Jack Milner: Jockey Grant van Niekerk is unstoppable at the moment and he could provide punters with a banker on a really tricky Durbanville card on Tuesday.
Coming off a four-timer on Sunday, Van Niekerk teams up with trainer Vaughan Marshall in Race 4 where he rides Contact Zone in this MR 94 Handicap over 1600m.
The son of Captain Of All is one of a strong brigade of three-year-olds from the Marshall yard, and after two wins, both over 1600m, and three places from six starts, he earned his right to run in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas.
He showed a lot of early pace but did not find a finish and ended up in 10thspot, but beaten just 5.35 lengths by Russian Rock. The average merit rating of that race was 105 while in today’s event it is 90.
His lone run at Durbanville was in a Maiden Plate which he won, beating Essos by 1.50 lengths.
Van Niekerk gets the ride for the first time and from No 4 draw looks hard to beat in this line-up.
However, Aldo Domeyer also has some competitive mounts on the card and he could well be the jockey to follow.
He kicks off the meeting with Irish-bred filly Long White Cloud for Eric Sands. The word appears to be out for this Wilgerbosdrift-owned imported daughter of Cable Bay, and she has been priced up favourite at 2-1.
Of the raced runners, Gillian Anne from the Peter Wrensch stable could prove best. However, this is not the strongest of fields and that could favour Long White Cloud.
Hat-trick seeking Duplicity looks capable of completing a hat-trick in Race 2. She is on the up, is unbeaten over 1600m and looks likely to follow up before a possible tilt at the KZN winter season.
Domeyer could also close off the meeting with a double. He rides Ballroom Bliss in Race 7, a MR 94 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m for Candice Bass-Robinson.
Her story is similar to Contact Zone. She contested the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas, showed pace but faded out to finish 6.60 lengths behind Captain’s Ransom.
The daughter of Twice Over then capitalised on a drop in class when well supported in the betting she won her last start under Domeyer. Based on average merit ratings this race is even a further drop in class and from No 1 draw, Ballroom Bliss could follow up.
Again, like Contact Zone, this filly has won at Durbanville and that is always a positive for any runner who comes to this course.
Domeyer could cap a good day in Race 8, a MR 80 Handicap over 1000m, where he rides Captain Dizzy for trainer Piet Botha.
The son of Captain Of All was gelded prior to his last run and that did the trick, as he ran out a convincing 2.50-length winner over Camps Bay, who franked the form by shedding his maiden at Durbanville on Sunday.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 4 Gillian Anne, 7 Long White Cloud, 2 Galiek Yo Baby, 6 Regards To All