Marshall’s best kept ‘Secret’
THE SECRET IS OUT looks nailed on for the Supabets Conditions Plate at Durbanville today even though she has been off for over four months.
Good enough to win the Allan Robertson at two, she returned to the scene of that triumph in May to finish only two lengths behind Carry On Alice when third in the South African Fillies Sprint.
On adjusted merit ratings she has 5.5kg in hand, she has had a gallop and Vaughan Marshall confirms that she should be fit enough to do herself justice.
MJ Byleveld’s mount was opened odds-on at 17-20 by World Sports Betting yesterday and 7-2 second favourite is Gold Image who has not raced since winning at Scottsville in the last week of July.
“She hasn’t galloped but she is very quick and I think she will be competitive,” says Glen Kotzen.Clifton Sunset (9-2) is the one closest to the favourite on ratings and this is her first race of the season.
“She has been doing very well and she will be fit enough to run competitively,” says Brett Crawford who adds: “Obviously she will improve from whatever she does here.” Red Light Girl (6-1) is the filly with the fitness advantage having taken a less than three-length fifth to last Saturday’s Diana winner Goodtime Gal in a Pinnacle at Kenilworth.
That form reads well now and, while theoretically she has no chance with the favourite on the book, she could well go close.
Scandola
Scandola (8-1) is quite useful but she should not win.
The Marshall-Byleveld combination have a good chance of taking the first three races and in the first 17-10 favourite Red Eight is given marginal preference over What A Summer whose form reads marginally better but is badly drawn.
Red Eight, second in his last three, fought it out with Johnny Black in the final furlong of a decent maiden here ten days ago and a line through the winner suggests he can account for 13-2 chance Love Of India.
Star Of London’s promising debut four weeks ago would make her most appealing in the TAB Telebet Maiden were it not for her 17 draw.
That looks the kiss of death and gives her considerably less chance than her 4-1 price would suggest.
Marshall’s 5-2 favourite Believe this beauty, on the other hand, has a midfield draw and her experience may be enough to gain a reasonable start and get the better of 15-4 shot Spam Alert.
Race four is tricky and difficult to predict.
Maybe Cape Extreme (28-10) will just be good enough although it is worth noting that the Ramsden-trained Sunset Clause (5-1) wears blinkers for the first time.
Hithimagainchuck should justify 14-10 favouritism in race seven and 35 minutes later Know The Ropes (3-1) can make it three in a row for Andre Nel.