We preview the upcoming South African horse racing action between Monday 17th to Thursday 20th September 2018. Racing starts at Flamingo Park on Monday, Durbanville on Tuesday, Scottsville on Wednesday, and Vaal on Thursday. Also get eMeM’s best bets for the week here.
Big Tuesday For Snaith?
Last season’s sensational Gr1 centurion Anton Marcus was the standout performer of the weekend with four well taken winners on an afternoon dominated by favourites at Scottsville on Sunday.
‘Superman’ has ridden 20 winners this term and his win strike-rate of 27% and place performance of 25% keeps him in the top echelon of riders to follow.
Championship log leader Justin Snaith had a quiet day at Durbanville on Saturday by his own high standards of performance. But he gave a hint that his eleven runners at the Country Course on Tuesday will be worth following and we can expect the power team to bounce back.
He saddles a quartet of runners in the first race. With Richard Fourie engaged to partner Mumtaz, the Visionaire filly looks the right one after two fair places.
Their Captain Al gelding Ernesto steps out in the second. He has had three runs, with his best being a placed effort (albeit a well beaten one) at his second start. He could prove some value here.
The grey Kalahari Ninja ran on well at his second start and with Durbanville experience under the belt takes on Ramsden’s Consul Of War in the third.
Snaith and Fourie team up again in the fourth with the unbeaten Silver Maple going for three on the bounce. The former Geoff Woodruff runner has not run for 45 weeks but watch the betting. He looks decent.
Snaith’s recent maiden winner Rip It Up takes on eight rivals in the sixth race. He made his debut at Durbanville in early August and was only beaten by inexperience. He beat subsequent winner Shadowing at his next start.
A past Durbanville winner, Streetfighting Man rounds off the Snaith-Fourie assault in the seventh. The Australian-bred 4yo won well last time and can follow up, despite carrying top weight.
The week gets under way today at the popular sand centre of Flamingo Park, where ten well subscribed races are sure to get the pulses racing in 30 degree sunshine weather.
Royal Stag can build the Bipot kitty in the first. The son of Kildonan has been improving steadily and must go very close.
Muzi Yeni rode a nice double at Scottsville on Sunday and he is always a man to follow in the Diamond City. With a full card of rides he will be going in to all of our exotics and can get the fairly consistent Koncealed home in the third.
A really high quality Pinnacle Stakes heads the eight race programme at Scottsville on Wednesday. After the favourite party on Sunday, lightning seldom strikes twice and it may pay to exercise some caution here!
Muzi Yeni and Duncan Howells can get us off to a winning start in the first with the aptly named Pickawinner looking ready to win. He has shown decent form at Scottsville and unless there is a market springer, he could be the right one.
The high quality 8yo London Call carries top weight in the Pinnacle Stakes where he goes for his 12th win at his 24th start. A real soldier, he runs well fresh and will be a popular pick to hold Wynkelder. It will be interesting to watch the return of Duncan Howells’ Daisy Fillies Guineas star Fiorella, who makes her seasonal debut after running unplaced in the Durban July.
After a slightly disrupted meeting at the same venue last Thursday, we race on the Vaal Classic track on Thursday with the Workriders opening the eight race menu. However, due to unseasonal conditions, namely late winter frost and overdue spring rainfall – a course inspection will be undertaken at the Vaal later today in respect of the meeting scheduled for the Vaal on Thursday 20 September. Should the course be deemed unsuitable, the meeting will be moved to the Turffontein inside track.
The 1000m Workriders Maiden Plate has a mix of colts and fillies and it is a member of the fairer sex that catches the eye. Sam Mosia throws a leg over Paul Peter’s Awayinthewoods, who, the first-timers aside, takes on a modest bunch.
In the seventh race, the bang in-form Ashley Fortune team try again with the overdue Pachanga. The daughter of Mambo In Seattle gets the services again of Cape Champion Jockey Aldo Domeyer and will be keen to shed her bridesmaid tag after five consecutive seconds.
Her main opposition looks likely to come from the Azzie’s Stormborne Thunder, who appears to suffer from a similar mental block as Pachanga – having run four consecutive seconds! Logic suggests we go all in on the exacta. But things are never that straightforward.
We will hear the final field line-up for the Grand Heritage on Wednesday and there is plenty of speculation as to who will make the cut for the final field of 28.
Have a big week and plenty of fun finding the winners!
Till next time.
Winning Form: eMeM’s Tips
Flamingo Park (17/09)
Race 2 – BETTY DAVIS (8)
Jockey: Ryan MUNGER – Trainer: Stephanie MILLER
BETTY DAVIS has finished runner-up in all three of her local starts to date and holds strong claims of going one better despite the awkward barrier.
Durbanville (18/09)
Race 4 – ORAKAL (2)
Jockey: Aldo DOMEYER – Trainer: Mike ROBINSON
ORAKAL continues to improve and impressively beat the consistent SPECTRA FORCE over this c & d five weeks ago. He was raised three pounds in his merit rating and is 2.5kgs worse off with the latter but is now unbeaten from three efforts on this country track and certainly seems to have more to offer.
Scottsville (19/09)
Race 3 – CAPE BLUEBELL (7)
Jockey: Warren KENNEDY – Trainer: Gavin VAN ZYL
CAPE BLUEBELL showed smart improvement when she stayed on for second over this c & d second time out. She was returning from a short absence but was in turn just under three lengths ahead of the next-placed entrant and of course, that formline was given an almighty boost by the sixth-placed subsequent runaway winner Ooh La La. The daughter of Trippi is well drawn at gate three and should continue to improve.
Vaal Classic (20/09)
Race 5 – PARISIENNE CHIC (1)
Jockey: Randall SIMONS – Trainer: St John GRAY
This is another intriguing handicap where the drop in distance will perfectly suit the six-year-old mare, PARISIENNE CHIC who was far from disgraced in mixed company a fortnight ago. Of course, she was close up behind the emerging stayer SAILOR GIRL over this trip in July and is now 4kgs better off with her conqueror
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