Well it's about time! by Leon Setaro

Well it's about time!
by Leon Setaro

What a great card today at Clairwood by out of season standards and if there’s ever the opportunity to turn things around after the mud-drubbing we’ve had lately, this is it.

Race 4

Best chest-thumper for the day must surely be No.1 Touch the Moon (4/1 Interbet) in the 4th race, her last run was in no way representative of her ability and should be ignored. She steps back down in class here and this looks like just the sort of field ripe for her to pick off with ease. There’s very little worth mentioning in terms of competition and 4/1 is surely some late Xmas generosity. Odds-on favourite No.6 Imperious Star has shortened in the market from 12/10 to 8/10 and she is the obvious danger in this average lineup. Beyond these two it’s wide open for the place chasers.


Touch the Moon

Race 6

No.4 Two Tone is another at the ‘good value’ odds of 2/1, read about him here. As for the competition, No.3 Mr.Top (9/2) is one of the best looking sprinter examples out there with train size hindquarters and his record doesn’t do him justice. He’s been unlucky not to have won a few more and should be the primary danger to Two Tone in this race. Watch out for the two bottom weights! No.13 Super Typhoon (8/1) looked grossly underdone on the canter past last time out yet still finished close up to the winner. He should come on a few lengths from that run and with 52kgs atop his massive frame, could prove dangerous. No.14 Prime Directive (10/1) carries only 48kgs and his last run was noteworthy over shorter where he was running on best of all. The top weight also bears mention based on the stable comments; No.1 Good Thing (8/1) has according to trainer Duncan McKenzie, ‘come into his own recently’ and a big run is expected behind coupling Two Tone.


Two Tone

Race 8

No.4 Shoot the breeze (6/1) is Umngazi’s half sister and one of the gems of the Dixon yard. She has stood out in the stable ring since first arriving and Mark and I have chatted about her on numerous occasions before she was ever raced. She will go down in my personal betting record as one of the great misses of all time because she cruised in at 20/1 first time out and I didn’t have a cent on.. didn’t even know she was running! She goes straight into the deep end here against the vaunted No.1 Jo Piper and the well performed No.2 Onehundredacrewood (5/1). Go baby!


Shoot the Breeze

Race 5

No.10 Yankee Stadium (15/1) is starting to look primed and ready again; eye catching on the canter past last time out when giving the impression he has strengthened up over Xmas. This boy has talent and cooks up a storm on the sand at Summerveld but has yet to deliver when the stakes cheque is on the table. Ignore his last start where he wore blinkers for the first time; he took a hold and reached flying speeds a few hundred meters into the race.. ran away from them and blew his load early. Don’t leave him out of anything, he has the ability to chop this field.


Yankee Stadium

Race 9

No.1 The Walrus is a very decent horse on his day and after having been off for almost a year, he put in a good comeback run last time out. Anthony Delpech takes his rides from the top and when he gets the call from a trainer it’s likely to mean one thing; they’re looking for the win.


The Walrus (near-side)

Yankee Stadium is moving to Jhb after today's run, whatever the result. Gotta try the Vaal sand at some point.

Txs Leon

Yankee ran a cracker travelled brilliantly turning in,did he hit a wee flat spot?

Don't know about a flat spot, maybe he did, but he is a bit strong for the appie. Making ground wide on the turn wasn't really the plan.