Jack Milner
The start of the KwaZulu-Natal Champions Season at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday always provides racing fans with some warmth ahead of a cold winter as it provides some really hot racing.
With the exception of a few horses who travelled to other cities to take on some runners in those centres during the season, this is the first time most of the runners from all three major provinces get together and it often does decide the country’s champions.
Three Grade 2 races usher in the official commencement of KZN season and they are The Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, the World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas and the World Sports Betting Guineas, both over 1600m.
To celebrate the start of the season there is a Pick 6 carryover of R1 million with the pool likely to reach R5 million.
While three legs of the Pick 6 look quite difficult, the three feature races might be less competitive and offer some promising bankers. However, the bad news for KZN-based trainers is that all three are dominated by visiting runners.
In fact, of the local trainers only Stuart Ferrie has a runner in the Drill Hall Stakes, just Robbie Hill saddles a runner in the Guineas while there is better representation in the Fillies Guineas with all of Michael Miller (two runners), Wendy Whitehead and Tony Rivalland sending out runners.
Nevertheless, the raiders look likely to win all three races with Tony Peter-trained Main Defender priced up at 7-10 to win the Drill Hall Stakes and Double Grand Slam from the Justin Snaith yard very short at 7-20 for the Fillies Guineas.
The Guineas sees Sandringham Summit, trained by David Nieuwenhuizen, a worthy favourite at 13-10 with Dean Kannemeyer’s Green With Envy at 28-10 and two Snaith-trained runners, Snow Pilot and Hluhluwe at 4-1 and 5-1 respectively.
Sandringham Summit is unbeaten in two starts at the course, winning the Grade 1 Premiers Champion Stakes and the Golden Horseshoe as a two-year-old last season. The son of Gimmethegreenlight comes off wins in the Grade 2 TAB Gauteng Guineas and the Grade 2 Hawaii Stakes and a second place behind Purple Pitcher in the Grade 1 SA Classic, is perfectly drawn at No 2 and is unquestionably the runner they all have to beat.
He has built up a good rapport with jockey Gavin Lerena who is in as good a form as his mount, so many bettors will look to him as a banker in the exotics.
However, he will face Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot and Cape Derby champion Green With Envy, who are no slouches.
Snow Pilot drifted in the betting like a rudderless raft lost at sea in his first run at Greyville so he should improve markedly on his fourth behind Mid Winter Wind. He is well drawn at no 4 and has Richard Fourie up.
But Green With Envy looks the biggest danger. He was desperately unlucky in the Cape Guineas, won the Grade 3 Politician Stakes with top weight and cruised home in the Cape Derby. He is incredibly highly rated by jockey Craig Zackey and although the Daily News 2000 and the Hollywoodbets Durban July are probably his targets, he should run well in the Guineas.
The manner in which Double Grand Slam won the Grade 3 Umzimkhulu Stakes over 1400m at Greyville last time males her impossible to oppose in the Fillies Guineas. In addition, she came off an equally impressive victory in the Grade 3 SplashOut Prix Du Cap over 1400m in the Cape, so that run was no fluke.
Fourie takes the ride, and she does the proverbial “good thing”.
Main Defender has got better as he has matured and his facile victory in the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes over 1600m at Turffontein against older horses last time was superb. He has a record of nine runs, seven wins, a second and a third so he has the form to match.
He too has run well at Greyville with a win in the Non-Black Type Bloodstock SA Sales Cup over 1200m and finished second behind Sandringham Summit in the Grade 1 Premiers Champions Stakes. Clavin Habib knows him well and from No 3 draw looks another Pick 6 banker.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 10 Golden Tatjana, 2 Chocolate Soldier, 9 Pray For Rain, 6 Ndaka
Race 2: 3 Bjorn Ironside, 4 Littleblackgem, 9 Galactus, 2 Twenty One May
Race 3: 9 Sweet Julia, 3 An Air Of Pride, 10 Elusive Belle, 1 Icy Eleanor
Race 4: 1 Her Royalty, 3 Long Street, 8 Sweeter Than Honey, 5 Flying Reign Storm, 6 Cupid's Way
Race 5: 3 Hoodwinked, 7 Basie Raakvat, 8 Iron Monger, 5 Rainbow Of Roses
Race 6: 3 Main Defender, 1 Royal Aussie, 2 Cousin Casey, 9 Al Muthana
Race 7: 5 Double Grand Slam, 2 White Pearl, 4 Rascova, 1 Let's Go Now
Race 8: 2 Sandringham Summit, 3 Green With Envy, 4 Snow Pilot, 6 Mid Winter Wind
Race 9: 4 Golden Peace, 1 Flag Man, 8 Royal Swan Master, 9 Shoot The Rapids
Race 10: 5 Jazz Cafe, 4 African Beat, 10 Petit Verdot, 3 Nightingales Sing
BEST BET
Race 7: 5 Double Grand Slam
VALUE BET
Race 10: 5 Jazz Cafe
BEST SWINGER
Race 6 1x3
BIPOT
R48
Leg 1: 3
Leg 2: 3, 9, 10
Leg 3: 1, 3, 5, 8
Leg 4: 3, 5, 7, 8
Leg 5: 3
Leg 6: 5
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R288
Leg 1: 3, 9, 10
Leg 2: 1, 3, 5, 8
Leg 3: 3, 7, 8
Leg 4: 3
Leg 5: 5
Leg 6: 2, 3
Leg 7: 1, 4, 8, 9
PICK 6
R1600
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Leg 2: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11
Leg 3: 3
Leg 4: 5
Leg 5: 2, 3
Leg 6: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13
JACKPOT 1
R20
Leg 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11
Leg 2: 3
Leg 3: 5
Leg 4: 2, 3
JACKPOT 2
R96
Leg 1: 5
Leg 2: 2, 3
Leg 3: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13
Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10