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Iced Up looks the closest thing to a Pick 6 banker on a tricky Greyville card on Wednesday on the All Weather track where the exotic bet comprises five handicaps and a maiden event.
At least punters who do take this advice will know their fate early but Dennis Bosch’s runner has fairly solid credentials and is likely to start at cramped odds.
After a close-up fifth from a coffin draw over the Scottsville 1600m she was well supported in the market to make it out of the maidens next time.
It was a close-run thing but she went down a head to Dressed For Success in a tight finish. She had the progressive Louella a neck back in third but more importantly Dressed For Success followed up on her debut win in a competitive handicap even though starting at long odds.
With regular pilot Alec Forbes side-lined with a bad leg, Anthony Delpech takes over in the saddle and given the quality of tomorrow’s opposition there shouldn’t be any mistakes this time around.
From there on it gets interesting. Olympic Power made a fair local debut for the Candice Bass-Robinson satellite yard and although fresh off a maiden win, Western Cape maiden form is generally stronger than KZN’s. He was not disgraced in a stronger field in his first start out of the maidens and if taking to the poly surface he looks a live runner.
Whenever Marco van Rensburg rides into town it is a sure sign that Weiho Marwing fancies a couple. Queen’s Quest on the card opener took to the poly last time out and can build on her close-up third while Pocahontas Girl is a possible threat to Iced Up after showing much improved form in her first run back from a lay-off.
Van Rensburg teams up with Marwing’s filly La Vida Blanco who showed major improvement when running in first time blinkers. She has a postage stamp on her back and should be competitive. Jama, Ruby Gem and Pure Valor are others to consider.
Maybe and Modernista look the principal runners in a tough third leg of the Pick 6 where the soundest advice is to load up as much as finances allow. Inga won at third time of asking and could improve further over this trip while Lowan Denysschen may have found the key to the feisty Zilla who will race with a sheepskin brow band for the first time.
The sixth is another competitive handicap but Redcarpet Captain has always been rated by his yard and hit form first up on the poly with a solid victory over course and distance in a strong Non-Black Type feature. He only got a two-pound penalty for that win and now that he has found his feet again he could follow up. However, he does have to give the speedy El Ciberano 12.5kg who along with course specialist Kingston Boy and Executive Power will make things hot.
The seventh and eighth are both minefields. The Chris Erasmus-trained Panza has come to hand these past three months and been relatively leniently handled by the handicappers, being raised only five pounds for his two recent victories. Last time out he was a close-up fourth to Bagger Vance at Scottsville and if he can repeat that showing on the poly he will be in the shake-up.
The dark horse is Doug Campbell’s runner Var Du Bois. He is a gelding with obvious ability but also plenty of problems having only been out once this year and turning in the worst performance of his career. He is back on the poly and if he can find his earlier form he will also be thereabouts.
Gavin van Zyl sends out the filly Princess Analia against the males in the last. She is slightly down in class and has a big weight to shoulder but none of the opposition will ever get their name on a jam tin.
