Marcus to set Scottsville on Fire
Simply Russian looks hard to beat
Jockey Anton Marcus currently sits third on the national jockeys’ championship log with a 156 winners, needing to ride seven more to tie with currently leader, Muzi Yeni, who has booted home an impressive 163 and is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. Although Marcus is unlikely to overtake Yeni on the log by the end of racing at Scottsville today, you can trust “Superman” to deliver BiPot banker We Light The Fire to victory in Race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1000m. Interestingly, Marcus and trainer Yogas Govender have a 50% win-strike rate. We Light The Fire is a two-year-old Gimmethegreenlight colt who clearly found 1200m a touch too far in his most recent performance when beaten 3.70 lengths into fourth place by Cartel Captain.
He was drawn No 6 in a nine-horse field in his penultimate effort when producing an eye-catching turn of foot in the dying stages, beaten a diminishing 1.80 lengths into second by African Warrior. If Marcus can get this R210 000 purchase to reproduce a similar effort, he will be hard to catch. Dennis Bosch-trained Knight Warrior was victim to greenness in his latest start over 1400m and considering he was appallingly drawn and stationed onefrom-last passing the 350m marker – needing to make up 5.60 lengths – he ran a cracker to finish second, a close-up 0.15 lengths by Master Jay at Greyville. Knight Warrior finished off that race like he is begging for the extra ground so should be hard to peg back when he gets the services of champion jockey Lyle Hewitson in Race 2, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1600m.
This two-year-old will also benefit from the fact he is drawn at an advantageous No 3 and that his main danger Pinkerton has been scratched.
If the TAB All-To-Come bet tickles your fancy, place wins on We Light The Fire in Race 1 and Knight Warrior in Race 2 and places on Collabro in Race 3 and Simply Russian in Race 8. Hewitson sits second on the national jockeys’ log and should creep closer to the No 1 spot when reuniting with Eachway prospect Collabro in Race 3, a MR 80 Handicap over 1600m. If this son of Var isn’t winning races, he consistently finishes in the minor money placings and his last seven performances prove this having recorded two wins, just as many seconds and three thirds.