Snaith runners dominate Mile

Jack Milner

After having been postponed twice as a result of inclement weather, the restructured Cape Winter Series will hopefully take place on Monday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

The Winter Series has been opened to runners of all ages and that has resulted in some interesting races.

The first legs of the Winter Series are the Listed World Sports Betting Sweet Chestnut Stakes over 1400m for fillies and mares and the Grade 3 World Sports Betting Variety Club Mile.

To add more interest to the meeting, the Grade 3 Champagne Stakes over 1200m will also be run.

All three races are run at base weights plus penalties, and it is Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Marina who comes up as the best weighted runner in the Sweet Chestnut Stakes. However, 1400m is a touch on the short side for this daughter of Silvano and no doubt this race is just a prep for a bigger event coming up.

However, this looks the perfect opportunity for Brett Crawford-trained Happy Chance to pick up some Black Type. She finished a 3.55-length fifth behind stablemate Make It Snappy in the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and made a promising comeback run, finishing a 2.05-length third over 1200m.

She was beaten 3.05 lengths by Ciao Bella in the Guineas but is now 3kg better off and that will bring them close together. Louie Mxothwa takes the ride.

Justin Snaith-trained Ciao Bella looks the main danger. Her comeback run was in the Grade 1 Majorca Stakes over 1600m where she was beaten seven lengths by Desert Miracle.  

She gets a tongue-tie for the first time and has Richard Fourie up.

While with fewer runners now than originally carded, Snaith still has five of eight runners in Variety Club Mile and they should dominate the outcome.

Three-year-old Without Question, with Richard Fourie up, could be the right one. The United States gelding finished third in the Grade 1 Cape Derby over 2000m behind Say It Again and Charles Dickens and might well enjoy the drop back to 1600m.

Others to consider are WSB Cape Met third Pomp And Power as well as Gem King, who won the first two legs of the Winter Series last year.

Perhaps the best bet of the day comes up in the Champagne Stakes where Grade 2 Diadem Stakes winner over this course and distance, Bereave, lines up once again. He meets a number of runners he faced last time and in most cases is actually better weighted so should confirm the form.

Gavin Lerena rode the Adam Marcus-trained runner last time and he will be back aboard on this occasion.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 7 Below Deck, 12 Ticket To Vegas, 4 Woman's World, 6 Glittering Garland

Race 2: 10 Monumental, 8 Four Jacks, 11 Kyomai, 2 Avignon

Race 3: 7 Bardolino, 3 Impetuous, 6 Gimme More Time, 5 Thunder Master

Race 4: 8 Spywing, 4 Where's The Party, 3 Symphony Of Light, 10 Ma Black

Race 5: 1 Happy Chance, 9 Ciao Bella, 3 Kwinta's Light, 8 Marina

Race 6: 2 Bereave, 9 Mr Cobbs, 8 Rio Querari, 3 Countdown

Race 7: 4 Without Question, 5 Pomp And Power, 6 Gem King, 3 Itsrainingwilliam

Race 8: 4 Montien, 6 Narina Trogon, 7 Future Swing, 12 Sugar Mountain

BEST BET

Race 6 No 2 Bereave

VALUE BET

Race 4 No 8 Spywing

BEST SWINGER

Race 3 3x7

BIPOT

R162

Leg 1: 4, 7, 12

Leg 2: 8, 10, 11

Leg 3: 3, 7

Leg 4: 3, 4, 8

Leg 5: 1, 3, 9

Leg 6: 2

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R324

Leg 1: 8, 10, 11

Leg 2: 3, 7

Leg 3: 3, 4, 8

Leg 4: 1, 9

Leg 5: 2

Leg 6: 4, 5, 6

Leg 7: 4, 6, 7

PICK 6

R900

Leg 1: 3, 6, 7

Leg 2: 3, 4, 7, 8, 10

Leg 3: 1, 3, 9

Leg 4: 2

Leg 5: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 6: 4, 6, 7, 11, 12

JACKPOT 1

R60

Leg 1: 3, 4, 7, 8, 10

Leg 2: 1, 3, 9

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 3, 4, 5, 6

JACKPOT 2

R60

Leg 1: 1, 3, 9

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 3, 4, 5, 6

Leg 4: 4, 6, 7, 11, 12