Preview and form for Gold Circle's meeting at Scottsville on Sunday. Trainer Duncan Howells saddles a few with chances including Online.
The 11 race broadcast commences at 7.55pm AEST, 11.55am SAST, on Sky Racing2 and from 10.25pm pm AEST on Sky Racing1.
Unseasonable and almost ‘monsoon’ rains have disrupted racing in KwaZulu-Natal this past fortnight resulting in a backlog of meetings. In an effort to accommodate runners and make up the leeway, Scottsville hosts an 11-race card on Sunday and there is an added meeting to the programme scheduled for Greyville next Wednesday.
The logjam has resulted in a Scottsville card with maximum fields in all but one race and punters will again have their work cut out finding winners let along exotic bet bankers with no outstanding runners in any of the races.
A possible PA banker comes in the opening leg where Duncan Howells saddles the Trippi filly Online in the third but her promising recent form has to some extent been compromised by a coffin draw in this 1400m maiden.
In a maiden where Howells-trained runners finished second, third and fourth, the most fancied of the trio fourth, Online finished with a rattle in second place behind the highly regarded Maple Story. Howells was of the opinion that Online would prove more effective over a trip so was more than happy with her showing.
If the reserve runners don’t make the line-up, Online will come in three gates to 12 but still a disadvantage over this sharp 1400m trip. That said, Online is likely to be dropped in by Brandon Lerena and should be doing her best work late.
Anton Marcus has kept faith with Gath Puller’s runner Intercept, a beaten 3-10 chance on the poly at her second start. Her smart debut over course and distance obviously contributed to her short price and with a plum draw on Sunday she looks the biggest threat to Online.
Dennis Bosch mostly put up the shutters during Champions Season but has since opened the stable doors and has eight runners on Sunday. The Summerveld-based trainer does well at Scottsville and Iced Up in the opening leg of the Pick 6 looks to have all the right credentials. The daughter of Western Winter has improved with each outing and was a close-up fifth over the Scottsville mile last time out starting from the widest draw. She jumps from four on Sunday and the extended trip should be to her liking.
Also likely to enjoy the trip is the Howells-trained Louella. She makes her seasonal debut with Anthony Delpech aboard and the Delpech / Howells combination has been deadly since Howells dispensed with a stable jockey, relying instead on freelance riders.
Louella was caught for finishing speed in her first race beyond 1200m in a race that unfolded into a canter and a sprint for home. With a maximum field of runners there will be one or two likely to get on with racing from the jump and Louella should fare better this time around.
Juddering Angel and Wealthy look the most likely contenders to fight out the finish of the fifth although the top weights could be pressed in the finish by a few at the bottom end of the handicap. Juddering Angel has a tricky draw to negotiate but when last these two met over course and distance Juddering Angel finished two lengths to the good. Wealthy has since franked that form and is now 5.5kg worse off with Joey Ramsden’s runner so the draw may not be a deciding factor.
The lightly weighted Newton Spark and the maiden Osuna are possible ‘hares’ but both will need plenty of luck in running if they are to upset.
Delpech is off the mark for his new sponsor, squeaking home aboard hot favourite Friend Request for Mauritzfontein Stud and Dennis Drier at Greyville on Wednesday and dons the same colours for Drier aboard New Hampshire in the sixth. The gelding has only missed the money once in nine starts and is hunting a hat-trick.
At his last two wins he has had the benefit of useful four-claiming apprentice Diego de Gouveia and it was probably the claim that was the difference between winning and losing when touching off Mountain Master in a tight finish.
New Hampshire takes a rise in class so still has a handy galloping weight but he also faces a mixed bag of talent. Catkin has been close-up at his last two and has been running on stoutly to the line. Marcus gets the leg up and they will be a threat to New Hampshire.
Ole Gunnar has always been well thought of by Paul Lafferty but after a string of average performances the vet was called in. The change was immediate and Ole Gunnar put in a much better performance behind the smart Sylvester The Cat over course and distance last time out.
Run Rhino Run took the scenic route home at his last start giving Billy Jacobson a horseback view of Woodhouse Road down the back stretch but although the gelding is a tadpole short of a swamp, if he gets him mind straight he can prove very dangerous.
