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Someone retrieve the smelling salts for Glen Kotzen. The Cape-based trainer will have fainted on learning his star three-year-old, Cousin Casey, has drawn pole position for the R1.5m Daily News 2000 at Greyville on May 27.
Kotzen must have thought he was cursed during the Cape season with a number of his runners — notably Cousin Casey and Hold My Hand — faring badly in the draw department.
In the Cape Met, Cousin Casey was drawn 14 out of 19 and even worse in the Cape Guineas with the three-year-old drawn 14 out of 15.
Gold Circle announced 15 nominations for the Daily News 2000 and the connections of See It Again, Dave The King and Anfields Rocket will be reasonably happy with single figure draws.
Turftalk has revealed that trainer Robert Maroun will fit the blinkers to Anfields Rocket for the first time.
Not so lucky in the draw was the Mike de Kock inmate, Shoemaker, who drew 15 out of 15 and will start from the outside stall if accepting to run.
Sadly, it wasn’t all good news for Kotzen as his talented filly, Hold My Hand, drew 14 out of 17 for the grade 1 Woolavington 2000. In contrast, Sean Tarry’s grade 1 winner, Rain In Holland, drew in barrier two.
For the first time, the Woolavington — previously restricted to three-year-old fillies — has been opened up to older horses as well.
Then — in the grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup — Kotzen’s entry, Flying Bull, drew 22 of the 22 entries which will not have pleased the Cape trainer who has sent out 45 winners this season.
Turffontein hosts an eight-race programme on Thursday and the most interesting runner is De Kock’s four-year-old, Safe Passage, who takes on six rivals in the fifth race over 1,600m.
Third in last season’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, Safe Passage fluffed his lines big time in the recent Drill Hall Stakes with Richard Fourie’s mount never at the races and trailing in 15 lengths behind the winner, Trip Of Fortune. The Greyville stipendiary stewards asked the veterinary surgeon to examine Safe Passage but he reported “nothing untoward detected”.
The Silvano gelding — to be ridden by Craig Zackey — has far and away the highest merit-rating (124) in the race. Next highest is Eye Of The Prophet — the mount of Rachel Venniker — whose rating is 113.
Paul Matchett, trainer of Eye Of The Prophet, brings the three-year-old back to 1,600m following his no show behind Son Of Raj in the 2,450m SA Derby.
Team Gold will have his supporters as the Roy Magner inmate — to be ridden by Muzi Yeni — receives 10kg from Safe Passage.
This season’s leading jockey, Keagan De Melo, has six booked rides at the meeting and the pick of the sextet could be Coldhardstare who represents the Mike and Adam Azzie stable. A daughter of What A Winter owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud, boasts two wins and two placings from her five starts.
Another of What A Winter’s progeny, What A Honey, might be the right horse for a swinger bet with Coldhardstare. Lucky Houdalakis’ filly has a favourable high draw.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (2) Spring Of Elixir (1) Miss Christmas (5) Three Bells (3) Kit Kat Katie
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Good news at last for trainer Kotzen
Someone retrieve the smelling salts for Glen Kotzen. The Cape-based trainer will have fainted on learning his star three-year-old, Cousin Casey, has drawn pole position for the R1.5m Daily News 2000 at Greyville on May 27.
Kotzen must have thought he was cursed during the Cape season with a number of his runners — notably Cousin Casey and Hold My Hand — faring badly in the draw department.
In the Cape Met, Cousin Casey was drawn 14 out of 19 and even worse in the Cape Guineas with the three-year-old drawn 14 out of 15.
Gold Circle announced 15 nominations for the Daily News 2000 and the connections of See It Again, Dave The King and Anfields Rocket will be reasonably happy with single figure draws.
Turftalk has revealed that trainer Robert Maroun will fit the blinkers to Anfields Rocket for the first time.
Not so lucky in the draw was the Mike de Kock inmate, Shoemaker, who drew 15 out of 15 and will start from the outside stall if accepting to run.
Sadly, it wasn’t all good news for Kotzen as his talented filly, Hold My Hand, drew 14 out of 17 for the grade 1 Woolavington 2000. In contrast, Sean Tarry’s grade 1 winner, Rain In Holland, drew in barrier two.
For the first time, the Woolavington — previously restricted to three-year-old fillies — has been opened up to older horses as well.
Then — in the grade 3 Lonsdale Stirrup — Kotzen’s entry, Flying Bull, drew 22 of the 22 entries which will not have pleased the Cape trainer who has sent out 45 winners this season.
Turffontein hosts an eight-race programme on Thursday and the most interesting runner is De Kock’s four-year-old, Safe Passage, who takes on six rivals in the fifth race over 1,600m.
Third in last season’s Hollywoodbets Durban July, Safe Passage fluffed his lines big time in the recent Drill Hall Stakes with Richard Fourie’s mount never at the races and trailing in 15 lengths behind the winner, Trip Of Fortune. The Greyville stipendiary stewards asked the veterinary surgeon to examine Safe Passage but he reported “nothing untoward detected”.
The Silvano gelding — to be ridden by Craig Zackey — has far and away the highest merit-rating (124) in the race. Next highest is Eye Of The Prophet — the mount of Rachel Venniker — whose rating is 113.
Paul Matchett, trainer of Eye Of The Prophet, brings the three-year-old back to 1,600m following his no show behind Son Of Raj in the 2,450m SA Derby.
Team Gold will have his supporters as the Roy Magner inmate — to be ridden by Muzi Yeni — receives 10kg from Safe Passage.
This season’s leading jockey, Keagan De Melo, has six booked rides at the meeting and the pick of the sextet could be Coldhardstare who represents the Mike and Adam Azzie stable. A daughter of What A Winter owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud, boasts two wins and two placings from her five starts.
Another of What A Winter’s progeny, What A Honey, might be the right horse for a swinger bet with Coldhardstare. Lucky Houdalakis’ filly has a favourable high draw.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (2) Spring Of Elixir (1) Miss Christmas (5) Three Bells (3) Kit Kat Katie
2nd Race: (6) Royal Guide (1) Kambulu (2) Archimedes (3) Celtic Rush
3rd Race: (3) Saka Gold (1) Magic Prince (8) Turbo Power (9) Capsaicin
4th Race: (1) Inventrix (4) Someday Maybe (7) Duenna (5) Law Of Success
5th Race: (5) Team Gold (2) Eye Of The Prophet (1) Safe Passage (3) Shango
6th Race: (4) Cleaver Greene (3) Wind Water (8) Mrs Browning (5) Tsar Bomba
7th Race: (5) Coldhardstare (3) What A Honey (9) Rozara (1) Rockets Red Glare
8th Race: (3) Time For Charity (4) Nettleton (7) Tiz Magic (5) Arilena
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