Yogas has five chances

YOGAS Govender has five runners on J&B Met day, including The Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes hopeful Barcelona Winter, and his minor race contenders all look to have chances, although he reckoned his best runner on the day could be Approach Me, while another very interesting runner is Lake Arthur.

He said about Barcelona Winter, a four-year-old Western Winter filly, who finished second to Ebony Flyer in the Diana Stakes over 1400m and third to Covenant in the Sceptre Stakes over 1200m,  “She is consistent and has earned her place, but whether she is this class we don’t know, but we’ve got to take our chances.

Approach Me, a four-year-old Right Approach filly, runs in the ninth, a Fillies and Mares 84 Handicap over 2000m, and is second topweight.

Govender said, “She is a nice filly with good form, she is distance suited, doing well and well drawn. Having a look at the field I would say she is probably our best runner on the day.”

Lake Arthur, a four-year-old Jet Master gelding, runs in the eighth, a MR96 Handicap over 1200m, having done very well against some good sorts over further including finishing a one length second to Castlethorpe in the Grade 3 Winter Guineas.

Govender said, “He has good form, but I think I’ve been running him over the wrong distance. He won easily over 1200m and 1400m in his first two starts and has a lot of speed. We’ve tried him over further, but I don’t think he stays, so we’re dropping him back now and I think he’s a runner.”

In the first, a MR88 Handicap over 1400m, his six-year-old Royal Academy gelding Reigning Monarch, lost six lengths at the start last time and ran on well to be only 1,25 lengths back to Entrador over 1200m.

He has won over 1400m before and is well drawn.

Govender said, “He handles the trip and it suits his style of running as he comes from off them, he won’t disgrace himself.”

In the fourth, a MR 103 Handicap over 1600m, he runs the six-year-old Fanatic Dane gelding Caymen Island, and Govender said, “He is hard-knocking and ran a very good third in the Peninsula (Grade 2 Handicap over 1800m) despite meeting interference. It’s a bit on the sharp side and he’s been a bit unlucky. He hasn’t got a good draw again, but he’s doing well and we’re hoping for a big race.”

Govender summed up his day by saying it’s always tough to win on Met day, but the yard was ticking over nicely and he had good competitive runners. - David Thiselton.

Photo: Yogas Govender with Reigning Monarch. (Gold Circle).