Justin Snaith fully expects Bela-Bela to put it up to Marinaresco and Captain America in the World Sports Betting Champions Cup at Greyville on Saturday although he stops short of predicting outright victory.

Bela-Bela (Nkosi Hlophe)

Snaith, who won the race with Futura two years ago, said yesterday: “I think this is by far the strongest Champions Cup in years.

“Normally it’s an end-of-season race with one outstanding horse left after the rest have packed their bags and gone home. This time we’ve got the winners of the July, the Gold Challenge and the Garden Province all taking each other on.

“But Bela-Bela is going to give them a go. I had it planned all along that the Champions Cup was going to be part of her programme – that’s why she missed out the odd race – and she has been raced easy during her four months up here.

“If there was ever a time for her to take on the best this is it. She is doing well, she has matured and she is ready.”

Snaith also runs Black Arthur and It’s My Turn, seventh and eighth in the Durban July but less than a length and a half behind Marinaresco– “I couldn’t be happier with either of them than I am at the moment and I think I have them spot on. They will run good races.”

­  – Snaith will run last weekend’s Final Fling runner-up A Time To Dream in the Champagne Stakes at Kenilworth on Saturday even though the four-year-year has not raced over as short a distance as 1 200m for more than two years.

By Michael Clower