Jack Milner
Two runners who won Grade 1 Classic races in the Western Cape make their return to racing at Durbanville on Saturday.
Chansonette, who made her name when upsetting Desert Miracle to win the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth last December, has not been seen in action since January when she had to play second fiddle to Horse-Of-The Year Captain’s Random in both the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes and Grade 1 Majorca Stakes.
In both races she was just touched off by Justin Snaith’s star filly and no doubt trainer Andre Nel will be delighted Captain’s Ransom will not be going for a third successive win in the Grade 3 Diana Stakes over 1400m at Durbanville on Saturday.
Although she has not run for nine-months Chansonette looks way better than her opposition and comes into the race remarkably well treated at the weights. Under the race conditions she is at least 5.5kg better weighted than any of her rivals and has to be a banker in all bets.
The Grade 3 Matchem Stakes sees the return of Cape Derby champion Pomp And Power who has not raced since finishing unplaced behind Sparkling Water in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.
Snaith Racing had great expectations for their charge ahead of the KwaZulu-Natal season but after a promising start when third in KZN Guineas, the Vercingetorix gelding became his own worst enemy. He was a tearaway in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and once in the straight started to hang right across the track and was beaten into second by Safe Passage.
He produced the same bad behaviour in the Durban July and perhaps is just one of those horses – ala Gatecrasher - who prefers to run on a left-handed track.
It will be interesting to see how he performs in this 1400m race and because of his class, it could be unwise to leave him out of the exotics.
But this looks an open race and there could be some value in this race going with Vaughan Marshall-trained Silver Operator. He has not raced since filling seventh spot in the Grade 1 Gold Challenge, only beaten 2.75 lengths by Al Muthana. The six-year-old gelding did finish a 0.50-length second in this race last year behind stablemate Seeking The Stars and has won a Pinnacle Stakes and the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes, both over 1400m, beating re-opposing Russian Rock.
Van Niekerk has the ride and he could be in line for a feature-race double.
The main threat could come from Trip Of Fortune who is highly regarded by trainer Candice Bass-Robinson and is unbeaten at Durbanville and also love this distance. Aldo Domeyer does put up 1kg overweight which could be an issue.
Of course, Russian Rock, although beaten by both Silver Operator and Trip Of Fortune, has a weight advantage with both runners so Dean Kannemeyer’s charge cannot be ignored. The only issue is that he battles to get his head in front where it matters.
Interestingly, the Pomodoro gelding has been reunited with jockey Grant Behr, who rode him to an upset victory in the 2020 Cape Guineas.
Kannemeyer-trained Cosmic Highway, with Keagan de Melo up, also needs to be included in bigger perms.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 11 Red Sash, 4 Trippi T, 5 Gypsy Express, 9 Rock On Tommy
Race 2: 8 Giacomo Puccini, 6 Dean Street, 3 Love In Winter, 2 Seeking The One
Race 3: 2 Gimme's Laddie, 14 Max The Otter, 4 Donder Storm, 1 State Of Shock
Race 4: 6 Red Kite, 9 Turn The Page, 7 Tuscany, 1 Hundredfifthavenue
Race 5: 3 Jazzbella, 9 Jam Jam, 2 Flying First, 11 Sunlit From Heaven
Race 6: 4 Future Girl, 7 Gimmeafirst, 6 Butterfly Beauty, 3 Gimme's Lassie
Race 7: 6 Chansonette, 5 Santa Maria, 7 Tipsy Tarragon, 4 Kwinta's Light
Race 8: 4 Silver Operator, 7 Trip Of Fortune, 9 Pomp And Power, 10 Cosmic Highway
Race 9: 5 Michael Faraday, 8 Cheeky Laddie, 4 Superior Leader, 10 Beerenberg
BEST BET
Race 5 No 3 Jazzbella
VALUE BET
Race 8 No 4 Silver Operator
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 2x14
BIPOT
R64
Leg 1: 2, 3, 6, 8
Leg 2: 2, 14
Leg 3: 1, 6, 7, 9
Leg 4: 3
Leg 5: 6, 7
Leg 6: 6
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R192
Leg 1: 2, 14
Leg 2: 6, 7, 9
Leg 3: 3
Leg 4: 4, 7
Leg 5: 6
Leg 6: 5, 7, 9, 10
Leg 7: 4, 5, 8, 10
PICK 6
R1008
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Leg 2: 3
Leg 3: 4, 6, 7
Leg 4: 6
Leg 5: 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10
Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10
JACKPOT 1
R18
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 4, 6, 7
Leg 3: 6
Leg 4: 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10
JACKPOT 2
R126
Leg 1: 4, 6, 7
Leg 2: 6
Leg 3: 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10