No. 2042 ISSN 1023 / 6996
MONDAY 12th - THURSDAY 15th MAY 2014
FLAMINGO PARK 12:20pm (Monday) p.3
KENILWORTH 12:50pm (Tuesday) p.11
SCOTTSVILLE 11:30am (Wednesday) p.18
VAAL 12:15pm (Thursday) p.31
Mike Robinson's Blarney Bay will go very close at Kenilworth on Tuesday
MR 95 DIVIDED HANDICAP at Kenilworth on Tuesday
T
Phillipi trainer Mike Robinson has done supremely well with the 5yo Nysaean gelding Blarney Bay, who may be the closest thing to a banker bet on Tuesday’s Kenilworth card. While up in class, he looks very well handicapped carrying just 50kgs courtesy of the claim of promising apprentice Xavier Carstens.
he disappointment of the lack of support for the scheduled juvenile feature at Kenilworth this past Saturday is in sharp contrast to the well patronised eight race programme lined up for punters on Tuesday. At least one banker will
be necessary to structure a viable Pick Six and it is good to see a trainer standing up and giving punters the confidence.
Consistent
Blarney Bay was a consistent two time winner from 20 starts when he was relocated three months ago following his former
conditioner Stephen Page’s move to Australia. In three starts for his new yard, he has won twice and ran second last time out when giving 5kgs to the promising 3yo Paolo. An indication of the way he has improved lies in the statistics. His rating has soared in no time from a humble 67 to an 83. In an exclusive interview, Robinson sketched
the background of a runner that faces probably his stiffest career test to date when he lines up to face eight rivals in the MR 95 Divided Handicap run over the Kenilworth summer course 1400m.
Carstens Rides
Blarney Bay will be ridden for the first time by the promising young apprentice Xavier Carstens, who recently registered his first career stakes winner for the yard on Hot Affair in the Perfect Promise Sprint. “He has been thrown in the deep end here for sure, but he has done very well and I must feel confident. He is a more
Handicapper rated him...
MR 118 Dynasty – Moonlit Prairie by Cozzene
Won x3 Gr1
•
Second x2 Gr1
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st “By far the be e w e rs ho classic in ce ra en se have for South Africa many years”
Second x2 Gr2
relaxed galloper these days and is beautifully muscled and in peak condition. I decided to bring him back to the 1400m as I feel he will cope better against this class,” said Mike Robinson. We asked him how he was planning to run the race. “MJ Byleveld has ridden him in all his three starts for me. He has given us feedback which indicates that Blarney Bay likes to be left alone to run his own race out front. So I will probably tell Xavier to do the same. It makes sense and, while I never underestimate my opposition, he is carrying little weight and he can dictate matters.”
Ride The Storm
Will the young apprentice cope with the ride? “Yes, I have no doubt. He is a talented rider and he is a pretty straightforward horse to ride. Stephen had his problems with him as he had quirks earlier on but Malan du Toit has worked on him and I suppose he has also matured,” he responded. Cont. p.2
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Tel: Mike Sharkey 082 372 2682 www.highlandsfarmstud.co.za