Runner comments, Trf 21 Feb; HWB Greyville 23 Feb

Mike and Mathew de Kock’s Miami Mountain has been priced up at 12.5-1 on the Lucky Fish betting boards for Race 7, the Grade 3 National Currency Sprint over 1100m on the standside track at Turffontein on Saturday.

Miami Mountain looks like one of the best outsiders in a competitive race, since two of his three wins have come up the straight and he’s matched strides with some of the leading three-year-olds this season.

While he has won over 1160m, Miami Mountain possibly lacks the blistering early speed of rivals like Wild Justice, The Last Duke, Pop Chart and Elegantrix. The stable will be fitting him with blinkers in the hope that he can get closer in the first half of a race in which consistent, high cruising speed will probably be the deciding factor.

Mathew de Kock commented: “Miami Mountain found the early clip just a bit too quick when beaten by Mover and Shaker in an open sprint handicap over 1000m last time, but he got going late and didn’t finish far off. We’re hoping, with the blinkers on, he can latch on over 1100m this time. If he’s not too outpaced, he’ll be a big runner.”

Babette’s Feast takes part in Race 8 over 1600m and Mat said: “She steps out of the Maidens and has a wide gate in a field in which there are several runners with chances, so we’re more hopeful than anything else. Let’s see how she goes.”

Next Of Kin and Limerick Lace are carded to race at Monday’s meeting on the Polytrack at Hollywoodbets Greyville.

Next Of Kin lines up in Race 4 over 1600m. He is a course and distance winner, and Mat said: “His fitness level is definitely better after his last run and he should make improvement now. Quartet chance.”

Limerick Lace comes off a rest in Race 8 over 1200m, her first outing on the Poly. “She will need the run, but is one to keep an eye on in her next few starts,” Mat assessed.