van Vuuren.

The four-year-old Time Thief filly lines up in Race 7, a Conditions Plate for fillies and mares over 1100m, and she has performed superbly since moving to the Van Vuuren yard.

She caught the eye with a fast-finishing fourth in the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville last time out and a repeat of that performance on her Highveld reappearance should be good enough to resume winning ways.

Lerena has ridden Time Fo Orchids five times for three wins, a second, and her last start fourth at Grade 1 level, and he ought to add another in the win column.

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