By Mark van Deventer
Former jockey, now trainer, Paul Reeves runs a neat operation at Milnerton. He has no sales-topping, expensive horses in his yard yet can compete with better resourced stables due to his diligence and sound horsemanship.
A few months back Reeves Racing was hit by a virus and most of their entries underperformed. That trying spell seems to be behind them. Over the weekend the stable had some long- priced horses run into the money (Girl on the Run and Sooty) suggesting that normal service is being resumed.
Reeves saddles a coupling in Race 5 – a 1400m, Class 5. NOON DAY GUN and OZARK both have winning claims. The latter fits just right at this level, goes well for Richard Fourie and the oddsmakers have pegged him at 2/1 ante-post favourite, but a slight preference is for the better drawn, class- dropping stable mate ridden by Craig Zackey.
NOON DAY GUN has not been running badly in Class 4 events (a sound effort to Aristotle over the C/D in November ’24) and now gets six points relief from the handicapper. If he can work out a smooth commute in a true – run 1400m at this grade it should suit ideally, so he is the each way pick at 7/1.
16-start Maiden, GOLDEN GREY has a big pull at the weights compared to OZARK so must be considered with blinkers added. All of comfortable last start winner, WHAT A FORTUNE, LOVERS LANE, ISYCHRO, HANG OUT THE STARS and GIVETHATMANABELLS can contend on their best form.
Candice Bass Robinson’s RATTLESNAKE brings hidden form into Race 8 over 1000m. He finished in the ruck 3.5 lengths off Kelp Forest 35 days ago. Given the debacle at the start when he practically nose-dived into the turf and conceded many lengths, it was a far more laudable effort than what it appears on paper. His closing sectional, under a hands ride, compared favourably with the winner Kelp Forest, who romped on Saturday to give the form a nice boost.
The son of Buffalo Bill Cody should be primed third up after a rest and gelding. He too is getting a break from the handicapper, having been rated higher as a juvenile. He now comes down to a potentially dangerous mark of 80.
The only knock against him is draw 10, most of the recent action down the Hollywoodbets Kenilworth straight has been aiding low numbers towards the inner. If Aldo Domeyer can somehow surmount that negative then, with a clean break, RATTLESNAKE can strike. He is available in early trade at 11/2.
He faces several legit rivals. Ideally drawn BARNEY MCGREW is a clear and obvious threat. ACROSS THE BOW is a chance on collateral form while IN THE GREEN ZONE and FURIOUS QUEEN are also plausible candidates.
Race 7, a Class 4 for F & M’s over 1200m has an open look, as one would expect in a handicap. Bookies go 9/2 the field with BACK AT THE GEORGE, who ran well last time in his post Maiden, favoured.
He faces stiff opposition though from amongst others: BELA VISTA (drawn 1 down the straight is a plus; and she may actually be a sprinter after trying much further); SOHOT SOWHAT (a fluent recent winner over the C/D) and FIRST MASTERPIECE (running credibly in stronger contests). This is the sort of treacherous Leg where it makes sense to load up in the Picks.
Race 6 is also a brain teaser – Class 5’s for F/M’s can throw up some wacky results. DECEMBER DAWN is a progressive, well bred filly worthy of respect at odds of 11/2 as she goes for a hat-trick, but a draw of 12 down the “straight six” could be problematic.
An each way, spec-bet might be taken at double those odds on the Genuine Ennion’s Syndicate’s, ROCKING PEONIE, better gated at 3. It takes a fertile imagination to come up with this lone-win-from-16 starts, Captain Of All filly who has finished unplaced at her last three tries.
She sports competitive enough figures in her past performances however, and her penultimate in a higher class over 1400m is encouraging. There she stayed on purposefully, albeit six lengths behind Gr 1 entry, Scarlet Macaw. There is nothing remotely of that calibre in Wednesday’s humble Class 5 field. And the turnback to a stiff sprint should suit, too. Corne Orffer, an experienced, crafty jockey rides.
The opening Leg of the P6 is also challenging. A full field of 15 are trying to crack their Maidens over a mile where about half the entries have some sort of shake.
GRAN CANARIA, RED DAWN, AFRIQUE, UMFULA and GURKHA would not be winning out of turn. If forced to refine the choice down to just two selections – TENPENNY and TUNGUSKA would get the nod.
They both come out of Green Garnet’s, key Maiden from a month ago which yielded a better than par speed figure. Both were staying on resolutely in that seven panel race, and they now stretch out an extra 200m which should suit even better.
Their trainers, Patrick Kruyer and Ricky Maingard respectively, have accumulated decades of experience between them. Though they are not currently high profile yards, both are extremely knowledgeable horseman and excellent conditioners who know how to ready- up and place horse correctly.
It’s a calculated gamble that can backfire but punters trying to get an edge might kick start their low-cost, P6 plays with only those two horses, TENPENNY (a 11/2 shot with JP van der Merwe on top) and TUNGUSKA (9/1, piloted by Gareth Wright) and hope to sneak through Leg 1. Combining the two in single race exotics also carries profit potential.