Runner comments, Scottsville and Turffontein

Mike de Kock has a single runner at Monday’s Scottsville meeting, but also furnished readers of the Betway Insiders Blog with his comments for tomorrow at Turffontein, where the yard will send out six runners. Comments powered by BETWAY.

Sequoia is in Race 7 at Scottsville. He’s a ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ horse and looks to be more or less in the right handicap, though he may need to drop a point or two off his current MR79 mark to win again. Mike said: “Sequoia is doing fine, we’re trying him over 1950m for the first time and he may enjoy that. Quartet chance.”

Mike starts off with a pair of fillies in Race 1 over 1450m at Turffontein on Tuesday, with Spring In Heaven (Kabelo Matsunyane) and White Pearl (Craig Zackey) going to post. Both look ready to win, but Mike noted that White Pearl is significantly better than her stablemate. “White Pearl looks a decent sort in the making, she should go close here,” he said. The filly by Danon Platina ran on well from a wide draw against colts and geldings and over the course and distance on her debut and got within a length of the winner. She faces opposition from the feature-tried So Seductive and two winners, Rose Tinted and Queen Of Camelot, but with a 3kg pull at the weights, there is confidence in the White Pearl camp.

Race 2 over 1450m is another super contest featuring three winners and a number of other hard-knocking juveniles. Mike fields Mvelo and Pied Kingfisher and advised: “We thought Mvelelo would run better on his 1200m debut, but he needed it and I think he will need another run under the belt before we see where we stand with him. He needs further than 1450m. Pied Kingfisher ran a nice race after a rest over 1160m, just fading out in the closing stages and needing the blow-out. He is nicely drawn and will be better suited to even further, I believe, but he should be considered. He was green in both his runs, looks a nice young horse. Add him to your Trifectas and Quartets.”

Race 6 is a Middle Stakes over 1200m in which Arividicio returns to racing after a short break and Mike assessed: “He has won over 1200m, but he has drawn wide for the inside track and really needs this run badly.”

Simple Simple is the De Kock runner in Race 7 over 1600m, a race with all the ingredients for an exciting finish in which she should have a say. Simple Simple was bumped at the start and raced wide when unplaced in her last run and Mike said: “I wasn’t happy with the ride that day, if she gets a decent ride, I think she’ll go close here.”