Royal Edition to strike again

It is often worth following the trajectory a trainer takes with his horses as it gives one an idea of how he or she rates the runner.

That looks to be the case with Royal Edition, who although only a two-time winner, has raced against some of the best in the country in three-year-old features.

The son of Flower Alley only had one run as a juvenile and only really started his racing career as a three-year-old. He won his maiden at the fifth time of asking over 1450m on the Vaal Classic track in October last year and just four days later contested the Non-Black Type Bloodstock SA Sales Cup.

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The field proved too strong and he was no match for the likes of Purple Pitcher and Gimmeanotherchance but trainer Phillip Labuschagne clearly felt his charge had ability because in January Royal Edition was put into the Grade 3 Got The Greenlight Stakes over 1400m at Turffontein where he came up against Main Defender and Barbaresco.

Once again it was a bridge too far for this gelding and he was well beaten. But that did not discourage his trainer and three runs later Royal Edition was down in KwaZulu-Natal and he was entered into the Grade 2 KZN Guineas at Hollywoodbets Greyville where he came up against Green With Envy and Sandringham Summit at level weights.

He was badly out at the weights and ran accordingly.

Subsequently, he has been “downgraded” in terms of his opposition, and he is now beginning to settle in nicely at that level.

There was a lot to like about his last race where he took on a decent field in a Middle Stakes over 2000m on the Vaal Classic track and under a shrewd ride from Jason Gates, who used his mount’s light weight to perfection, Royal Edition kept going powerfully to hold Tamarisk Tree at bay by 0.75 lengths.

The four-year-old only received a 1.5kg penalty for that win and now that he appears to have matured substantially, and racing against the right class of company, Royal Edition can extend his winning run when he lines up in Race 6, a MR 84 Handicap over 1700m, at the Vaal on Thursday.

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Based on the average merit ratings, he is down in class, but he will carry a lot more weight on this occasion, 7.5kg to be precise. However, he will have Piere Strydom up this time, and as a master judge of pace, it will be interesting to see how the race will pan out if the opposition allow him a soft lead.

The main threat is likely to come from Lucky Houdalakis-trained Total Surrender, who although finishing two lengths behind Royal Edition last time, is only 2kg better off.

However, in one of these weird things that can happen during a race, Total Surrender and a bird collided 100m from home so one is never sure how much of an impact, if any, that made on the outcome of the race. Craig Zackey takes the ride.

Eiger Sanction is looking for a fourth successive win but his merit rating has gone up 15 points (7.5kg) for those victories and it will be interesting to see what impact that will have on St John Gray’s runner.

However, Muzi Yeni is riding at the top of his game so you cannot write off the four-year-old son of Potala Palace.