The Specialist to bounce back

The Grade 2 Dingaans over 1600m for three-year-olds will be run on Saturday 30 November and right now a number of runners are trying their best to book a place in one of South Africa’s most prestigious and historical races on the calendar.

This race is a forerunner to the Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas early next year and many prospective entrants will be lining up in Race 3, a Graduation Plate over 1200m at the Vaal on Tuesday.

Based on merit ratings, The Specialist is the best weighted runner by at least 3kg and on paper should be a runaway winner of this event. After all, as a two-year-old, the son of The United States ran third in the Grade 2 Golden Horseshoe over 1400m drawn No 13 of the 14 runners and then finished runner-up to filly VJ’s Angel in the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes over 1600m at the same course, giving her 3kg.

At that stage The Specialist was being trained in KwaZulu-Natal but was transferred up to Sean Tarry’s Randjesfontein yard at the start of the news season. He made his three-year-old debut in a Graduation Plate over 1200m on the Inside track at Turffontein in September and while he received loads of betting support, he found one better in decent sprinter Mount Pinatubo.

ALSO READ: Racecourse deaths a sad part of the game

On Saturday 2 November he again started favourite to win the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes over 1400m on the Standside track at Turffontein but after showing early pace, he faded out to finish 10 lengths behind Moonlight Trader.

He was examined by the course vet after the race and nothing significant was found. Hopefully it was just a case of him suffering from the second-run-after-a layoff syndrome but Tarry has opted to give him another run just 10 days later and this time he has called on veteran Piere Strydom to take the ride.

If what ever may have troubled him has been sorted out, The Specialist will be the runner to beat. However, there he will face some promising opposition, especially from Tony Peter-trained Gorgeous Klein and Count Invicto, trained by Lucky Houdalakis.

On their last run together, which was over this course and distance, there is very little to choose between the pair. On that occasion Count Invicto went on to beat Gorgeous Klein by two lengths but he was giving Houdalakis’ charge 3.5kg.

They are carded to meet at level weights this time which should give Gorgeous Klein enough of an advantage to turn the loss around. However, Houdalakis has wisely engaged 2.5kg apprentice Trent Mayhew to ride his charge so on that basis he could very well repeat that success.

Count Invicto has scored two wins from two starts so he could still have loads of improvement to come. Gavin Lerena retains the ride on Gorgeous Klein.

NOW READ: Victory Moon’s great deeds recalled