BANKER. Mery has performed well since joining Alan Greeff’s Port Elizabeth stable last May and looks the banker of the day in Race 7 on the Fairview Polytrack today. Picture: Gold Circle
Bettors are very quick to follow the combination of jockey Greg Cheyne and trainer Alan Greeff in Port Elizabeth, and a perusal of the statistics explains just why. They have teamed up on 415 runners for the past couple of seasons and 110 of those have been winning rides, a percentage of 26.5.
How – ever, more than 65% of those rides have run into the placings, which is quite a feat. The number of winners should be extended today when they join forces with Meryl in Race 7, a Conditions Stakes for fillies and mares over 2200m on the Polytrack.
On paper, this five-year-old mare looks to be the proverbial “good thing”. She joined the Greeff yard from Dean Kannemeyer in May and had her first run for the yard in August. That was over 1100m which was far too short but was the perfect pipe-opener for the daughter of Tiger Ridge.
Her next three runs were over 2000m, 1800m and 2200m respectively and they resulted in two wins and a fast-finishing third behind stable companion Delia’s Delight over this course and distance in her last start. Interestingly, Cheyne was aboard Delia’s Delight in that race but he has jumped ship and will ride Meryl.
She is not the easiest of rides as she tends to over-race early on and the slower they go upfront, the tougher it will be for the jockey. However, Cheyne is a very resourceful rider and he will find a way to curb a pulling mare who is expected to reverse the form with Delia’s Delight.
In addition, Greeff has two other runners in the field – Double Black has been scratched – and he could ensure there is a decent pace for Meryl.
Perhaps a bigger threat to Meryl could come from Ontenderhooks, another stablemate, who will be ridden by Bernard Fayd’Herbe. She has won two good races over 1800m and 1900m at the course but she seemed to struggle over 2200m and looks held by both Meryl and Delia’s Delight on that run.
However, you do have the “Fayd’Herbe Factor” and that could make up for the couple of lengths she needs to find. But based on the riding arrangements, Meryl should be the one to beat and looks a very solid banker in all bets.
Greeff and Cheyne could have another possible banker with I Love Mambo in Race 5 but it could be worth adding Bushy Park in as back-up.
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