All the money for Marion Belle
MARION BELLE has already been backed for the Betting World Maiden at Durbanville today and the Brett Crawford filly is now odds-on.
The four-year-old is a Ridgemont Australian-bred and they tend to be good. She was certainly backed as if she was when she made a belated debut at Kenilworth two months ago.
Starting favourite at 15-10, she raced green and she shifted sharply away from the whip when asked to race in earnest but the performance was rather better than her six length-seventh would suggest.
Her trainer has given her plenty of time and she looks the one.
World Sports Betting thought they were taking no chances when they opened her at 16-10 on Sunday but the money has come and she was 9-10 yesterday.
Pumeza
Second favourite at 22-10 and the obvious danger is Pumeza whose form is in the book even though she totally failed to fire when returning from a five-month absence last time. Another with a chance but at a much bigger price (10-1) is Jeovana who was totally unfancied when second to shock 100-1 winner Passion Peach.
Some of those who you might otherwise fancy are drawn wide in the Play Soccer Handicap and that is surely the kiss of death over 1 000m on this course, despite last year’s improvements.
Therefore the vote goes to Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount Over Again at 5-1.
She ran well last time and her rider can be relied upon to make the most of her number two draw.
Lily Theresa
The consistent Lily Theresa (reported blowing hard here on New Year’s Day) and outside-drawn Swift Dancer share favouritism at 33-10.
The 23 December form of Apollo Star and Para Handy was given a significant boost when Doublemint, who beat them, won again on Saturday. Apollo Star (5-1 here) finished a length and a quarter in front of Para Handy (9-1) and he should confirm the placings in the Supabets Handicap as he is a kilo better.
Riding arrangements point to the Crawford newcomers Gimmie A Cohiba and Due Volte in the first but this is a difficult course for unraced horses and What A Summer is given the vote in preference to fellow 28-10 joint favourite L’Histoire.
The in-form Candice Bass Robinson-Aldo Domeyer combination’s newcomer Indian Song is 15-10 favourite for race two but preference is for 9-2 chance Negma whose inexperience cost her dear on debut nine days before Christmas.
She lost a lot of ground at the start and then raced green.
The commendably-busy Lyle Hewitson is back again and he should more than cover the expenses by winning race three on Parisian Gold.