Zubbadubbadoo well priced for sixth victory
THE remarkable Zubbadubbadoo attempts to make it six wins from nine starts in the Racing.It’s A Rush Handicap at Kenilworth tomorrow and, although this is a hotly competitive handicap, he is attractively priced at 4-1.
Corne Orffer’s mount scored by a length and a half last time and was raised five points (2.5k) which is roughly the equivalent of the winning distance. As he has such a high strike rate you would expect the handicappers to have given him a bit more. Furthermore he appeared to win with something in hand.
“He has done well since but five points is quite a bit,” cautions Brett Crawford (pictured) who also provides one of the main dangers in Sail South.
Worlds Sports Betting opened this one at 11-2 yesterday when Zubbadubbadoo eased from 7-2 to 4-1.
Also on 11-2 is Kingvoldt who looked considerably higher class than this at one stage and for whom gelding ended his haemo-concentrating problems. He has been dropped three points for his last run and it’s his third run after a rest. So is he pretty near right? “He should be,” answers Justin Snaith. “No excuses now and it’s time for him to live up to his reputation.”
Blarney Bay (8-1) will ensure a strong pace but he tends to get touched off in the closing stages on this fast ground and 6-1 shot Blackmore could be a bigger threat, particularly as he had to overcome a slow start last time and went up only a kilo for his win.
”This race is tougher but when he puts his best foot forward he can run,” says Dean Kannemeyer. “He’s got to have a chance.”
Kannemeyer also runs his 2014 Gold Vase winner Hot Ticket who is a 20-1 shot here and is having a prep for the J& B Jet Stayers on Met day. “I’m a bit on the back foot with him. He’s fat after getting a virus,” reports the Milnerton trainer.
Eighth Wonder (8-1) is the only threeyear-old in the field. He won the Cape Classic but had no luck in the Selangor or the Cape Guineas.
“Everything went wrong last time – he is far better than that,” says Greg Ennion. “He burst through the pens and then raced five wide.”
Extradite, who lost valuable ground at the start on debut, is 15-10 favourite for the two-year-old race but preference is for The Secret Is Out (16-10).
The Captain Al newcomer is a full sister to the Mercury Sprint, Allan Robertson and Thekwini winner All Is Secret. Vaughan Marshall, who trained All Is Secret, confirms that this one is smart and is not expected to need the run.
Orion Quest, who went into the notebook when well backed on debut, is fractionally odds-on for the All To Come Maiden but is hard to oppose.
“He is a nice horse who will definitely be competitive,” says Crawford.
A service to Oratorio, worth R100 000, is one of eight stallion coverings being auctioned at Saturday’s Sceptre Stakes meeting in aid of 16 ‘Horses For Causes’ charitable organisations.