•Joe “horse whisperer” Karari, who’s been training horses for 17 years believes the now “good” track conditions would make for a more open contest.
•The history of Ladies Day at the races dates back to 1823 when an anonymous poet described a race at Ascot as “.. . when the women, like angels, look sweetly divine.”
Image: FILE
It’s Ladies Day at Ngong Racecourse this Sunday for the Kenya Oaks, in what promises to be a spectacular day of racing and fashion. The seven-card fixture is a melange of absorbing duels with no outright or axiomatic champions.
The history of Ladies Day at the races dates back to 1823 when an anonymous poet described a race at Ascot as “.. . when the women, like angels, look sweetly divine.”
This honoured tradition has persevered internationally and locally, with the appeal of fashion and racing continuing to serve as a measure of culture, trends, and in vogue Kenya.
After a Biblical deluge forced the postponement of this fixture two weeks ago, a rarity for a sport that can endure significant wet weather conditions and flourish. The Kenya Meteorology Department has forecast fair weather for racing, and a day laced with partial sunshine and warm spells.
Whilst haute couture will be an unmistakable feature of Ladies Day, Kenya’s most experienced jockey and decorated champion, Lesley Sercombe, was optimistic and jovial ahead of the challenging conditions.
“I’m going to try to win them all. You have to stay near the front, pick your ground, and then find a little pace down the straight.”
Trainer Ollie Gray, who is having a very successful season with his runners and winners, was of a similar opinion to Sercombe. “It takes a lot out of them, jockey and horse, and you need them both fit. In conditions like this, a bad fit horse will beat a good unfit horse,” said Gray.
Commenting on the improved track conditions, he said, “I think the form will be more consistent to what it would be otherwise. The status quo should remain.”
Joe “horse whisperer” Karari, who’s been training horses for 17 years believes the now “good” track conditions would make for a more open contest.
“The ground has changed; the track is in good shape, which favours all the horses. I think most horses in Kenya prefer this kind of ground,” he noted.
Trainer Julie McCaan, who has two contenders for the prestigious Kenya Oaks, including the punters' favourite, Ten Eighty, echoed Karari’s sentiment that the brief dry spell and changed track conditions will make a difference.
“Honestly, it’ll support some horses more than others. For me, am still as confident as I was going into the postponed meeting. Without bad luck, I can’t see them being beaten,” she said.
It’s difficult to put on a standing on which horse will prefer the going and so for the punters with a flair for artistry, both real and imagined concatenations, there are fair winnings to be forged.
The racing gets underway at 1 pm with the 1200m Cambric Cup, where Pretty Pearl is preferred against the winning Coffee Break for her form and carrying less weight.
Ripon, ridden by the enigmatic Michael Fundi, will be looking for a surprise upset against the two favourites.
The 1600m Mickey Migdoll Mile at 1:35 pm is the second busiest race of the card and should belong to the in-form Henry Muya, riding Vuvuzela Umilio. High Legislation can't be written off with a love of soft ground but is carrying significantly more weight.
The 2:10 pm Labour of Love Handicap over 2060m favours Henry Muya riding the one-paced Chipping who is known for staying over distance and is running 9kg lighter than the would-be-challenger, Dunleavy.
The 2060m Aga Khan Trophy at 2:45 pm should belong to Lesley Sercombe riding Beeston who likes the soft ground. Strider is the next most liked but hasn’t raced in a year.
The main race of the Day, the Kenya Oaks at 3:20 pm over 2400m has Ten Eighty as the form horse being ridden by the very experienced James Muhindi.
The main challenge will come from Cassandra being ridden by Lesley Sercombe. Both Maria, ridden by the in-form Henry Muya and Whispers, ridden by Charles Kimani will make things difficult for the favourite.
For the 3:55 pm Paddy Migdoll Tea Urn over 1000m it’s hard to look past the form of Rahal being ridden by the talented apprentice Michael Fundi. Pitch, ridden by Lesley Sercombe could be the fly in the ointment, carrying significantly less weight.
The most populated race of the day is the 1200m Ladies Day Maiden with seven runners over 1200m at 4:30 pm and Lesley Sercombe, riding Trumpet Call, one of the recent big buys and is favoured to show the class to justify the spend.
The end of the racing is the beginning of the sundowners and afterparty with music from Nairobi’s finest DJs playing long into the evening making it an unmissable event.