No Rainbow Bridge in Winter Derby

Doublemint, winner of the Grade 3 BMW Politician Stakes in January and more recently third to the unbeaten Rainbow Bridge in the Winter Classic, heads the 13 first entries for the R250,000 Highlands Stud Winter Derby (Grade 3) over 2400m at Kenilworth on Saturday 30 June.

The colt is trained by Justin Snaith who has also entered Winter Classic fifth-placed Love Happens and Magnificent Seven. Snaith is bidding for his third consecutive win following Elusive Silva in 2016 and African Night Sky last season.

Joey Ramsden, successful with Major Bluff in 2003, Set To Music (2004) and Liquid Mercury in 2015, has entered Ancestry who was seventh in the Winter Classic, Rock My Soul and the filly Fresnaye who bounced back to form in the Listed Highlands Stud Stormsvlei Mile. Earlier in the season she was third in both the Cape Fillies Guineas and the Paddock Stakes.

Not that many fillies run in the Winter Derby but the Riaan van Reenen-trained Sweet Virginia was successful in 2005.

Candice Bass-Robinson has the biggest hand with four headed by Pacific Chestnut who was only ninth in the Winter Classic. Interestingly the winner of the Winter Derby had run in the Winter Classic in only three of the last six seasons.

Bernard Fayd’Herbe has been the most successful jockey in recent years winning on Winter Series winners Pocket Power (2006) and African Night Sky as well as on Liquid Mercury. Grant van Niekerk has won the race twice – on Nysean Bolt in 2011 and on Gifted For Glory two years later.

The draw is not expected to have much effect over this distance.

Supplementary entries close on Friday 22 June with declarations on 25 June.