SNAITH’S CHARGE HEADS UP STRONG FIELD FOR GRADE 1 GOLD CHALLENGE
Jack Milner
Jet Dark and Linebacker will have their final warm-up race for the Hollywoodbets Durban July when they line up for the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge on Saturday.
This Grade 1 race over 1600m will be run on the turf course at Hollywoodbets Greyville.
While one would imagine Linebacker’s main mission is the Durban July over 2200m on Saturday 2 July, the Gold Challenge has to be on Jet Dark’s radar as one of his main missions for the winter season in KwaZulu-Natal.
Both had a season curtain raiser in the Grade 2 Drill Hall Stakes last month and Jet Dark, in particular, should have come on well since that outing.
Justin Snaith’s charge has tremendous form over 1600m, having won the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate at Kenilworth for two successive years. He did win the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m at Greyville last year, so he does perform at this track and he does come in as the best-weighted runner.
One should not put too much store into his unplaced run in the Drill Hall Stakes as the son of Trippi usually needs his first race after a rest.
Another runner for whom this race will be at the top of his assignment list is MK’s Pride. He won the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein in April and although he has yet to win at Greyville, he has placed at the course on a couple of occasions.
Unfortunately, jockey Muzi Yeni will have to deal with the widest draw of all at No 12.
Early betting
17-10 Jet Dark
9-2 Linebacker
8-1 Al Muthana, MK's Pride
9-1 Silver Operator
11-1 Russian Rock
12-1 Supreme Warrior
13-1 Prince Of Fire
16-1 Crown Towers
25-1 Bingwa
28-1 Chimichuri Run
30-1 Eden Roc
Final field for the R1.25-million Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge (Grade 1)(weight-for-age) over 1600m
1 - 1 PRINCE OF FIRE (J J van Vuuren) W Kennedy 58.5 - 110
2 - 2 BINGWA (J J van Vuuren) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 117
3 - 3 SILVER OPERATOR (V H Marshall) C Zackey 60.0 - 119
4 - 4 RUSSIAN ROCK (D Kannemeyer) K de Melo 60.0 - 118
5 - 5 AL MUTHANA (M F De Kock) R Fourie 60.0 - 122
6 - 6 CROWN TOWERS (J S Snaith) R A Venniker 60.0 - 117
7 - 7 LINEBACKER (V H Marshall) G van Niekerk 60.0 - 126
8 - 8 EDEN ROC (S G Tarry) J P v'd Merwe 60.0 - 111
9 - 9 JET DARK (J S Snaith) S Khumalo 60.0 - 130
10 - 10 SUPREME WARRIOR (M/A Azzie) G Lerena 58.5 - 117
11 - 11 CHIMICHURI RUN (S G Tarry) C Habib 60.0 - 115
12 - 12 MK'S PRIDE (P A Peter) M Yeni 60.0 - 122
Same Trainer: (1,2) (3,7) (6,9) (8,11)
Final field for the R250,000 East Coast Radio Tiibouchina Stakes (Grade 2)(Fillies and Mares at Weight For Age + Penalties) over 1400m
1 - 1 SWEET FUTURE (M/A Azzie) S Khumalo 57.0 - 110
2 - 2 HOMELY GIRL (J J van Vuuren) K de Melo 55.5 - 104
3 - 3 ECSTATIC GREEN (S G Tarry) G Lerena 57.0 - 99
4 - 4 OSCAR'S WINNER (W A Nel) G van Niekerk 57.0 - 90
5 - 5 LOOK YOURSELF (P F Matchett) J P v'd Merwe 55.5 - 94
6 - 6 MARINA (C Bass-Robinson) C Zackey 57.0 - 118
7 - 7 BOLD ACT (M F De Kock) R Fourie 55.5 - 103
8 - 8 SUPREME QUEST (C Spies) M Yeni 55.5 - 108
9 - 9 THUMBS UP (J J van Vuuren) K Matsunyane 57.0 - 106
10 - 10 ZARINA (C Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 - 116
11 - 11 MOUNT LAUREL (W Whitehead) C Habib 57.0 - 108
12 - 12 KWINTA'S LIGHT (J S Snaith) W Kennedy 55.5 - 102
13 - 13 KEEP THE LIGHTS ON (J S Snaith) R A Venniker 57.0 - 96
Same Trainer: (2,9) (6,10) (12,13)