Have faith in Snaith’s runners
JUSTIN SNAITH sets punters a puzzle in the TAB Telebet Open Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow and the champion trainer admits that he doesn’t know the answer.
He runs Bunker Hunt and Knights Templar who both won last time out ridden by Richard Fourie (effectively the stable’s first jockey this season).
Fourie is on Knights Templar tomorrow but he didn’t have the choice of mounts.
“Don’t look at the jockeys. It was my decision who rode which,” says Snaith. Bernard Fayd’Herbe (who rode Bunker Hunt first time out) couldn’t do the weight on either of them and I was lucky that Aldo Domeyer was available. But he can’t do the 53kg of Knights Templar.
“Both that one and Bunker Hunt are very nice horses – one is a Cape Derby horse and the other a Politician type .and either could win.”
Although he wasn’t committing himself Snaith seemed to be leaning marginally towards Bunker Hunt (“There is just something about him”) and in October he was suggesting that this gelding would be one of the best of his come the time of the Cape Derby.
But this is only a mile and Fourie’s mount receives 4kg, the equivalent of four lengths over the trip.
Bunker Hunt gets the vote, albeit only narrowly, and it’s worth noting that the bookmakers (or at least World Sports Betting, the only ones to put up prices so far) have him second favourite at 17-10 whereas his stable companion heads the market at 15-10.
Dennis Drier runs three with stable jockey Sean Veale on 11-2 shot Priceless Ruler who has so far only run in sprints.
Crown And Country (Fayd’Herbe) is on 13-2 and, although considered good enough to run in a Scottsville Grade 1 in May, he has not raced since.
Greg Cheyne rides the third Drier horse, 17-2 chance Hard Core, who has a bit of form but is another who has only run in sprints.
Glen Kotzen runs recent winner Quick Star who is the 12-1 outsider of the party but the booking of the talented claimer Sandile Mbhele brings this one into the reckoning.
There is little to choose between Dragon Power and Empire Glory in the first – the pair are joint favourite at 22-10 while Brave Tiger (a big price at 10-1) is 2kg clear top-rated.
Dragon Power has the advantage of consistency and may just prevail.
Jacqueline went into the notebook, running on well as if she wanted further, and was well-backed on her Cape Town debut.
She had won a barrier trial beforehand and may just get the better of Bella Summer and Fortune Flies in mile Tabonline Maiden.
Dancing Sally is top-rated and well drawn in the mile maiden (race four). She finished well when a 28-1 shot last time and, while you are unlikely to do much better than 14-10 tomorrow, she looks the part.