Have a Beer With the Boys

Henk Steenkamp

We might have to wait till the last race but it should be appropriate to have a beer with the boys at Fairview on Friday.

The four-year-old Silvano gelding Beer With The Boys is the horse to beat in the eighth and last race on the Polytrack.

Champion jockey Richard Fourie will be in the saddle for the Western Cape stable of Justin Snaith.

The last race at a Fairview meeting is usually a tricky affair but Beer With The Boys has been running decent enough races in Cape Town recently to suggest he is the right one.

He is drawn well and the 58kgs to carry is a suitable weight in this handicap over 2000m.

It is his first run on the poly surface which might make some punters a bit wary to order their beer before the race is off at 16:40.

For those who don’t like beer, the Juan Nel trained Pomodora filly could be a darling.

The Nel stable is in magnificent form and Darling Harbour should run another big race. Apprentice jockey Brevan Plaatjies takes 1.5kgs off which helps the cause.

Another filly to keep an eye on is Take Your Time from the Zietsman Oosthuizen yard.

Apprentice jockey Jacey Botes claims 4kgs and with only 51.5 on her back, Take Your Time could be dangerous.

It is the last Polytrack meeting of the East Cape season and top trainer Gavin Smith looks set to hit back after a rare winless outing at the same track this past Monday.

Buddleja is a big runner for Smith in the first race. She should fight it out with Just One Kiss from the Alan Greeff stable for the win in the first leg of the Bipot – 12:30.

Greeff is also ready for a good day and Wild Fig will have many supporters in race three which gets the Pick Six going – 13:40.

Coastal Path has been very consistent for the Greeff yard recently and should run another big race in race four.

Greeff feels “Coastal Path doesn’t know how to run a bad race” and suggested he could be a Place Accumulator banker.

The first Jackpot starts with this Classified Stakes over 1400m– 14:15.

Smith and Greeff will be at it again in the fifth race in the first leg of the second Jackpot – 14:50.

Paris Lass (Smith) and Ellorix (Greeff) will resume their rivalry in this handicap over 1000m.

Another Smith runner, Golden Pavilion, won over 1200m last time out. He is in great form and it should be interesting to see how he goes over the shorter distance.

“Paris Lass loves track and trip and must be a big runner. It is a touch sharp for Golden Pavilion and he is drawn wide, but he is a gutsy horse and must be included,” assistant-trainer Dean Smith commented.

Smith and Greeff also hold the cards in race six. While Fourie will be in pole position for this one with Smashing, Calvin Habib has a wide draw to overcome with the Smith runner Sweet Julia.

Both stables are confident of good showings from their charges – the Exacta looks the way to go.

The filly Family Power made a winning debut for the Smith yard on the Fairview Turf last month.

She will try the poly surface for the first time in the seventh race. Habib again has a wide draw to negotiate but if Family Power takes to the surface she should win again.

The Smith stable reckons Family Power is a quality filly and expects a solid effort.

Find our suggested Place Accumulator on the Facebook page Henk Se Wenk.

This article was originally published on TAB and is reposted here with permission.