Gold Circle Pty (Ltd)

Today's Racing :

Select The Star to shine

David Thiselton

The racemeeting at Clairwood today (Wednesday, March 10) will likely see some favourable results for punters with good weather now prevailing in the Durban and Pietermaritzburg areas.
The Fever Tree Handicap, a non-Black Type feature race over 1 450m, is the main event on the card. The Duncan Howells yard is in good form having had three winners from their last six runners. He could have another here with the grey Announce five-year-old, Select The Star. He is an ultra consistent gelding having earned a cheque in 15 of his 18 starts. He shifted sharply late on in the Christmas Handicap over 1 600m at Clairwood and then ducked out in the Michael Roberts Handicap over 1 800m at Scottsville. The latter indiscretion likely cost him the race and this might have been why his normal cheek pieces were swapped for blinkers in his last start in a Pinnacle Plate over 1 600m at Scottsville. He ran a creditable third there but after being more handy than usual he lacked a finishing kick. The cheek pieces are now back on.
He is drawn very well and it will be interesting to see how he goes over this slightly shorter than normal trip as he has been in the front close to home in a number of his runs off his current 84 merit rating without winning them.
Muzi Yeni retains the ride. The Glen Kotzen-trained Don’t Tell Titch is ideally suited to this distance. The Kotzen Summerveld yard’s strike rate has been a bit down in recent weeks and this would be the only concern as he is drawn well with Sean Cormack aboard. The Michael Roberts-trained Zidane’s Gold is a talented sort who won his penultimate start when stepped up from a succession of sprint distances to the 1 400m. That was the second 1 400m race he had won and it might now be his optimum trip. He is drawn in pole position with Felix Coetzee up. He is three points higher in the merit ratings since his last win, but should be a contender considering he ran just 1,5 lengths behind the exciting three-year-old Jet Command over 1 200m in his last start off this mark. He was running on well after being slowly away in that race.
Hopefully that run will herald a more consistent performance.
The Doug Campbell-trained Duntroon won here just over two months ago for his third course and distance win in six attempts. He clearly not only loves this course and distance but is also 3kg better off with Select The Star for a mere 0,15 length beating when they bumped in April last year over 1 600m at this course. From a draw of two Duntroon would clearly not be a surprise winner considering all the positives above, although he will have to prove he is truly back to form after being below par from about June last year until his last win.
The rest of the field don’t make too much appeal and the selection is Select The Star to win from Don’t Tell Titch with Zidane’s Gold and Duntroon next best.

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