The seriously high- class colt, Soqrat (Horse Chestnut Stakes), Pomodoro filly, Return Flight (Oaks) and Samurai Warrior (SA Derby) all raced handy before clinching big races at Turffontein, proving yet again that finishing powerfully after being on or near the lead are optimal tactics to win a horserace.
That applies right around the world, and on any surface. In Dubai, XY Jet showed blistering speed to keep going in the Golden Shaheen on dirt, with Thunder Snow also being aggressively ridden by Christophe Soumillon as they only just outdueled ultra-game pacesetter, Gronkowski for the bulk of the World Cup USD 12 bar prize.
The majority of turf races are won by horses that finish best of all, so trainers usually prefer to see their entries settled early on, conserving energy, before unleashing a big finish. The highest percentage tactics then, are having the early speed to get on or near the lead and still be able to finish with real energy from that position.
Obviously, it takes a super-fit horse racing under the right circumstances and in an appropriate class with a smart jockey to carry out such a game-plan, but the “universal tactical bias” favors pace-pressers that can quicken up – making them formidable adversaries anywhere.
It’s tricky to calculate speed figures over unusual distances, such as 2450m at Turffontein, as there is insufficient data to work out accurate variants. A ‘guestimate” projected rating for SA Derby victor Samurai Warrior of 103 could be right, making Zillzaal, Atyaab and Marchingontogether 102’s. Return Flight’s SA Oaks score of 95 was lower in a slower run contest.
Van Halen (s/s 104) suddenly bounced back to form in the Man o War. He was held tight in a bunched field, before bursting through to defeat Russian Prince (s/s 103). Van Halen had won the G1 Gold Medallion at two, then seemed to lose his way during Summer when brought to Cape Town, before striking back on Saturday.
Finally, Miss Frankel (s/s 97) took out the KZN Listed Stakes at Scottsville. She’s a beautifully bred and valuable filly by Frankel out of great race-mare, Val de Ra. She got home in a blanket finish from a low-flying Neptune’s Rain, as only a length covered the first six past the post in an exciting 1000m scuttle.