ONE can excuse the so-called smaller stables if they go over the top with their rare winning celebrations at the Fairview racetrack in Greenbushes.
With the big yards of trainers Alan Greeff and Gavin Smith in sublime form recently, it has become extremely difficult for the other stables to find the winners’ box.
At the last four meetings (32 races in total) Greeff saddled 12 winners and Smith 10.
Then, to make it even tougher for the other Fairview trainers, Cape Town-based national champion trainer, Justin Snaith, visited to pick up 4 winners.
That gave the rest 6 winners from the last 32 races. Trainers Cliffie Miller, Tara Laing, Zietsman Oosthuizen and Emmanuel Kaknis shared those between them.
Although Greeff and Smith dominated, racing fans enjoyed their fierce tussle for the East Cape trainers title season after season.
It is no different this time as the title race can go down to the wire once again. The current season comes to a close at the end of July and at this stage Greeff is 8 winners ahead of Smith.
There were two feature races at Fairview last week and both went Greeff’s way with Splicethemainbrace and Luna Halo producing excellent runs.
Splicethemainbrace was too strong for the opposition on the poly surface in the R150 000 Aloe Stakes, an event for three-year-old fillies over 1 300m.
She made it seven wins from nine starts but champion jockey, Richard Fourie, had to remain cool and calm when things didn’t go according to plan.
The saddle slipped on the temperamental filly, but Fourie did a great job to secure the win.
Fourie was impressed by the performance of Splicethemainbrace but feels her temperament still needs a lot of work.
Luna Halo was the other feature winner when she won the R150 000 Lady’s Bracelet for fillies and mares over 1 600m this past Friday on the turf track. The four-year-old filly is also one of the stars in the Greeff stable. She has now won 10 times from 19 starts.
This coming Friday’s meeting starts with a Work Riders Maiden Plate over 1 200m. It is a race which probably betters the winning chances of those smaller stables.
With amateur riders in the saddle, the race is always wide open, and another exciting race is predicted.
The work riders don’t get many chances to show what they can do, and these races are always a popular event and well supported at any Fairview meeting.
There are also other very interesting races later in the day. Promising three-year-olds will be in action in the Sophomore Plate over 1 400m and some quality sprinters will line up in a Pinnacle Stakes for fillies and mares.
