Nice Stride has improved after a drop in his merit rating

However, coming back is another story. Whatever is ailing Paul Matchett’s charge the seven-year-old seems to be able to use the gallop to the start to shrug it off. He clearly does have problems, though, and that is why he performs so much better on the sand with all six of his wins coming on this surface.

He seems to have improved a little with age as some horses tend to do but one thing is certain, he is still rocking and rolling when it comes to racing.  Matchett has decided to take a bit of a gamble with this son of Woodborough as he is entered him in Race 7, an MR 91 Handicap over 1200m on the Vaal sand.

He does face some tough opposition and on paper is 1.5kg under sufferance but that is off set by the allowance of the same weight claimed by apprentice Ryan Munger. Munger is the leading apprentice in the country at the moment and lies in 18^th overall on the jockeys’ log. He has ridden 26 winners and lies 10 wins clear of closest rival Craig Zackey.

Interestingly, nine of those wins have come on the Vaal sand and he remains the top apprentice at that course although Collen Storey is in second place with six wins. So, when he climbs aboard Rockingandrolling they will run with just 50.5kg on the gelding’s back and should make the old boy very competitive. They are well drawn at barrier No 4, something vital over the course and distance.

One has to go back to November last year to find Nice Stride’s last victory but he has been showing up prominently in his last few runs. In the main that could be due to a drop in his merit rating which has come down from 100 to its current 88, a drop of 6kg.

The five-year-old gelding has been racing in some strong company of late and in his last start on the sand finished a 4.50-length fourth behind Duty Dance over this distance. Leon Erasmus’ charge jumps from pole position and has stable-elect jockey Sherman Brown in the irons.

One Cool Cat will have lots of supporters but he has yet to win a race on the sand. He has done well enough in his two starts to indicate he is capable of prevailing on the surface but trainer Tyrone Zackey admits he is not the easiest of horses to work with.

Gavin Lerena takes the ride.