Danie Toerien
About a month ago, Highveld-based trainer Paul Peter made the news when he cut defending champion Justin Snaith’s lead in the amount of stakes won to R1-million.
Well, Peter’s 28 winners since the beginning of March compared to Snaith’s 13, has not only seen that deficit wiped out, but has ensured that Peter leads the championship table with R14,5-million in stakes won, a lead of more than R1-million over his Cape Town rival.
Peter’s most impressive win was on Saturday at Turffontein with MK’s Pride in the Wilgerbosdrift HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, with prize-money for the winner totalling R625,000.
This state of affairs will most likely ensure that the race for the title goes down to the wire in the KZN season, and racegoers can look forward to the two heavyweights, one from the north and the other from the south, giving it their all.
Snaith, however, will undoubtedly try to nibble away at Peter’s lead at every available opportunity and that first chance comes today at Kenilworth, where he looks set for a threesome.
Although best described as a fairly mediocre event with a rather small purse up for grabs in every race, every bite will help to keep Snaith in touch.
In Race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies over 1200m, Snaith saddles a significant quartet, and he will probably be shouting yes! after his filly Say Yes crosses the finishing line.
This daughter of Gimmethegreenlight, with Grant van Niekerk in the saddle, is one of several likely improvers after a pleasing 1100m debut.
Stable companion Distinction, with S’manga Khumalo aboard, should improve over the extra 200m with the benefit of a run under her belt.
In Race 2, a Maiden Juvenile Plate over 1200m, Itsrainingwillliam is the most experienced of the 12 runners in the line-up.
This two-year-old William Longsword colt, bred and owned by Drakenstein Stud, was green on debut when third over 1100m and again showed signs of inexperience when hanging in badly at Durbanville over 1250m, his first start around a turn.
Returning to Kenilworth and racing up the straight should be to his liking.
In the lucky last, a Middle Stakes over 1100m, Aldo Domeyer will be aboard the Snaith-trained Captain’s Knot.
A winner on debut, this gelding has been a touch erratic in his next nine runs but should show his class in this field. Potentially a graded winner, it’s time for him to step up to the plate and produce the goods.