Drier’s three-pronged attack
IT’S the North versus South matchup everybody is talking about – Hawwaam against One World.
Both are unbeaten and both are being talked about as superstars.
The pair have been entered to run in the Grade 1 Cape Guineas on Saturday, December, 15, in what promises to be an exhilarating event.
Vaughan Marshall-trained One World is unbeaten in five starts and has shown tremendous courage in his last two especially, when he looked beaten.
Mike de Kock trains Hawwaam who has only raced twice for two wins. His first was in the much-publicised no-whip race and the second was in the Grade 2 Dingaans.
In the latter, dropped out from a bad draw, he cut a swathe through the field to win by 3.40 lengths.
Both have pulled wide draws –11 for One World and 14 for Hawwaam.
It doesn’t end there as Chimichuri Run, Soqrat, Twist Of Fate, Van Halen and Cirillo have all shown topclass ability, while Majestic Mozart has huge scope for further improvement. The WSB Fillies Guineas could be more of a straight shootout, where Candice Bass-Robinson’s proven class act Clouds Unfold faces off against Brett Crawford’s Front And Centre, who is yet to face a serious challenge in her three starts.
Gauteng raiders Celtic Sea, Ghaalla, and Dagmar are others to consider, as well as Temple Grafin.
There are two other Graded other features on a fine day of top racing.
The Grade 2 Premier Trophy over 1800m is an established lead-up race for the Sun Met. The Grade 3 Victress Stakes is over the same trip for females, and last year’s Sun Met heroine, Oh Susanna, is a notable entry.
JUSTIN SNAITH sets punters a puzzle in the TAB Telebet Open Handicap at Kenilworth today and the champion trainer admits that he doesn’t know the answer. He runs Bunker Hunt and Knights Templar who both won last time out ridden by Richard Fourie (effectively the stable’s first jockey this season).
Fourie is on Knights Templar here but he didn’t have the choice of mounts.
“Don’t look at the jockeys. It was my decision who rode which,” says Snaith.
“Bernard Fayd’Herbe (who rode Bunker Hunt first time out) couldn’t do the weight on either of them and I was lucky that Aldo Domeyer was available.
“But he can’t do the 53kg of Knights Templar. Both that one and Bunker Hunt are very nice horses – one is a Cape Derby horse and the other a Politician type -.and either could win.”
Bunker Hunt
Although he wasn’t committing himself Snaith seemed to be leaning marginally towards Bunker Hunt (“There is just something about him”) and in October he was suggesting that this gelding would be one of the best of his come the time of the Cape Derby.
But this is only a mile and Fourie’s mount receives 4kg, the equivalent of four lengths over the trip.
Bunker Hunt gets the vote, albeit only narrowly, and it’s worth noting that World Sports Betting have him second favourite at 16-10 whereas his stable companion heads the market at 15-10.
Dennis Drier runs three with stable jockey Sean Veale on 9-2 shot Priceless Ruler who has so far only run in sprints.
Crown And Country (Fayd’Herbe) is on 13-2 and, although considered good enough to run in a Scottsville Grade 1 in May, he has not raced since.
Greg Cheyne rides the third Drier horse, 10-1 chance Hard Core, who has a bit of form but is another who has only run in sprints.
Glen Kotzen runs recent winner Quick Star who is the 12-1 outsider of the party but the booking of the talented claimer Sandile Mbhele brings this one into the reckoning.
There has been some support for Snaith’s Augustina in the first but on form there is little to choose between Dragon Power and Empire Glory.
Brave Tiger, already backed from 10-1 to 13-2, is 2kg clear top-rated. Dragon Power has the advantage of consistency and may just prevail.
Jacqueline went into the notebook, running on well as if she wanted further, and was well-backed on her Cape Town debut. She had won a barrier trial beforehand and may just get the better of Bella Summer and Fortune Flies in mile Tabonline Maiden.
Dancing Sally is top-rated and well drawn in the mile maiden (race four).
She finished well when a 28-1 shot last time and, while you could only get even money yesterday, she looks the part.