Snaith big race runners drawn near the beach

When Justin Snaith saw the draw for the WSB Guineas and Drill Hall Stakes, the champion trainer could be excused for uttering an expletive. Double Superlative and Jet Dark have drawn the outside stall in both races.

It’s the kickoff of the KwaZulu-Natal Champions season at the Hollywoodbets Greyville track on Saturday and a quality field will face the starter in the grade 2 Guineas.

Snaith runs both Pomp And Power, winner of the Cape Derby, and Double Superlative, the victor in the Cape Guineas.

Returning to 1,600m, there is every likelihood that Double Superlative would have been this column’s selection, but unfortunately he’s drawn somewhere near North Beach!

Of course, Anton Marcus has overcome bad draws in the past — he was drawn 15 out of 18 when Do It Again won the July in 2018. Pomp And Power isn’t that much better off jumping from barrier 10, and this Durban July entry has a length to find with Double Superlative on Cape Guineas form.

This suggests that Cosmic Highway — drawn in pole position — could benefit and notch the fifth win of his career. Dean Kannemeyer’s three-year-old was poorly drawn when beaten by two-and-a-half lengths behind Double Superlative in the Cape Guineas.

Zapatillas enters the reckoning as he was drawn worse than Cosmic Highway in the Cape Guineas and there is every reason to expect a good performance from the Brett Crawford inmate.

Interestingly, Zapatillas’ full-brother, No Place Like Home, contributed to a memorable National Yearling Sale for Varsfontein when fetching R400,000 on the first day.

Keagan De Melo understandably keeps faith with Cosmic Highway, which has resulted in Warren Kennedy getting the mount on Waterberry Lane. The stablemates are drawn next to each other.

Perhaps the best way to punt on this R400,000 race is to take boxed exactas of Cosmic Highway with Double Superlative and Cosmic Highway with Pomp And Power.

Queen’s Plate winner Jet Dark faces the same wide draw in the Drill Hall Stakes and, without a run since January, may battle against the Vaughan Marshall duo of Seeking The Stars and Silver Operator.

Seeking The Stars, unbeaten over 1,400m, has enjoyed an excellent career with earnings of over R1.2m while Silver Operator is better drawn and has the services of Richard Fourie.

Racing fans and pundits will be closely monitoring the performance of Linebacker, who makes his first appearance since running third in the Cape Met. Trainer Vaughan Marshall will be hoping his charge can show his wellbeing by finishing strongly from his wide draw.

Sean Tarry has a smart filly on his hands in Under Your Spell and — drawn favourably at barrier three — the daughter of Capetown Noir cannot be opposed in the WSB Fillies Guineas.

The three-year-old’s second behind Princess Calla in the Empress Club Stakes was probably the best performance of her career and she can beat home Supreme Quest and Silver Darling.

The 400m Dash — the 10th race on the card — is an intriguing contest and Princekresh looks the answer with apprentice Mfanelo Zuma claiming his 4kg apprentice allowance.

GREYVILLE SELECTIONS

WSB GUINEAS

1 (1) Cosmic Highway

2 (14) Double Superlative

3 (10) Pomp And Power

4 (6) Zapatillas

WSB FILLIES GUINEAS

1 (3) Under Your Spell

2 (2) Supreme Quest

3 (7) Silver Darling

4 (8) Kailene

DRILL HALL STAKES

1 (7) Silver Operator

2 (10) Seeking The Stars

3. (14) Jet Dark

4 (11) Linebacker

400m DASH

1 (1) Princekresh

2 (5) Varvacious

3 (6) Singforafa

4 (7) Great Shaka