Go for Marcus on She’s A Keeper to land east Coast Cup

So here’s the question about the two feature races at HollywoodbetsGreyville on Saturday: would you rather take 15-10 on a horse who will be eight years old in 10 weeks or 22-10 on a mare two years younger? This column goes for the second option.

Dual Durban July winner Do It Again has been priced up 15-10 favourite for the WSB 1900 at the Durban track. It gives the seven-year-old the chance of notching the ninth win of a memorable career.

In forming the market, the sponsors have probably taken into account that  the favourite’s opposition is no great stakes and Do It Again’s fifth in the Met is the best form of the 11-strong field.

Nevertheless, even the great Gary Player battled against younger rivals at the end of his career and it is possible Do It Again might be hard pressed to give 10kg to Vaughan Marsjhall's runner Gainsford.

Though he has a merit-rating of only 99, Gainsford has won two of his last three starts and should go well in the hands of jockey Athandiwe Mgudlwa.

A runner with a much higher rating is Tristful and, though the gelding is hard to catch right, Tony Rivalland’s charge will have benefited from his comeback run behind Mount Anderson.

Sean Tarry’s three-year-old Litigation also receives 10kg from Do It Again and the son of Grey’s Inn has enjoyed a good season with his earnings close to R450,000. He will have S’manga Khumalo in the saddle for the first time.

Anton Marcus rides Do It Again and 40 minutes earlier he will partner the five-year-old mare She’s A Keeper in the KRA east Coast Cup.

An early price of 28-10 didn't last long, but 22-10 is still acceptable about the daughter of Gimmethegreenlight who will be tough to beat if she reproduces her excellent run when fifth in the Paddock Stakes at Kenilworth in January.

Marcus rode the mare in the recent Empress Club Stakes and, unusually for him, could not overcome a poor draw.

The five-year-old raced wide for most of the journey and she falls into the category of what UK pundits call never near to challenge”.

Expect a far different performance from Gareth van Zyl’s runner in this 2,000m event in which Lyrical Dance (Muzi Yeni) and Keep On Dancing (Gavin Lerena) rate the main dangers.

Black Silver has cracked a good draw and should strip a fitter horse this time. Only The Brave rates an each-way chance for trainer Peter Muscutt.

Marcus has a realistic chance of riding three legs of the jackpot as his fifth race mount In The Summertime looks certain to be sent off favourite. A stablemate of She's A Keeper, the son of Noble Tune hinted he wouldn’t be a maiden for long when second behind Red Sole last time out.

The finish could be a family affair as Gavin van Zyl runs Forward Spell with Warren Kennedy riding the son of Futura for the fourth time. Both three-year-olds need including in exotic perms.

• The prediction in Business Day on Thursday that trainer Roy Magner could win the first three races on the Vaal card proved 100% correct with the treble hitting the bookies hard. “The third winner starting at 11-2 was the real killer,” said bookmaker Lance Michael.

SELECTIONS

WSB 1900

1 (10) Gainsford

2 (6) Do It Again

3  (3) Tristful

4  (2) Crown Towers

KRA EAST COAST CUP

1 (8) She’s A Keeper

2 (13) Lyrical Dance

3 (3) Keep On Dancing

4 (11) Only The Brave

SYRINGA HANDICAP

(Turffontein, Sunday)

1 (4) Caralluma

2 (9) Florentine

3 (2) Homely Girl

4 (1) Pretty Betty