Silva to go for gold in Betting World 1900
Elusive Silva has come back from a layoff of nearly a year firing on all cylinders and is a worthy favourite for the R500,000 Betting World 1900 (Grade 2) over 1900m at Greyville on Friday.
Justin Snaith’s charge won the Winter Derby at Kenilworth, hurting himself on the line, and was not seen out until the Sledgehammer over 1800m at Greyville last month.
He made short work of beating Helderberg Blue by 1.75 lengths in that race and bookmakers have priced him up 5-2 favourite for Friday’s race.
The Betting World 1900 is one of the major preparatory races for the country’s most prestigious races, the Vodacom Durban July in about six weeks’ time, and Betting World is offering 5-1 the double – a Win in Friday’s race into a Place in the Durban July.
Elusive Silva is currently 15-10 favourite a place in both races. The corporate bookmaker is paying out four places on both races.
Snaith said yesterday: “Elusive Silva is doing very well, but we’ve had a lot of rain. I think I’ve got in everything I needed, but whether I’m right or wrong is a question. Training horses in KwaZulu-Natal has been a bit hit and miss in recent days. I’ve done what I can.
“If all goes well in the Betting World 1900 and he gets a nice weight for the July - after all it’s not always about who’s the best horse, it’s about the best-weighted horse - he’ll have a very good chance in the big one. “But it’s far away still, the July.” Snaith’s other two horses in the Betting World 1900 are It’s My Turn and Prince Of Wales. They are 9-2 third and 11-2 fourth favourite respectively in Friday’s race. Second favourite is Master Switch, from the Geoff Woodruff stable.
Last year’s Cape Derby winner It’s My Turn is coming in off a rest. His last run was in the Sun Met in which he finished eighth behind Whisky Baron.
“He may need this a little to get back to where he was,” said Snaith. “He’s doing well at home and to my mind he’s the dark horse in the July.
“I’d say he’s best at 2000m and upwards but he won’t have a problem over 1900m in soft ground.
“Prince Of Wales ran a very good race last time (when a twolength third behind Elusive Silva in the Sledgehammer). He had no chance from the second-widest draw and had to be dropped out to last. He didn’t quicken as well as Elusive Silva but came from further back and at the weights (being 1kg better off), must come into the equation.”
Snaith is happy with how his Durban winter season is proceeding, saying: “Nothing is ever plain sailing but the few hiccups we’ve had are all manageable. Everything we’re doing here is geared towards the Durban July. Every year is the same, we come to win the July because otherwise the season’s a bust – I go home broke.”
Betting World’s doubles betting (Betting World 1900-Durban July):
15-10 Elusive Silva (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
5-1 Its My Turn (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
5-1 Elusive Silva (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
7-1 Master Switch (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
7-1 Elusive Silva (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
8-1 Prince Of Wales (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
14-1 Banner Hill (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
19-1 Its My Turn (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
19-1 Elusive Silva (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
24-1 Its My Turn (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
24-1 Master Switch (Win BW 1900 & Place D July
30-1 Prince Of Wales (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
34-1 Master Switch (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
37-1 Prince Of Wales (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
37-1 Ten Gun Salute (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
52-1 Macduff (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
52-1 Tilbury Fort (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
52-1 Jubilee Line (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
64-1 Banner Hill (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
71-1 Banner Hill (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
84-1 Its My Turn (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
107-1 Master Switch (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
135-1 Rocketball (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
147-1 Prince Of Wales (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
189-1 Ten Gun Salute (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
194-1 Copper Pot (Place BW 1900 & Place D July)
227-1 Ten Gun Salute (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
318-1 Banner Hill (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
554-1 Macduff (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
554-1 Tilbury Fort (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
554-1 Jubilee Line (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
678-1 Macduff (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
678-1 Tilbury Fort (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
678-1 Jubilee Line (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
704-1 Rocketball (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
815-1 Rocketball (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
1,008-1 Copper Pot (Place BW 1900 & Win D July)
1,139-1 Ten Gun Salute (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
1,331-1 Copper Pot (Win BW 1900 & Place D July)
3,500-1 Macduff (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
3,500-1 Tilbury Fort (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
3,500-1 Jubilee Line (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)
4,234-1 Rocketball (Win BW 1900 & Win D July)