SANSA STARK gets a chance to shed her Maiden tag in Race 5 at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Thursday. Piet Botha’s runner is drawn 10 of 13 over 1400m so Keanen Steyn will need fast reflexes to overcome that hindrance and secure an advantageous position into the bend. The daughter of Erupt has placed against decent rivals, dropping down to a low level, an Open Maiden could finally get the job done.
Other well-tried Maidens, TRUE HORIZON (12 starts), JET GREEN (13 starts) and UNITED WE STAND (20 dips already) are on similar retrieval missions for their connections.
A bigger threat to the selection is posed by JET TO THE SUN who placed second, 4.5 lengths off Gr2 winning stablemate, Double Grand Slam on her debut at this course in March 2023 but has been beset by health issues since then and is lightly raced. LUCKY THIRTEEN can be added to wider plays as she rates a length or so off SANSA STARK on the Lickety Split form line.
MIDWAY and JACK IN THE GREEN have contrasting running styles, and it will be interesting which tactic prevails in Race 6, a Maiden over 1800m. MIDWAY likes to press the pace and is drawn low (2) to do just that on a course that usually plays favourably to handy types, especially when the surface is soft.
He gave promising stayer, Daimyo a scare back in April and last time looked a winner before Kwite a King ran him down.
JACK IN THE GREEN was well beaten in that same race, but that was below his capabilities if compared to previous good starts behind Baton Rouge and Aladdin’s Lamp. MIDWAY will try to stretch them out yet must watch out for a late dart from stretch runner, JACK IN THE GREEN. These two should lock up Leg 3 of the P6.
Often-placed, ETOILEFILLANTE and the unexposed, Andre Nel entry CONGRESSMAN rate next best.
Race 7 is a brain teaser and wide cover is advised in the Picks. FLYING V may offer some each way value despite a burden of 62kg’s and a wide a draw of 11 in this tightly matched 13 runner Class 4 for Fillies and Mares over 1250m.
An aptitude for the wet is in her favour (she was on very heavy-going last winter), with a drop-in class accompanied by slight relief from the handicapper as she tumbles from a high of 90 down to an OMR of 84. She may be able to slot in midfield before running on into the money, but it will require plenty of luck for things to fall so neatly into place.
It’s rare for this correspondent to select a horse that has clocked in dead last at his two most recent starts and has a lowly win rate of just three successes from 55 starts. That has been the fate of the unsound, WORDWORTH but he need only run somewhere close to his best, which he could well do fresh on a soft surface, to contend in Race 8 where the average merit rating is a rock bottom 58.
He might also have an edge in sustained speed over other chronic long- term losers like XPLICIT CONTENT (last won 433 days ago), TAMBOURINE MAN who took 13 tries before exiting the Maidens, and SI VELOCE (tongue tie fitted) who now finds himself in the Cape after previously battling to make an impression on the Highveld and in KZN.
e is not one to hazard the rent money on given his overall record and physical quirks. But if veteran horseman Greg Ennion has patched his charge up sufficiently and the gelding with appealing back form goes a generous price in the betting market then he could be worth a speculative each way tickle in this Class 5 1000m scurry.
