TALK about free advertising. Mike Rattray must be delighted that fellow breeders Chris Saunders and Lady Chryss O’Reilly decided to name their Western Winter colt Meet At MalaMala.
Rattray stands Western Winter at his Lammerskraal Stud, and Mala Mala is the name of his internationally famous game reserve bordering the Kruger Park. The next positive about the Mike de Kock-trained colt is that he looks on course for a highly successful career as he already boasts three wins from five starts.
Meet At MalaMala will bid to add to that total when he takes on nine rivals in the sixth race at Turffontein today.
Midweek meetings do not usually get pulses racing, but this afternoon is an exception as waiting to take on Meet At MalaMala is Charles Laird’s unbeaten New Zealand-bred colt, Oracy.
An injury has sidelined Oracy for eight months and only Laird will know whether he’s got the son of Zabeel forward enough to maintain his 100% record.
A plus in favour of Meet At MalaMala is that the colt has had a recent race. He beat six rivals, albeit narrowly, at Clairwood three weeks ago and should have gained hugely from the outing.
Two other runners in today’s 1600m contest, Magical and Sporting Boy, also have high merit ratings and could take advantage if the two leading fancies fluff it.
However, Magical is preparing for a tilt at next month’s Samsui Summer Cup while Sporting Boy has been rested since finishing unplaced in a 2200m race at Greyville on July day.
Interestingly, De Kock has booked Laird’s stable jockey, Anton Marcus, for the ride on another of his imports, Kauthar, in the first race. This Aussie-bred filly will know more about the game following her recent debut on the Vaal sand and can get favourite backers off on the right foot.
The chief danger to Kauthar should be Dominic Zaki’s filly, Kylie Bax. She has been placed in her two starts and has the advantage of being a year older than Marcus’s mount.
Another inmate of Charles Laird’s stable making a comeback after a break is Larking Around, a R1,5m daughter of Montjeu. The four-year-old, bred by the late Laurie and Jean Jaffee, is bred in the purple as her dam is a full- sister to Australian Derby winner Headturner.
Three three-year-olds — Go First Class, Fisani and Mrs Brock — all have scope for improvement and there was lots to like about the first-named’s win over today’s course and distance in August.
Fisani opened her account on her second start at Scottsville and will have her supporters despite a wide draw. Her half-brother will come under the hammer at the forthcoming Emperors Palace Ready-To-Run sale at Germiston.
With Mark Khan sidelined with a shoulder injury, Piere Strydom is picking up a number of rides for top trainer Geoff Woodruff. The combination should go close in the final leg of the Pick 6 with three-year-old Ozzie Dude.
This son of Kahal showed he was progressing when running second to Amarosa Drift at the Vaal, and the gelding can beat home first-timer Safwan and the badly drawn Balladier.