Looks like a winnable race for Tesoro Privado
Le Grange runners light up quiet morning
With no racing on Sunday, which meant there was no procession of horses for that afternoon of racing, and with most of tomorrow's runners subjected to just winding-down gallops, it took two of Ricardo Le Grange's runners to get those stopwatches working.
As expected, they too weren't out to break any land speed records but clockers at trackside weren't disappointed as Elusive Emperor and Tesoro Privado did turn in more than decent workouts which could be indicative of their intentions in tomorrow's action.
Elusive Emperor, who will see action in Race 6, clocked 43.1sec for the 600m while Tesoro Privado - down to contest Race 7 - covered the same trip in 41.5sec.
Nooresh Juglall was on the former while Tesoro Privado had the services of Barend Vorster.
However, it is worth noting that come raceday, Vorster has been nominated to partner both horses.
A last-start winner. Elusive Emperor will have no qualms tackling the 1,200m trip.
THRILLING BATTLE
While he has won over the 1,400m and also the mile, it was over the 1,200m that he fought out and won a thrilling battle with Kingsman on Dec 1.
Locked together over the final 100m, he eventually got the verdict by the narrowest of margins.
That was his seventh success from 30 race starts going back to 2015 when he made that winning debut over the 1,200m.
However, the draw hasn't been kind to him - he jumps from 10 in that 12-horse field - but Vorster knows the horse and, you can bet, he will opt for the best strategy depending on how the race unfolds.
Tesoro Privado won two races at the tailend of last season before having to settle for third at his last start on New Year's Day.
In that race, he was a tad slow to get going but made up ground to be involved in a three-way go to the line.
Just a three-year-old, Tesoro Privado is going to get better over time and the race which Le Grange has picked out for him tomorrow looks winnable.
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