Donavan Mansour is moving from Johannesburg to Cape Town and he rides at Kenilworth tomorrow for the first time since his apprenticeship days.
He has five rides and three of the four for Joey Ramsden are owned or part-owned by Markus Jooste. Indeed it is at the suggestion of the latter’s racing manager that Mansour is coming south.
“Donavan is a good rider and I told him that there is a great opportunity for a lightweight jock in Cape Town at the moment,” says Derek Brugman while stressing that there is no commitment.
Mansour, a member of the Peters commentating family (Sheldon is a cousin and Craig is his uncle), calculates that he has ridden some 350 winners and rates this year’s Senor Santa Handicap on Dollar Dazzler his biggest win so far.
Now he has to reacquaint himself with the often-tricky Kenilworth course: “It was years ago that I rode here. The meeting was partly rained off but I had a winner for Basil Marcus. I also rode at Durbanville once and rode a winner there too.”
He should give Ramsden, 47 yesterday, a belated birthday present with Hard Day’s Night in the Solid Doors Maiden because this colt has looked a certain future winner on both his starts. He is well drawn and looks nailed on.
Mansour also has a good chance on Capstone Von Kluh in the Buco Divided Handicap and this one is worth an each way interest if you can get anywhere near the 7-1 quoted in the TAB sheet forecast.
However the one they all have to beat in this 1 400m race is top weight Panga Panga who finished like a train last time after stumbling at the start and losing a lot of ground. The only thing against Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount is that the handicappers also saw what happened and have raised him a kilo.
Justin Snaith was out of luck here last Saturday but he should waste no time in gaining compensation because Brilliant Idea stands out in the opening Status Insight Maiden despite being drawn 14 of 20. At recent meetings the penetrometer analysis has repeatedly shown a definite advantage for those drawn towards the inside in sprint races. Newcomers Flying Monarch and Moonlight ‘N Roses (even though badly drawn) may present the biggest threats.
Snaith’s recent winners Ovidio and Bianzino appeal in the Matus Handicap 35 minutes later even though both have been raised 2.5kg. After Bianzino made all a fortnight ago the former champion trainer advised “he is not going to stop here” and pointed to the special polo bit that had improved the horse by giving more room for his tongue so that he no longer fights for his head. Xavier Carstens mount gets the vote.
BLOB Michael Clower tipped 10-1 winner Even Better last Saturday and has won with five of his nine selections at the last two Cape Town meetings to show a R172.50 profit on a R10 level stake.
By Michael Clower
Picture: Donavan Mansour (Nkosi Hlophe)
