Rodeo Drive had them hog-tied at the weights

THERE was some decent racing at Turffontein Inside on Sunday and the winner of the highest rated race, a Graduation Plate over 1200m, was the classy Sean Tarry-trained The United States filly Rodeo Drive.

- DAVID THISELTON

At this time last year Rodeo Drive looked a likely candidate for the Gr 1 SA Fillies Sprint as she had oozed class as a two-year-old.

However, she was never able to rise to those expected heights and her merit rating actually declined during a winless 2024/2025 campaign from 105 to 103 and she has still not earned bold black type, despite being a 0,30 length runner up in the Gr 1 Allan Robertson Championship over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville as a two-year-old.

She did not enjoy much luck during last season and Sunday's win would have done her confidence some good.

Nyaka Nyaka

Form studiers would have jumped at the chance to back her as she was bigger in the betting than the young three-year-old Nyaka Nyaka, who might have finished second to the subsequent Gr 1 winner Jan Van Goyen last time out, but on official ratings was a whopping 13,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted Bjorn Ironside and he was 10,5kg out with Rodeo Drive.

Bjorn Ironside had not run since a February 1100m outing at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and also came out worse than Rodeo Drive on collateral form through Symphony In White.

Rodeo Drive did have to overcome a wide draw of seven out of seven, which was a bit of a concern.