Former top Gauteng-based jockey Gavin van Zyl has only had his trainer’s license for eight years at Summerveld but already has a fine record in the Gr 1 Daily News 2000 and has two more chances of adding to that record on Saturday.
He won the race with The Apache in 2011, finished third with Shogunnar in 2012 and second with No Worries in 2013. His chief hope in the R2 million race this year will be a newcomer to the yard, MLJet, which is pronounced [Mil-yet] and is the name of one of the Adriatic Islands of the Dalmatia region of Croatia.
Van Zyl has decided to fit this talented Jet Master gelding with first-time blinkers.
He said, “He is in good shape. His sand work is not as good as his grass work, but he put up very exciting work on the grass at Summerveld with blinkers on a week ago. He is drawn second widest but is a 102 merit rating, which he has earned somewhere along the way, so we expect him to run a very competitive race and if he brings his grass work and the form of his second to The Conglomerate in the Politician Stakes to the course he is in with a shout.”
MLJet’s 0,5 length runner up finish to The Conglomerate in the Gr 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m at Kenilworth on January 10 was viewed as yet another disappointing run at the time, but now looks very good on paper. He was giving The Conglomerate 3kg that day and the latter is currently the joint Vodacom Durban July third favourite after his impressive win in the Gr 2 KRA Guineas.
Overall MLJet has been one of the most disappointing three-year-olds of the season. He looked set for big things after two impressive wins in Juvenile Plates at Clairwood last year were followed by an unlucky 0,25 length third to Equus Champion colt Harry’s Son in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champion Stakes over 1600m at Greyville.
He has not lived up to expectations, and joined Van Zyl’s yard after a disappointing run in the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1800m at Turffontein on March 28, his second after gelding, although the very soft ground probably went against him in that race.
He has not raced since then as an intended preparation in an Allowance Plate at Greyville on May 8 had to be scrapped due to a lack of entries.
Warren Kennedy rides from draw 15 in the 16 horse field and it should be remembered that in the recent Gr 2 Betting World 1900 the first five were drawn in double figures, partly because they avoided the scrimmaging on the inside around the first turn.
The yard also run the Silvano gelding Dante’s Legacy, who will be wearing blinkers for the first time since he tried them against MLJet as a two-year-old over 1500m at Clairwood, a race he was beaten in by 10,65 lengths.
No Worries came in unheralded two years ago and Dante’s Legacy has a similar profile. His only run over this trip was in the Listed Derby Trial and looks good on paper as he finished 2,85 lengths behind the subsequent Gr 1 SA Derby winner Legal Eagle and was giving the latter 2,5kg. He finished a decent fifth in the SA Derby, beaten 10,25 lengths, but he was only 3,25 lengths behind Gr 1 Investec Cape Derby winner Ertijaal.
Dante’s Legacy has been at Summerveld for about a month and Gavin’s son and assistant trainer Gareth said, “He is doing well and we are looking for him to be a bit sharper with the blinkers on. We are hoping for a first four finish.”
Van Zyl also runs two horses in the Gr 3 Lonsdale Stirrup Cup, Heart Of A Lion and Sun Of Africa.
He said, “ Heart of a Lion is well and if he repeats his last two runs he is in with a chance (third in both the Gr 3 Caradoc Gold Cup over 2850m and the Gr 2 Gold Bowl over 3200m). Sun Of Africa is well weighted if he can repeat the form of his second behind Bezanova (that was over 1600m but he won well over 1900m at Greyville as a two-year-old) and he is not without a winning chance. He has been working very well.”
Both horses are taking in this race on route to the Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby over 2400m on June 21 and the Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup over 3200m on July 25.
By David Thiselton
Picture: MLJet (Nkosi Hlophe)
