Crawford finds a Jewel in the Cape

Jack Milner

Midweek race meetings at Durbanville rarely make life easy for punters but perhaps bettors will be able to rely on an improving filly from the Brett Crawford yard to come to their rescue today.

What makes Durbanville so tough is that as all races take place around the turn, low number draws are of paramount importance. One can often find a runner who has all the necessary form to win but a wide draw will spoil his chances. It is not impossible to win from an outside stall, but a runner will need a lot of luck.

In Race 8, a MR 82 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1400m, Crawford sends out beautifully bred Our Prized Jewel, who is by Duke Of Marmalade out of Our Table Mountain. The dam, who was bred in the USA, was a topclass racehorse and has produced some equally brilliant progeny, including Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain.

Our Prized Jewel has run just twice, winning on debut in January, and then running a 1.35-length third behind On Captain’s Side in March. That last run was at Durbanville so she has at least seen the track and run well there.

She is nicely positioned in barrier No 2, has Greg Cheyne up and if close to her best, will be hard to beat.

The only runner who looks likely to provide a challenge is Vaughan Marshall-trained Caribbean Sunset. This daughter of Captain Al has more experience and has placed in all four starts at Durbanville.

She is also nicely drawn at No 5 but her form is exposed and one wonders how much improvement is still to come.

Take Swingers and Exactas with Our

Prized Jewel!

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 5 Firealley, 9 Innerspace, 2 Bumrah, 4 Desert Illusion

Race 2: 10 Oscar's Winner, 13 Stuck On You, 3 Chile Jam, 11 Respectable Miss

Race 3: 12 Paper Trail, 4 Policy Target, 1 Turn It Up Harvey, 11 Pacific Duke

Race 4: 6 Hurricane Harry, 3 Love Happens, 1 Crome Yellow, 2 Cedar Man

Race 5: 5 Destin, 12 Black Belt, 1 Rockin' Ringo, 6 Gold Medal

Race 6: 2 Dark Crystal, 4 Vodka Lime, 7 Spirit Festival, 6 Ikebana

Race 7: 3 Bad Habit, 7 Queen's Club, 1 Mon Cherie, 2 On Captain's Side

Race 8: 5 Our Prized Jewel, 3 Caribbean Sunset, 9 Meet At The George, 1 Gimme Gimme Gimme

Race 9: 4 Sakura Trick, 14 Wife Of Windsor, 11 Musical Glitch, 2 Ryanair