By Mark Van Deventer
Wide draws over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville are tricky given a relatively short run to the first section of a tight bend and Aldo Domeyer will hope to secure a smooth run for Greenchoice from gate 11 in Race 5, a Maiden on Saturday’s card.
Justin Snaith’s charge has run second in his two most recent starts – behind highly touted, Viva’s Liberte and then when mugged on the line by older foe, Set To Music. That form gives him a strong chance of exiting the Maiden ranks, but much will depend on the trip he gets from that wide outside draw.
Ocean Sky rates the main danger. He is primed third run after a rest and Richard Fourie should work out a saloon passage from draw 3 on Eric Sand’s entry. His last start when staying on behind Primal Instinct was his best to date.
Blue Steel and Gale Warning are backups for wider cover P6 perms having fared decently behind Delta Pride three weeks ago.
JP van der Merwe rode Smart Call to victory in the WSB CPT Met and he rides, Smarten Up a Gimmethegreenlight colt out of that star mare. The twice raced youngster has not shown a great deal at two starts at long odds yet could improve sufficiently to hit the board.
Another Maiden that could resolve itself into a match race is the finale, Race 9 over 1600m. It’s a big field with 15 carded though Andre Nel’s Chance Encounter who is opposed by Glen Kotzen’s filly, Greek Heiress both stand out on their figures.
Chance Encounter makes his second start after a rest and gelding. If building on an encouraging effort behind Set To Music (Greenchoice’s performance out of that form line can be monitored in Race 5) then he should go close to shedding his Maiden tag.
Glen Kotzen is getting his string cranked up for Summer and has been amongst the winners again during early October. He saddles Greek Heiress who got within three lengths of Primal Instinct, a credible try despite experiencing interference. The strength of that Primal Instinct form can also be monitored depending on how Ocean Sky shapes in the 15h00 Maiden previewed earlier.
Punters looking beyond just those two can consider Diogenes, Lomu, Signor Dante, World First and Man of Consequence when constructing single race exotics.
Symphony in White is extremely talented on her day, mixing it successfully with some of the best sprinter/milers around. She resumes 83 days after a dashing try in the 1000m Umgeni Stakes up in KZN, entered by Candice Bass in Race 6, a Progress Plate for fillies and mares.
Obviously, there is always a query when horses make their seasonal debuts with eyes on richer prizes in future. But the classy, Symphony in White sports a fine record racing fresh, has a sharp turn of foot and is nimble enough around these turns.
Stable companion, Scarlet Macaw is respected as she too can zip through the gears. Kinda Wonderful has a shake on back form (her run in the Western Cape Fillies Champs puts her right next to Symphony in White) while Lowveld Lily, a stylish winner of two from four starts steps up steeply in class and needs to prove she can tangle with fillies already proven in higher grade contests.
Miss World is an odd case. Quite how she has only won a single race from 18 starts, despite running some excellent speed figures is a mystery. She need only run back to the form that saw her menace Trip to Maputo, Mai Sensation and Festival Chic to cause a stir from draw 1 in this line-up. And her crafty trainer Greg Ennion saddled very smart and upwardly mobile sprinter, Arctic Wizard to a gutsy victory at Wednesday’s meeting, so a wake up for Miss World might be imminent.
This is a tricky contest – if considering Miss World as a live candidate then Disting must also be taken seriously on their All the Rage clash and good back form in the Olympic Duel Stakes.
Despite the small field (7 runners) it is probably not a race to trim too fine in P6’s and Jackpots.
Outlaw King can give supporters a good sight in Race 7, a 1400m A Stakes. He stayed on purposefully behind impressive, blast-away victor, Questioning in the Race Cast Matchem Stakes Gr 3 over this course and distance three weeks ago. He is consistent, fits just right at this class level and should get the run of the race from draw 2 under Craig Zackey.
In a race where dangerous middle weighted rivals might be short of match fitness (Zeitz, Gallic Dream) and others are marathon runners unsuited to the trip (Holding Thumbs, Master Redoute and Blackberry Malt) Dean Kannemeyer’s entry can seize the opportunity.
The contention does not end there, however. Get Impressed and Let it be Said can get into the fray, whilst Snaith Racing stable mate, best weighted, Royal Aussie with a sky-high official merit rating of 120 is still a force as a six-year-old who is particularly effective over seven panels.
