Champion trainer Justin Snaith will have runners in all three of the Champions Season features this weekend and rates his Gr 2 Gold Circle Oaks contender Ash Cloud the best of them.
He said about the four-year-old daughter of Black Minnaloushe, who will jump from a plum draw of two and be ridden by stable jockey Richard Fourie in the 2400m event at Scottsville on Sunday: “Months and months of effort have gone into her run, this is the one we have been waiting for.”
The former Gr 1 SA Oaks winner is only merit rated 95 and has to carry a 2kg Gr 1 penalty, meaning she is officially a whopping 5,5kg under sufferance with the best weighted horse Vino Veritas, but Snaith feels she is up to it.
Snaith also runs the Kahal filly Bountiful Harvest. She finished third in the East Cape Oaks over 2000m and has landed a nice draw with Donovan Dillon aboard, but Snaith said, “It will be very hard for her at the weights as a three-year-old.”
Snaith runs French Revolution and Krambambuli in the Gr 2 Track and Ball Derby, also over 2400m at Scottsville on Sunday.
He sounded more bullish about the chances of Krambambuli and said, “He stays all day but it is a pity they have opened this race to older horses because it is not easy for three-year-olds and I will be impressed if he can do it. But he is very well.” This Black Minnaloushe colt has been working up a storm at Summerveld and Fourie rides from the widest draw of all in the eight horse field.
At the beginning of the Champions Season Snaith was touting French Revolution as a strong Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup contender, but this attractive New Zealand-bred four-year-old grey colt is currently merit rated only 92 and has his work cut out to still qualify for the big race. Snaith said, “This will be his prep to see if he stays, although I’ve always viewed him as a staying type. He has put on a bit of condition, like we all do in Durban, and has gone a little bit heavy on me although I hope I am wrong.” Sean Cormack rides from a good draw of three.
On Friday night the yard will defend their crown in the Gr 2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Greyville, having won the race with Varikate last year.
Snaith said about their contender Daring Dave, who jumps from a plum draw of four under Fourie, “You will see a big improvement and I think this will be his best run in Durban. In the Gr 1 Tsogo Sun Sprint last time he had to stand for four-and-a-half minutes in the pens, which affected his gate speed, and then his eyes were closed for two days afterwards because he was hit by clods. He actually had to be treated as it caused him to have a temperature.” Snaith had also not been too happy with the four-year-old Dynasty gelding’s preparation leading into the Tsogo Sun Sprint, but said that this time “he has had a proper prep.”
By David Thiselton
Picture: Justin Snaith
