The first comes up in Race 2 and is over 1200m for fillies and mares and the well-travelled Sarve looks the runner they will all have to beat. Other than the two courses in the Western Cape, the four-year-old daughter of Sarge has raced at every racecourse in the country and has won at most of them.
Ironically Flamingo Park is one at which she has not won but that could change today. Although she is probably better over 1000m than 1200m Sarve has won over this distance on the turf. She is at least 5kg better handicapped than any of her six rivals and on that basis is expected to give apprentice Ryan Munger a reasonably comfortable ride.
However, she is taking on the boys – not for the first time – but one does need to exercise some caution. The main danger looks to be Blast, who made a winning debut at the course earlier this month for trainer Tienie Prinsloo.
That race was over 1000m but the four-year-old Windrush gelding has won over 1200m and has in-from Andrew Fortune in the irons.
The other Pinnacle Stakes comes up in Race 6 and is over 1600m. In this event Spies saddles Kiss Me Hardy, who is unbeaten in three races at this course. The only concern is that he has yet to win over 1600m so it will be interesting to see which trait proves more dominant – his love for the course or his dislike for the distance. Fortune takes the ride again.
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