Snaith looks to Soweto Moon
JUSTIN Snaith (pictured) made a clean sweep of the first three two-year-old races of the Cape season and he can strike again with Soweto Moon in the opening Maiden Juvenile Plate at Kenilworth tomorrow.
This Australian-bred colt was cheaply bought by Hassen Adams for AUS$17 000 at last year’s Magic Million Sale and Snaith says: “He has only been on the grass once and out of the pens once but he is a powerful horse and he could be interesting.”
The former champion trainer, who has had just two reverses on the two-year-old front this term (they were second and fourth), also introduces Gimme Green in the Adams colours but riding arrangements point to the stable companion who opened at 8-10 with World Sports Betting on Monday. Gimme Green was 7-1.
Dancer, bought by owner Martin Wickens for R275 000, is out of a mare that won twice at 1 400m and is Joey Ramsden’s first juvenile runner of the season. He opened at 7-2.
Paul Reeves has been busy with his two-year-olds and his three have all run at least once. Moulina is the shortest-priced of the trio at 33-10 but it could be worth noting that 7-1 shot Navarone started favourite on debut and was reported striding short behind when disappointing last week.
Andre Nel is making a big success of his new role as Sabine Plattner’s private trainer. He has a strike rate of virtually 20% at Kenilworth (12 wins from 61 runners) and he can land a double with Weskus Klong and Leisure Trip.
The former would have finished closer to second-placed Castlewood on debut three weeks ago had he not thrown away valuable ground at the start. He should know more about it this time and makes slightly more appeal, even at 8-10, than Castlewood at 14-10 despite Billy Prestage’s runner having also gone close on his previous start.
“Weskus Klong has improved a bit while Leisure Trip has done pretty well and has also improved,” says Nel. “However I would like the form of her debut second to have worked out better.”
He is referring to Oli Miranda and My Cherry, third and fourth when Leisure Trip was second, managing only fifth and sixth behind Hilaria in the first last Saturday. That certainly casts a slight doubt and is probably why Leisure Trip opened at evens rather than odds-on. Vaughan Marshall’s Queen At War (15-4) looks the alternative.
Boomtown Belter receives weight all round in race two and can justify 2-1 favouritism. “I am bringing her back from 1 200m and she will like that,” says Adam Marcus who is hoping that the gallop will be a strong one. “She likes a good pace and to chase them.”