Jack Milner: Trainer Justin Snaith expressed his confidence that Pinkerton would win a feature race in KwaZulu-Natal during the recently completed winter season.
That did not happen, but now back in Cape Town, the five-year-old Dynasty gelding can finally realise his trainer’s prediction when he contests Race 6 at Kenilworth today.
While this is not a feature event, it is still a competitive Pinnacle Stakes over 1400m.
Pinkerton may well have been the victim of wide draws in two of his last three races. He had it all to do from barrier No 12 in the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m and had the same issue in his next start over 1600m at Greyville.
However, he was better positioned in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the Polytrack where he stayed on nicely to run third, beaten just 0.55 lengths by Cat Daddy.
A peek at his record indicates that 1400m is his best distance as four of his seven wins have been over the trip. Factor in his performances at Kenilworth over 1400m and you will see he has won four of his five starts.
Grant van Niekerk recently reclaimed the Western Cape’s champion jockey title, which he first won back in 2014, and he has picked up the ride on Pinkerton for the first time.
His main threat could come from another 1400m specialist in Snow Report. Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge has a record of three wins and two places in seven starts over the trip and has won two of four starts over the distance at Kenilworth.
Anthony Andrews has the ride on the five-year-old What A Winter gelding.
The other key runner is Vaughan Marshall-trained Captain Of Stealth. He has not achieved the great heights expected of him after two scintillating wins in his first two starts. That is as the result of an injury which had him out of racing for 17 months, but he is still quite capable of winning a race of this nature.
Keagan de Melo takes the ride.
Van Niekerk also has a number of other winning opportunities. He will be aboard Piet Steyn-trained Gem King in Race 3, a Maiden Plate for three-year-olds over 1200m.
Gem King backed up a promising debut effort with a fast-finishing third over 1000m when last seen and the Master Of My Fate colt should enjoy the extra 200m this time and reward his followers.
This is quite a competitive card but perhaps Van Niekerk could be aboard the best bet of the day when he rides Dyanne in Race 8, a Maiden Handicap over 1950m.
This Andre Nel-trained daughter of Dynasty looks one of the better bets on the card after consecutive seconds, including one over this course and distance two starts back.