Persian Silk could be the answer to punters’ prayers in the opening Gold Circle Maiden at Durbanville today.
What everyone is looking for is a horse who is better than the bare form suggests and is available at a better price than it should be – and this filly ticks both boxes.
On her second start, over 1 200m at Kenilworth, she went to the front two furlongs out absolutely cantering. It was quite a way from home to go clear but it looked simply a question of how far. However she weakened in the final 200m to finish third.
Kenilworth three and a half weeks ago was a carbon copy – going easily, leading at the 400m mark only to run out of steam in the closing stages. The only difference was that she finished fourth instead of third.
Clearly the trip was a furlong too far, or she needed to be waited with for a bit longer. This time, though, she runs over a surely ideal 1 000m. Betting World opened her at 22-10 yesterday and that looks generous.
“After the first of those two I said to the jockey that I would put her over five furlongs but he said no,” Glen Kotzen recalls. “Last time I think she didn’t see the two horses on her outside until it was too late but this trip is really going to suit her.”
Kotzen also runs the frustrating Mamselle Al who has started favourite in all her last five starts and is actually a kilo better than Persian Silk on adjusted merit ratings. “I have been trying everything,” says the trainer who took the blinkers off last time. “And now I am running her in cheekpieces.”
Mamselle Al was a 6-1 chance yesterday and the 2-1 favourite was Sandton Rocker who started odds-on here last time but was not suited by being taken on when trying to make it. She is probably better than that last run would suggest but she should not beat Persian Silk
Supercilious’s nine draw will test Donavan Mansour’s talents to the full in race two but she managed third to the talented Icy Fire when drawn just as badly over the same distance at Kenilworth last time and a repeat of that effort would be good enough. However yesterday’s 1-3 is too short considering the draw and punters should only back her if they can get better.
Nebula is drawn eight out of 11 in the Pick 6 Maiden but he stands out after going close on debut when he was backed from 12-1 to 3-1. “I expected him to run well and he did,” says Brett Crawford. “But he ran a bit green and he only got going late. He then had a break but he is doing well.”
Bernard Fayd’Herbe returns after three weeks off and, although he has three rides for Justin Snaith, his best chance is probably on 9-2 chance Exclusive Knight in the 2 000m maiden (race four). This will be the five-year-old’s 30th attempt to win a race but he keeps going close.
“He is perfectly genuine but he just keeps finding one too good for him,” says Piet Steyn. “Three Balloons, who beat him a few races back, was second to Hard Day’s Night on his next start last Saturday. Exclusive Knight has won almost R160 000 in stakes and that’s as much as winning four races.”
But 5-2 shot Eastern Charm comes out 1.5kg better and is preferred. Avail is the 22-10 favourite and his good performances here suggest he will also make the frame.
By Michael Clower
Picture: Glen Kotzen
