Dollar Dazzler went off at generous odds of 12-1, considering his wins in his previous two starts had appeared to prove that he was coming into his own. Punters must have ignored his outstanding record down the Turffontein straight. He won his maiden over Saturday’s course and distance by 10,5 lengths in March last year in just his second career outing. His next start down the Turffontein straight saw him defeated over 1100m, but that was in a Gr 3 and the horse that beat him by a mere 0,25 lengths at level weights was none other than Trip Tease, who is today one of the highest rated sprinters in the country. Dollar Dazzler’s only subsequent start at Turffontein before Saturday saw him powering home by four lengths in a MR 88 Handicap over 1000m despite carrying topweight.
He was therefore worth every inch of his 96 merit rating on Saturday and under the handicap conditions had as good a chance as any.
The Sean Tarry-trained Willow Magic was backed into even money, not surprisingly, as this horse had beaten the top class Red Ray when winning the Gr 1 SA Nursery over Saturday’s course and distance and his two recent runs suggested he was over the injury that had put him out for over a year after his Investec Dingaans win. However, he was fractious at the start and was never travelling well before fading out to finish 11,5 lengths back. This run will put a dampener on his Gr 1 Computaform Sprint engagement, which was to be his Autumn target. However, the highly professional Tarry yard will soon identify what, if anything, went wrong on Saturday and address it, so he can’t be discounted for the Computaform just yet.
Dollar Dazzler would likely be outgunned by the like of Captain Of All in a weight for age Gr 1 like the Computaform, but he has the profile of a Gr 1 Golden Horse Casino winner, which is a handicap event. In fact he could make it three years in succession that a gelding by Var has won the Golden Horse. Last year’s Golden Horse winner was the three-year-old gelding Normanz, who carried 53kg off a merit rating of 101. The race was won in the previous year by the three-year-old gelding Contador, who carried 53,5kg off a merit rating of 100. Dollar Dazzler is likely to be given a merit rating of around 101 after Saturday’s win.
Normanz and Contador are two of five Vars that have won a Gr 1 at Scottsville. The strength of the Vars at this course is their ability to kick off a strong pace. They have continually been seen to have the ability to free wheel at high speed down the hill and then nullify the effect of the uphill in the last 500m with their powerful finishes. Normanz led before kicking away from them last year. However, Dollar Dazzler is probably closer in racing style and conformation to Contador. On Saturday he was up with the pace throughout and kicked nicely. He got stronger and stronger the longer the race went and won easing up by 1,75 lengths.
The runner up Moofeed was 0,5kg under sufferance and third-placed Greasepaint is merit rated only 93, so they will battle to get into the Golden Horse field.
Dollar Dazzler is the third foal of the stakes placed four-time winning Joshua Dancer mare, Isla Bonita, who won up to 1400m. He was a R525 000 National Yearling Sale purchase and is owned by MC Gerber and JF and LMF Wernars.
