A ‘Whizz’ at these odds
IT’S never easy for a horse to step into a 92 MR Handicap straight out of the maidens and win – but when they do, it is worth sitting up and taking note. Whizz Of Odds has given out all the signals that she is a filly out of the top drawer, a view that can be confirmed at Hollywoodbets Scottsville today.
Gavin van Zyl acted pleasantly surprised when Whizz Of Odds trotted up in a strong field over the same course and distance last time out but heaped praise on the filly.
“I was happy to be in the first three. That would have been a good run against seven-time winners like Effortless Reward. I must be honest, I was pretty impressed with that.”
Warren Kennedy also sang the filly’s praises and was talking about the SA Fillies Sprint come Champions Season.
The drop in class today and the strength of her win has resulted in a corresponding hike in the weights and the 59kg on her back will prove a searching test but another victory will set her up nicely for the season.
Captain Of Colour
At the other end of the scale and draw is Captain Of Colour.
Johan Janse van Vuuren’s charge took time to shed her maiden but Van Vuuren was not shy to take on males.
She is a filly with plenty of substance and was touched off by the promising High Voltage at her penultimate start.
All her local outings were on the Hollywoodbets Greyville poly but stepping out on the Scottsville turf for the first time she ran out a comfortable winner beating Flaming Lass who has since franked that form.
Apprentice Thabiso Gumede takes 4kg off her back so she will be in receipt of 9.5kg from Whizz Of Odds which is a lot of pudding. The latter is at 5-2 while Captain Of Colour is easy to back at 12-1.
Van Zyl also saddles Wave (15-10) in a Novice Plate and if the gelding can live up to the promise that he showed last season he should prove difficult to peg back.
He made a smart seasonal debut when beaten by the older Goliath Heron last time out and although the blinkers come off he should strip fitter now.
Eden Roc and African Warrior, two of the feature winners that he was up against last season, have not exactly covered themselves in glory this term which is something of a worry as far as Wave’s form goes but they have been contesting features whereas Van Zyl has taken a more cautious route.
Still a maiden, High Voltage (10-1) finished ahead of Wave in the Godolphin Barb Stakes last season but his form from there on was patchy.
He stepped out as a gelding back in November and had a battle royale with the filly Captain Of Colour to shed his maiden.
But his rider had his stick knocked out of his
DO IT AGAIN’S participation in the Sun Met on Saturday fortnight hangs in the balance after the horse’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate run was found to have taken more out of him than normal – and apparently this was due to a delay after the race as much as to the 22 minute hold-up at the start.
Snaith
Justin Snaith said yesterday: “We are doing a lot of things to try and get him ready and we are going to see what his wellbeing is like closer to the race. Much will depend on the next week or so.
“The ten minute wait after the race was something the horses didn’t need and there seemed to be confusion between the course vet and the stipes.
We were waiting for the allclear from the stipes and every time the vet asked if he could let the horses go there was no answer forthcoming. The horses were tired and dehydrated and we wanted to get a hosepipe on them. “What happened makes my job of getting Do It Again
Share Holder
ready for the Met that little bit harder and it just might prove to have been the turning point in whether he runs or not.”
Senior stipe Ernie Rodrigues, who was dealing with another matter while the course vet was waiting for a decision, yesterday confirmed that there was a delay in giving the go-ahead for the horses to leave the parade ring post-race. Soqrat, who finished with only two behind him, has been scratched from the Met while Andre Nel has taken out Kampala Campari, Capoeira, Run Red and Vikram.
Marcus
In contrast Adam Marcus was delighted with the way the winner Vardy came out of the race and said: “You expect a horse to take a day or two to recover after winning a race like that but Vardy was jumping out of his skin and I couldn’t be happier with him.
“Twist Of Fate (fourth) also came through it exceptionally well and Aldo Domeyer feels he will be better suited to the 2 000m of the Met.”
The trainer’s uncle kept punters
hand and the winning margin could have been greater. He raced in some top company last season and the form of his maiden win has been franked.
Share Holder (11-2) and Cavalieri (10-1) are others to consider.
Staying races are often tricky to call given the quality of the runners in KZN but Paybackthemoney (16-10) was narrowly beaten by the much improved stable companion Merlin From Berlin last run and should be good enough to go one better in the fourth.
Greek Sword (5-1) ran a good race first up in handicap company last time out beaten by Victorious happy by winning on his only ride of the day, the superbly bred newcomer Our Prized Jewel who started 9-10 favourite for the 1 200m maiden. The RidgemontHighlands homebred is a half-sister to Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain and to Cloth Of Cloud who won the SA Nursery. The 9-10 shot led two furlongs out and won convincingly. “She hadn’t been tuned up at home and she might take another run or two to learn what it is all about,” said Anton Marcus. “But she is a nice filly, she has ability and I like her.”
Viva Rio
Also odds-on was Cape Guineas runner-up Viva Rio who put up a good performance under top weight in the Tabonline.co.za Progress Plate with Morne Winnaar’s mount scoring by two and a quarter lengths.
“This should have been an 1 800m race going towards the Cape Derby (Feb 22) but they changed the programme and put it back to a mile,”said Glen Kotzen.” Viva Rio is a proper horse and the Derby is where he is heading.”
Man and Clouds Of Witness.
He has come well since arriving in KZN from the Cape and this trip should suit. Of the balance, Impact Zone (12-1) was only a length behind Paybackthemoney when last they met and has been coming to hand again while MJ Odendaal has given notice that his yard is finding form with Quick Star winning the last on Sunday.
He saddles Wildlife Safari (20-1) who has been a little disappointing at his last two but this trip will suit and the tongue-tie goes on.
Top of the Computaform speed ratings is nineyear-old Crime Victim (12-1), probably the only horse still racing that shed his maiden at Clairwood Park.