The KZN Champions Season gathers momentum this Saturday with two Grade 1 contests and a mega R1-million carryover to the TAB Pick 6 on the Durban meeting. The ready-made Pick 6 banker is trainer Dean Kannemeyer’s star colt Green With Envy, one of the hottest Daily News 2000 favourites in recent years. That this is potentially a five-legged Pick 6 may not translate into a low payout because the other five legs are trappy and just one upset can produce a big return. There’s also good racing globally including the Irish 2000 and 1000 Guineas at the Curragh. An exciting Listed sprint starts the action at Fairview this afternoon.
Trainer Alan Greef’s excellent sprinting filly Three Rocks is four from six over 1000m and has home ground advantage in Race 7, the Listed Milkwood Stakes. But she will have a race on her hands with Cape raider Candy Town, another speedy sort who is better off at the weights for their meeting in the Southern Cross Stakes last December. Her trainer Andre New reported this week that she is in good form, likely to enjoy Fairview and ready for a tilt at first prize. Three Rocks gets a narrow vote because of her proven suitability to the track.
Karl Burke’s Royal Rhyme, a Listed winner last September, is a short-priced favourite for the Listed William Hill Festival Stakes over 2000m. He’s a lightly-raced colt and the only runner in the field to have won over the tricky course and distance.
Six-year-old Lim’s Dreamwalker signalled a return to his capable best when running on well from a deep draw to finish second in a Class 4 Handicap over 1200m last month. He subsequently trialled well a week ago. Lim’s Dreamwalker drops to a Class 5 contest in Race 9 over 1400m, his favourite distance. He has an inside draw this time and could resume winning ways. The meeting starts at 06:30.
Green With Envy is on a roll following wins in the Grade 3 Politician Stakes, the Grade 1 Cape Derby and the Grade 2 KZN Guineas. Trainer Dean Kannemeyer said this week that his Hollywoodbets Durban July favourite is maturing and added: “All’s gone well in his preparation and we look forward to the race on Saturday!” No doubt about it - it will take a good horse to stop him and he ranks a banker in a carryover Pick 6 pool likely to total well over R3 million!
Silver Sanctuary found 2450m too far in the SA Oaks last month. She’ll be much better suited to the 2000m journey of the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000 (Race 6) and looks poised to frank her good form to star stablemate Gimme A Nother who is soon to be exported. With the recent Highland Night Cup as a guide, Peter Muscutt’s stayer Down To Business is best weighted in the Listed Lonsdale Stirrup Cup.
SUGGESTED R7,280 PICK 6 (R728 for 10%):
Leg 1: 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14
Leg 2: 4, 6, 7, 10
Leg 3: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9
Leg 4: 5
Leg 5: 4, 6, 8, 10
Leg 6: FIELD (1-13)
The Betfred Temple Stakes over 1000m (Race 2) is the first of two Group 2 features at the Merseyside track. Last season’s Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes winner Live In The Dream races well fresh and is the horse to beat. The unbeaten Vandeek has not been in action since a win in last September’s Group 1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes, but should carry too many guns in Race 3. There’s also racing at York where trainer Ralph Beckett’s River Of Stars looks the value bet in Race 4 over 2800m. She has been rested since last August, but won this race last year when she came off a similarly long rest.
Field of eight for the Irish 2000 Guineas and it’s hard to look beyond Rosallion, runner-up to Notable Speech in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket last month. Stablemate Haatem was nearly two lengths behind Rosallion in the Guineas and will need plenty of improvement to turn the tables.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien rolls out promising River Tiber for his first run of the season and the three-year-old has the potential to make a bold bid. He will be fit enough to do himself justice and the bigger concern is whether he will stay the distance.
Talented Straight Arron contests the Grade 1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup over 2400m following below-par runs in the Dubai Turf and the QEII Cup, but trainer Casper Fownes is expecting a strong showing. With only seven Hong Kong runs under his belt, the former Australian galloper tackles Hong Kong’s premier middle-distance performer Romantic Warrior in the HK$12-million feature. Fownes said: “He’s going to strip fitter again at this distance, going back-to-back will help him. We made the entry, we looked at the race and thought ‘You know what, let’s see if we can run a good race’, which I’m sure he will.” The meeting starts at 06:45 and a wet track is expected.
Two well-performed runners from trainer Justin Snaith’s yard - five-year-old Pacaya and three-year-old Rapidash - could fight out Race 8, the Grade 3 Pocket Power Stakes over 1950m. There was 1,50 lengths between them when Pacaya beat Rapidash in the Jet Master Stakes over 1800m this month and they meet on identical terms. However, the younger horse was running hard at Pacaya that day and gaining at the finish. He’ll be fitter now and could turn the tables over the extra 150m. On a line of recent form through Time For Love, in-form Lucinda Woodruff’s My Flower Fate looks the right choice in Race 7, the Listed Stormsvlei Stakes over 1800m.
The third and last day of the Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival with four Group races on the card, notably the Group 1 Gold Cup over 2100m (Race 4) and the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas over 1600m (Race 5). The Hong Kong Jockey Club World Pool tote will be in operation on Races 4 and 5 only and all TAB Win, Place, Exacta, Quinella, Swinger and Trifecta bets on these races will be commingled into the Hong Kong pools.
Group 1 Betfred Derby and Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Auguste Rodin will want to put a disappointing run in the Group 1 Sheema Classic on Dubai World Cup night in March behind him with a comeback win in the Gold Cup. Trainer Donnacha O’Brien’s Porta Fortuna, runner-up in the recent 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, looks a serious contender in the Irish equivalent.
Here’s great news for TAB Jackpot fans - Jackpot ONE pools on SA race meetings next Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be boosted by carryovers totalling R1.5 million.
* Fairview Fri 31 May: R250,000 Jackpot ONE carryover - likely pool R1 million!
* Hollywoodbets Scottsville Sat 1 June: R1,000,000 Jackpot ONE carryover - likely pool R3 million!
* Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Sun 2 June: R250,000 Jackpot ONE carryover - likely pool R1 million!