Mitchley holds a strong hand

Trainer Kelly Mitchley can provide bettors with best bet on a tricky card at Fairview on Tuesday when they race on the Polytrack.

Mitchley, who finished third on the trainers’ log last season, has some competitive runners on the card but can be on the mark with Torix Night who lines up in Race 3, a Maiden Plate over 1900m.

Torix Night showed potential in KwaZulu-Natal but was kept to shorter distances and did not seem to be progressing. In his last start in the province, he was finally tried over distance on the Polytrack and finished a respectable 1.55 lengths behind improving Code Of Conduct, demonstrating his need for further.

It was an encouraging run, and back on the Polytrack after a close-up local debut effort on the turf, he should have every chance. It was significant Richard Fourie was booked to ride the four-year-old son of Vercingetorix in that penultimate start and there was plenty market support for him.

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The gelding ran well enough over 2000m on the turf to finish a 0.45-length fourth behind Electric Storm. The form has been franked as third-placed Dumisani came out to win his next start while Electric Storm finished just 2.55 lengths behind The Inkosana in his next start.

With the next season kicking off, most of the regular visiting jockeys are taking a rest and it has opened the door for Sandile Khathi and apprentice Nirvan Nastili to pick the majority of rides from the Mitchley yard.

Khathi is aboard Torix Night and with the gelding now being the best weighted runner in this line-up he should hold off some moderate opposition.

Mitchley has three runners in Race 5, a Classified Stakes over 1600m, but Launch Code should provide the value. Even though running out an easy winner when switching to the Polytrack he has since been kept to the turf and last time out, from an advantageous No 1 draw, ran no kind of race. He has shown a dislike for turf but back on the Polytrack he could be dangerous again.

The gelded son of brilliant but ill-fated stallion Lancaster Bomber also has a liking for the distance having won and placed over it on five occasions.

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Mitchley has two other runners in the field and they should also run well. Captains Walk comes into the race with just 52kg on his back but with Nastili up, the six-year-old gelding gets another 4kg off his back.

Captains Walk won his last start, which over this course and distance, and although marginally up in class, will carry 1.5kg less. In five runs over this 1600m he has a win, two seconds and a third, so the gelding should be in the shake up.

Mitchley’s third runner is Godfather who has not run all that well since arriving in the province, but he ran an improved race last time with the blinkers off and with his merit rating coming down four points, the five-year-old gelding is one to include in Trifectas and Quartets. Stallone Naidoo takes the ride.