R4m Pick 6 pool for Greyville
RECORD: DO IT AGAIN AND OH SUSANNA HAVE THE BEST FORM GOING INTO THE TWO GRADE 1 RACES
Oh Susanna stands out as best banker in potential R4-million Pick 6 pool.
Aglance at the winners of the Grade 1 Daily News 2000 and the Woolavington 2000 for three-year-old fillies will prove most of the winners have gone on to make their mark in the world of racing.
This year the two horses who stand out in the Daily News over 2000m at Greyville Racecourse in Durban tomorrow are Do It Again and Surcharge. The verdict narrowly goes to Do It Again because he has raced and won at Greyville. Trained by Justin Snaith, who is on course to win his second Champion Trainer title, Do It Again pulled off a minor surprise when winning the Grade 2 Daisy Guineas over 1600m at the course last time out.
It was considered to be a “surprise” not because he lacked the ability, but rather because he was having his first run in more than three months and many pundits felt it would be too short for him. There is no doubt he will improve over this distance and will also be helped by jumping from No 1 draw. In addition, he has a top jockey aboard in Bernard Fayd’Herbe and is one of the three best-handicapped runners.
Surcharge has run 10 times for five wins and four second places. Three of those runner-up berths came in the SA Triple Crown races where he finished second in the Gauteng Guineas over 1600m, the SA Classic over 1800m and the SA Derby over 2450m. Unfortunately for this Stuart Pettigrew-trained runner he landed wide draws in all three races but on this occasion finally landed a decent barrier position and will jump from draw No 5.
Regular jockey Piere Strydom is injured and was unable to take the ride but will be replaced by Gunter Wrogemann who has found a second wind in his career and is riding better than ever.
Once you look past those two the race opens up even further. Pack Leader is viewed by trainer Glen Kotzen as a leading contender for the Grade 1 Vodacom Durban July but his preparation for the R4.25-million race suffered a setback when he came down with a mysterious illness Kotzen but the symptoms disappeared as quickly as they came. In order to get the programme back on track Kotzen has decided to run Pack Leader in this event and will be looking for a forward run.
The Woolavington appears to be at the mercy of Oh Susanna.
“She is doing amazingly well at home,” said trainer Justin Snaith, although he does have one reservation as the Australian-bred daughter of Street Cry has not raced since winning the Grade 1 Sun Met over 2000m at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town on 27 January. “Going straight into a 2000m Grade 1 race after a long rest won’t be as easy as people may think,” pointed out Snaith.
If one is looking to beat her then the main dangers have to be Chariot Of Gold, Fiorella and Lady In Black.
There is a R1-milllion carryover added to the Pick 6 pool with it forecast to reach R4-million, Snaith’s charge looks the best banker on a very tricky card.