Justin Snaith could get his KZN campaign off to a flying start tonight at Greyville’s Byerley Turk meeting, a traditional curtain raiser to the South African Champions Season.
Victorious Jay (Liesl King)
Snaith could win both the Byerley Turk and Umzimkhulu Stakes with a pair of classy sorts in Baritone and Bela-Bela respectively.
Baritone was a comfortable winner of a 1600m race on J&B Met day and strikes as one who will get better as he gets older. The Greyville 1400m should be suitable running fresh, although the wide draw on this tight track is a concern. If he doesn’t win he is still likely to make an impact during the Champions Season.
Victorious Jay weaved his way through traffic in the CTS Million Dollar over this distance to finish a narrow third, having earlier finished close up in both the Gr 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas and Selangor Cup. He is officially the best treated at the weights so will be a tough nut to crack from a good draw.
Beat The Retreat was a convincing 5,5 length winner of a Progress Plate over 1300m here last time out and is officially second best in at the weights. From a tricky draw of seven he will be hoping for the same fast pace he got last time.
Budapest runs well fresh and is ideally distance suited so also has a chance.
Beat The Retreat (Nkosi Hlophe)
His stablemate Redcarpet Captain has class and is distance suited but apparently a haemo-concentration problem has surfaced and he is under a cloud after being beaten 12,75 lengths by Beat The Retreat last time out, having finished 2,8 lengths behind Victorious Jay in the Million Dollar before that.
Mambo Mime has always possessed class and is interesting with blinkers on over a step down in trip from pole position.
The jockey reported something amiss with Bunker Bill last time and at his best he could play a part, while Spanish Captain is still unexposed but strikes as a classy sort.
Baritone is predicted to mow them down late and win from Victorious Jay, Beat The Retreat, Budapest and Mambo Mime.
In the Umzimkhulu the always highly regarded Bela-Bela proved how good she was when running a three length third behind two world class fillies in Smart Call and Inara in the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m. She has a wide draw of ten, but should enjoy running fresh over this trip and is 3kg better off with any other horse in the field.
Budapest (Liesl King)
Flying Ice could pose a threat as one who will be race fit, ideally course and distance suited and drawn in pole. She had to continually switch outward in the Gr 3 Prix du Cap last time out before finally seeing daylight 200m out and she then flew up for an unlucky second to Cuvee Brut. Furthermore, her trainer Neil Bruss has started off his KZN campaign well.
Star Express was not far behind stablemate Bela-Bela in the Paddock Stakes and her class might pull her into a place, despite topweight and the trip being on the sharp side.
Taffety tart also has a wide draw but will likely be running on strongly. Killer Woman showed class in her last two wins on the Greyville turf over 1600m and 1800m respectively and Bella Sonata won well over 1300m here last time, but both have wide draws. Joan Ranger has to be respected from a good draw with Marcus up, although her last start pointed to her possibly being a sprinter.
Bela-Bela is the selection from Flying Ice with Star Express, Taffety Tart and Killer Woman next best.
Earlier, the progressive three-year-old filly Nightingale runs in a MR 76 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1600m and is likely to have too much class for the local contestants running fresh over a trip shorter than ideal. However, the other two Cape horses Secret Seven and All Mine are likely to relish the course and distance and could pose threats.
Mambo Mime (Nkosi Hlophe)
In race one over 1400m on turf Roy’s Rolls Royce caught the eye last time staying on well at Scottsville over 1600m and should beat this field with Marcus up despite a wide draw and the trip probably being a touch sharp. However, first-timer Winter Is Coming is by Dynasty out of a mare who won the first two legs of the Zimbabwe Triple Crown against the boys and was Gr 3 placed in South Africa, so betting moves must be monitored.
In race two Jayrista will likely attempt to steal it from the front due to his wide draw. Cause Celebre and Willowgrange will be closing in and it could be a tight finish.
In race six Let’s Go West ran well last time out over this polytrack 1600m course and distance and has the same top 4kg claiming rider up albeit from a wider draw. He wasted a lot of energy trying to find a position last time and this time will likely be taken to the front. He is having only his second start for the Craig Eudey yard and they expect him to win as he is “very well and moving beautifully” but they also believe he is looking for further.
In race seven over 1900m on the poly the Australian-bred Gypsy Pirate caught the eye staying on strongly on debut over 1400m, having been outpaced early, and will relish this step up in trip so looks hard to oppose.
By David Thiselton
