Three-year-olds favoured in Derby and Oaks

Jack Milner

The Grade 2 Track And Ball Derby and Grade 3 Track And Ball Oaks over 2400m top the card at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Saturday and although open to horses of all ages these days, the younger set could show up their older rivals.

The conditions for the races are weight-for-age plus penalties and that certainly favours Senso Unico in the Derby.

Vaughan Marshall has always had a high regard for the three-year-old gelding, but he has performed just below the top runners in three-year-old features.

The son of Twice Over ran a decent race in the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 when fifth behind some of the top-rated horses of his age in the land and comes into the Derby as the best handicapped runner by at least 5kg.

This could be his time to grab a Graded feature and from draw No 1, should give jockey Sean Veale a big win.

The only concern is that he has yet to prove he will see out 2400m, but he has run over 2000m in top company and has not performed badly. In fact, he could be looking for this sort of trip these days.

The next best weighted runner is four-year-old Salvator Mundi from the Justin Snaith yard. He will have to give 3kg to Senso Unico but one thing he does have in his favour is no stamina doubts.

In fact, he could be looking for even further these days and could be a possible Gold Cup candidate. The son of Dynasty will be ridden by S’manga Khumalo.

If one likes Salvator Mundi, one also has to have respect for Frank Robinson-trained Decorated. The four-year-old Global View gelding finished 0.50 lengths in front of Snaith’s runner in the Grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup over 2400m but is now 1.5kg worse off.

In front of both of them, though, was Chewbaca. He was 0.90 lengths ahead of Decorated and now meets him again at level weights but is also 1.5kg worse off with Salvator Mundi for 1.40 lengths, so there is very little to choose between the three.

Luck in running could very well be the factor that separates them this time. Muzi Yeni rides Decorated while Gareth Wright is aboard Andre Nel-trained Chewbaca.

An interesting runner is Dean Kannemeyer-trained Silvano’s Timer. He is among the 33 remaining entries for the Hollywoodbets Durban July and will need to win this race to have any chance of making the final field.

Spring Fling ran second to Airways Law last time, giving him 4kg. Airways Law then went on to win the Grade 3 Cup Trial convincingly and has since been supplemented into the Durban July.

That must bring Glen Kotzen-trained Spring Fling into the reckoning for this race.

She’s A Keeper came back to form with a bang when winning the Listed East Coast Cup over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville last month and she will have lots of supporters in the Oaks. However, the five-year-old mare has not won beyond 2000m, and she has landed a wide draw.

Three-year-old Light Of The Moon loves this trip, has finished a close-up second to decent fillies – Rain In Holland and Silver Darling – in two Grade 1 races and will get 4kg from She’s A Keeper.

Yeni is in irrepressible form and he should guide this Barend Botes and Yolande Vosloo-trained filly to another victory.



Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 4 Totally Rocks, 16 Lady Heist, 8 Jazzbella, 2 Aditi

Race 2: 2 Ensuing, 10 Boundless Bash, 3 Blackberry Malt, 6 Greenlight Magic

Race 3: 7 Sleek As Silk, 3 Forged In Ice, 10 Girl Of Tregunter, 12 Feeling Groovy

Race 4: 7 Forgotten Time, 13 Intrepid Act, 2 Giants Castle, 12 Phantomoftheforest

Race 5: 1 Fateful Mistress, 14 Hot Strike, 2 Grue Of Ice, 7 Alittlebitnaughty

Race 6: 1 Senso Unico, 7 Silvano’s Timer, 6 Spring Fling, 10 Chewbaca

Race 7: 6 Light Of The Moon, 12 She’s A Keeper, 3 Pink Tourmaline, 4 Follow The Star

Race 8: 7 Tempting Fate, 12 Coin Spinner, 2 Mount Pleasant, 8 Socrates

Race 9: 5 Joshua Hotsnake, 1 Botz, 6 Letaba, 13 Good Queen Bess

Race 10: 12 Cabinet Shuffle, 7 Jet Cat, 3 Irontail, 2 Two Of Us



BEST BET

Race 2 No 2 Ensuing

VALUE BET

Race 9 No 5 Joshua Hotsnake

BEST SWINGER

Race 7 6×12



BIPOT

R192

Leg 1: 2

Leg 2: 3, 7, 10, 12

Leg 3: 7, 13

Leg 4: 1, 2, 7, 14

Leg 5: 1, 6, 7

Leg 6: 6, 12



PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R216

Leg 1: 3, 7

Leg 2: 7

Leg 3: 1, 2, 14

Leg 4: 1, 6, 7

Leg 5: 6, 12

Leg 6: 7, 12

Leg 7: 1, 5, 6



PICK 6

R1920

Leg 1: 2, 7, 12, 13

Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 7, 14

Leg 3: 1, 6, 7, 10

Leg 4: 6, 12

Leg 5: 2, 7, 12

Leg 6: 1, 5, 6, 13



JACKPOT 1

R120

Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 7, 14

Leg 2: 1, 6, 7, 10

Leg 3: 6, 12

Leg 4: 2, 7, 12



JACKPOT 2

R120

Leg 1: 6, 12

Leg 2: 2, 7, 12

Leg 3: 1, 5, 6, 13

Leg 4: 2, 3, 5, 9, 12