Master Mtoto could be the one to loosen the firm grip the Alan Greeff stable has had on the R175,000 Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery.
Greeff has made this 1,200m contest for two-year-olds very much his own in recent years. He will be chasing a remarkable sixth consecutive victory at Friday’s Fairview Turf meeting.
The Eastern Cape champion trainer saddles three of the six runners lining up to face the starter at 2.55pm for the fifth race on the eight-race card, but it is Master Mtoto who looms as the chief threat to that dominance.
Trained by Dean Smith, Master Mtoto has been priced up as the favourite to win this race.
He is unbeaten from two starts at Fairview and beat US Ranger by a length last time.
US Ranger is the pick of the Greeff trio and should be right there when it matters most to extend its Nursery streak.
Both stables are confident that their charges will run well, and it should be a fascinating rematch.
Master Mtoto will have Calvin Habib in the saddle and Richard Fourie takes the ride on US Ranger.
It will be a surprise if one of the others pop up to win but it is not impossible, as two-year-olds can make sudden vast improvements.
The meeting starts with a maiden juvenile plate for fillies at 12.35pm. Rungstedland should start the day on a winning note for the Smith stable.
Some talented fillies and mares will line up for a pinnacle stakes over 1,200m (race 4), which should be an exciting affair.
It looks like another battle between the Greeff and Smith stables for victory in this one.
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