Jack Milner
After Jet Dark’s flying second place in the Hollywoodbets Durban July, Jonathan Snaith declared the son of Trippi the best weight-for-age horse in the country.
While every trainer loves to boast about their runners, in this case Snaith could be right on the mark.
Jet Dark finished ahead of all but Sparkling Water in the Durban July, giving every runner but Kommetdieding weight. In the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m on Saturday, he will meet them all – other than Kommetdieding – on better terms.
He won this race last year and it is very hard to oppose him from doing the double. Richard Fourie believes this is a one-horse race (see story on Page 5) and he could be right on the mark.
But a race is not won until you are first past the post, and it could be worth looking at Al Muthana as a creditable threat to Jet Dark.
Mike de Kock’s charge beat both Jet Dark and Linebacker in the Gold Challenge over 1600m and that was at level weights.
Then in the Durban July, this Australian-bred son of Deep Field got way behind from his wide draw but still put in the second fastest finish in the race to run eighth, just 2.80 lengths behind Jet Dark.
This time in a smaller field S’manga Khumalo should be able to place him well and he is likely be in front of Jet Dark turning for home. This time he could get first run, as was the case in the Gold Challenge.
Al Muthana is not one to be left out of any exotic bets.
Then we have Kommetdieding. In 2021 the July panned out perfectly for him and Gavin Lerena got him home. This year, he had his heels clipped twice during the race and was just out of the places to finish fifth, only 1.10 lengths behind Jet Dark.
He too will benefit from the smaller field and will run a much-improved race for trainers Harold Crawford and Michelle Rix.
He beat Jet Dark in the Cape Town Met so it would come as no surprise were he to do it again.
Lerena is back in the irons.