Ladysmith to Go The Distance
POTENTIAL: TWO RUNNERS APPEAR STAND-OUT BETS ON DURBANVILLE CARD
Win bet in Race 1 could set punters up for the day.
There appears to be two good bets on today’s Durbanville card and the advantage to punters is the first comes up in Race 1. The benefit of that is not only does one have a BiPot banker but also backing the horse for a Win could subsidise one’s betting for the day.
Trainer Candice Bass-Robinson sends out Go The Distance in Race 1, a Maiden Juvenile Plate for fillies over 1400m, and this daughter of Pathfork looks hard to beat. She has raced three times for three places and after her 2.75-length second behind Carioca over 1200m at Kenilworth last time it was clear a win was not far off.
In that race she lost ground at the start and proved a difficult ride for jockey Anthony Andrews. This time Aldo Domeyer takes the ride.
This will be her first run at Durbanville and she goes the extra 200m for the first time but the faster track and 1400m should be in her favour. What is relevant is that Carioca, who beat Go The Distance last time, went out and won again, franking the form.
On paper the opposition does not look particularly strong but the problem one does have with juveniles is that there can be massive improvement from one run to the next. On that basis the biggest threat could come from Dean Kannemeyer-trained Creme De Menthe, who drifted in the betting on debut last time when a 5.75-length fourth to Carioca. That was in Juvenile Plate at Durbanville and Creme De Menthe received 3kg from the winner so that does give Go The Distance a definite edge on form.
The other good bet on the card comes in Race 5 where Eric Sands saddles Ladysmith. After three poor runs this three-year-old daughter of Main Aim found form and reeled off four consecutive seconds.
As a rule I am not fond of horses who continually fail to get their heads in front, especially as Ladysmith finished second to The Boston Rose last time, another who kept finding something to beat her. However, two winners from five runners have come out of that form line.
Sands could not have found a weaker field and the three-yearold really stands out. In addition, she will have Richard Fourie in the irons and has had the benefit of racing at the course.
On that basis she looks a banker in all bets. An All To Come on the two would not be misplaced.