Arria is very highly rated
Trainer Justin Snaith may have to sit down and conjure up some fresh marketing tricks in the new season. It has become rather old hat that he wins practically every race on the Cape’s big days and Saturday appears likely to be another one of those Snaith festivals. The Phillipi trainer certainly appears to have a vice like grip on the R150 000 Listed Summer Juvenile Stakes.
This is the race that our learned part time scribe Joey Ramsden suggested in his column last week should be done away with due to a general lack of interest in juvenile races by his colleagues. The point made by the outspoken Ramsden is not entirely without argument and substance and we go into a Listed race on Saturday where less than half the field of thirteen have won, and none of the runners have run more than twice. But on the flipside of the coin, the race was programmed and carded and one or two owners are going to be very happy to bank the R93 000 odd first cheque.
Snaith Quartet
And thank heavens for the young Justin. He sends out a powerful quartet of winning fillies, and oh how punters will be wishing that Vee Moodley would bring back Pick Six couplings for just one afternoon. The race opens the exotic which is expected to break all records again (they are budgeting on a pool of R8 million), and with only two first timers in the race it may pay to go wide for a better ride. Snaith won the race last year with Only Emily and knows what is required.
Top Jockey
As a filtering tool we are utilising the jockey choice as an indicator of a likely stable first stringer. Richard Fourie jumps aboard the very smart looking Antonius Pius filly Arria, who won three weeks ago over the course and distance on debut. The dogs were barking about Arria for weeks and she duly obliged, winning easily. Word has it that ‘Justin just doesn’t want to know’ again on Saturday and the Drakenstein Stud owned and bred speedster may be a Pick Six banker for the braver set.
Easy Win
Arria was always going well on debut and simply streaked clear of Sapphire Gem to win readily. In third place and beaten 2,30 lengths by her was Vaughan Marshall’s Olympian, who looks held. Olympian also finished behind Snaith’s Trippi filly Sunset Tripp on debut, but is now 2kgs better off with her.
Piere Strydom has enjoyed plenty of success with Snaith and he rides the recent debut winner, Amarillo Starlight. She beat her stablemate Azarenka on their respective debuts in slower time than Arria. Sean Cormack gets aboard the Windrush filly Azarenka. The daughter of Windrush imporved nicely at her second start to beat Jet Swinger in good style.
Visitor
Alan Greef travels from Port Elizabeth with the only winning male in the race. The son of Sail From Seattle was unextended to beat Rushing Lark with ease over the Fairview 1000m a fortnight ago and will be ridden again by Greg Cheyne. The PE visitors have a fair record in this race and while he carries topweight, he could be just about anything and the betting support should be monitored.
Big Money
The Mike Bass trained Seven Grand won her debut on 7 December over the Kenilworth 800m and impressed many with the authoritative manner of her victory. Unfortunately the form was not franked with Crime Of Passion, who ran second and beaten just under two lengths by Seven Grand, then ran close on 7 lengths behind Amarillo Starlight next time out. On a line through Crime Of Passion, it is not difficult to assess that Seven Grand would had to have improved.
Interesting
Glen Kotzen’s Judpot filly Jet Swinger is an interesting runner. She improved nicely at the second time of asking when going down just under four lengths to Azarenka. Jet Swinger is now 3kgs better off with the Snaith challenger, although it is a touch concerning at the same that she was reported not striding out last time.
First Run
Vaughan Marshall and Brett Crawford send out two well bred first timers. River God is a half brother to some speedy sorts, including the well performed Valdivia. He could have plenty of speed and is ridden by stable jockey MJ Byleveld. Brett Crawford’s Valerin is a Lateral colt who cost only R40 000 on the CPYS book 2 sale. He is out of the very well performed dual Majorca Stakes(how appropriate!) and Gr1 Garden Province Stakes winner Donatella, who raced for Clodagh Shaw at the turn of the century.
Difficult
The race is wide open beyond the Snaith runners. The Mike Bass filly Seven Grand also has her admirers. Then we tend to discount the PE runners and have short memories. Seattle Joe could be anything. Either banker Arria or go very wide. It could set the tone for the rest of a tough day.
