Jack Milner: How Captain Tatters has not been able to win a second race is unfathomable.
Justin Snaith’s charge won comfortably on debut at Durbanville in April 2019 and has gone on to place in Graded and Listed races. But in 13 starts since, that second victory has eluded the son of Gimmethegreenlight.
One could argue his merit rating of 109 is far too high for a one-time winner but if one considers that in his last start Captain Tatters finished a 0.80-length fourth in the Grade 1 Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m at Scottsville, it does not give the handicappers much leeway to reduce that rating.
Snaith even tried to run him at Fairview and in a Workriders’ Graduation over 1200m at Scottsville but Captain Tatters still found something to beat him.
Hopefully, though, Snaith might have found a solution. He has opted to run Captain Tatters in Race 4 at Greyville on the Polytrack on Monday, a Conditional Graduation for one-and-two-time winners over 1400m.
The five-year-old gelding has run in a Pinnacle Stakes over 1200m at the course and performed well enough when finishing a one-length third behind Chantyman. He has also had one run over 1400m early in his career in the Grade 3 Cape Classic where he ran a 0.40-length second behind Silver Operator.
He raced in blinkers for the first time in the Golden Horse and ran on nicely, so Snaith has retained them for this run. However, he has made two other adjustments – firstly, the addition of a tongue tie, and secondly, the engagement of S’manga Khumalo to ride him for the first time.
Captain Tatters is certainly well weighted to win this race as he is at least 10.5kg better handicapped than any of his opposition.
Only one runner really stands out as a danger, and that is Sir Michael. Dean Kannemeyer’s charge is the next best handicapped runner, and he did run Do It Again to a short head over 1600m on the Greyville turf track.
However, his plight is similar to that of Captain Tatters in that after two wins early in his career, this five-year-old Kingbarns gelding has also battled to find his way to the No 1 box since October 2019.
So, will one of them be able to finally notch up another win or will the race leave punters in tatters?
Jack Milner’s selection
Race 1: 7 Guy Fox, 12 Lucretius, 8 Guiseppi’s Song, 4 Tilmeeth
Race 2: 8 Higher Purpose, 7 Knight Warrior, 3 Caesura, 6 Capriccio
Race 3: 10 Ancient State, 7 Forest Jump, 3 What A Blast, 2 Oden
Race 4: 5 Captain Tatters, 7 Sir Michael, 1 Greenlighttoheaven, 4 Master Of Destiny
Race 5: 1 Flower Of Saigon, 9 Blue Planet, 4 Legislate’s Dance, 7 Magical Midlands
Race 6: 10 Que For You, 1 Cool Apache, 9 You Deserve It, 6 Wintertime
Race 7: 1 Hot Money, 6 Flying First Class, 2 Ice Imperial, 4 Dancing Sword
Race 8: 7 Mystic Master, 4 Don’T Touch Me, 11 Giants Castle, 12 Dawn Raider
BEST BET
Race 5 No 1 Flower Of Saigon
VALUE BET
Race 1 No 7 Guy Fox
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 5×7
BIPOT
R288
Leg 1: 4, 7, 8, 12
Leg 2: 3, 7, 8
Leg 3: 3, 7, 10
Leg 4: 5, 7
Leg 5: 1
Leg 6: 1, 6, 9, 10
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R162
Leg 1: 3, 7, 8
Leg 2: 3, 7, 10
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 1
Leg 5: 1, 9, 10
Leg 6: 1, 2, 6
Leg 7: 4, 7
PICK 6
R1512
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 7, 10, 13
Leg 2: 5, 7
Leg 3: 1
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10
Leg 5: 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 11
Leg 6: 4, 7, 11
JACKPOT 1
R84
Leg 1: 5, 7
Leg 2: 1
Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10
Leg 4: 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 11
JACKPOT 2
R126
Leg 1: 1
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10
Leg 3: 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 11
Leg 4: 4, 7, 11