Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

JJ's Ready For Dingaans Blastoff

David Thiselton
This year’s renewal of the R440 000 Grade II Steinhoff South Africa Dingaans is a race for the purist as some potential superstars clash on level terms.
The ruling favourite at 5/2 is the Lucky Houdalakis-trained J J The Jet Plane who will be ridden by Jeff Lloyd, the trainer having made a fairytale start to his training career while the jockey is looking for a fairytale end to his career in South Africa.
“I don’t like to get ahead of myself but he’s got to be a runner,” said Houdalakis about the ultra-impressive son of champion sire, Jet Master. “We’ve taken it step by step and we will arrive there and hopefully get the present. You have to respect the horses with the big reputations like Lubricator and Hamlool. I’m not a great believer in times but J J The Jet Plane ran the Turffontein inner 1400m nearly two seconds quicker than Lubricator. In work I haven’t really got anything to compare him too but just looking at him on his own he is doing well.”
The Sean Tarry-trained Kilcoy Castle is next best on the boards at 7/2 and faces J J The Jetplane on 2kg better terms for a 2,5 length beating over 1400m. That last run was his first for three months though and he should not only come on from it but should appreciate the step up in trip too having finshed second in a Group I over 1600m at Clairwood as a juvenile.
The Weiho Marwing-trained Lubricator, a R2 million purchase by Jallad, has been very impressive in two starts and gets a good draw for the first time. He is on offer at 4/1.
“We have taken it one step at a time and so far everything has gone well for him,” said Marwing. “He’s up in class but I’m hoping for a decent run. J J The Jetplane looks a very good horse and so does Hamlool and you have to respect Kilcoy Castle as he has run second in a Group I before.”
The Mike De Kock-trained Hamlool who beat the well regarded Sean Tarry-trained Acheron by 3,75 lengths last time albeit when receiving 1,5kg, and the Geoff Woodruff-trained Profit Report, who has a Grade I second over 1400m and a Grade I fourth over 1600m to his name, are bracketed at 6/1.
“Both Hamlool and Imbongi are very well,” said Mike De Kock’s assistant trainer, John Buckler. “Hamlool will be better suited to the standside track. Imbongi got left a bit at the start last time and can improve on that performance although I’m not sure whetrher he can beat Hamlool. I think J J The Jet Plane and Lubricator are the ones to beat.”
The Geoff Woodruff yard appears to be going through a bit of a rough patch with horses running below form and two horses scratched on Saturday for viral infections.
Profit Report’s stamina reserves do also seem a bit stretched by the 1600m.
Dominic Zaki’s progressive Eddington is by Model Man and has a wonderful female line being out of a Mr Prospector mare who is a full-sister to the English 2000 Guineas second-placed Lycius.
“His preparation has gone very nicely,” said Zaki. “I’m very pleased with him and he should be a big runner. He has faced a lot stronger older horses than any of the other three-year-olds have faced and beaten them. He’s improving, we haven’t seen the best of him yet. A mile is his minimum at the moment and he will go a lot further in time. We have a good crop of three-year-olds this year and I think Lubricator and Hamlool are the two to beat.”
Lion’s Blood is the final one of the fancied runners and is at 10/1. Trainer Tyrone Zackey’s horses are always spot on for the big races though and he faces J J The Jet Plane on 4kg better terms for a 4,75 length beating.
“I think he’s one of the big runners,” said Zackey. “The standside track should suit him and he doesn’t have to give weight away this time. He’s come on in leaps and bounds since his last run. I think he can win. J J The Jet Plane won quite well last time and Geoff Woodruff always has a horse that’s on the up so Profit Report is a danger too.”

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