Justin Snaith believes he has his first ever “proper” shot at the eLan Property Group Gold Cup with the “class act” Ovidio and the generally good draws he has landed with his other runners on Super Saturday have made him hopeful of enjoying a better day than he did on Vodacom Durban July day.
Snaith added the current waterlogged KZN training tracks had given the R1,25 million Gold Cup a degree of “pot luck” about it.
He said, “It is not ideal but everybody is in the same boat as nobody is going to be able to get the work they would like into their charges. But you never know it might work in our favour.”
Ovidio has always had the Gold Cup as his target.
Snaith said the Australian-bred gelding by Danehill Dancer had “the odd soundness issue”, so was given a five month layoff after his fine victory in the Gr 2 J&B Urban Honey Stayers over 2800m on J&B Met day and had also been kept in Cape Town for the bulk of his Gold Cup preparation due to the more forgiving ground at this time of the year.
Ovidio arrived at Summerveld three weeks ago. Snaith said, “He is very well, I am very happy with him. He is a proper staying horse, there is no stamina doubt, and he has a perfect draw (seven), I wouldn’t want to be any closer in.” Piere Strydom rides and will be hoping to make it a Vodacom Durban July/Gold Cup double.
Baritone (Nkosi Hlophe)
Snaith runs the classy three-year-old Trippi colt Baritone in the Gr 1 Mike and Carol Bass Champions Cup and was bullish about his chances.
On July day he ran a cracker in the Listed Daisy Business Solutions Handicap over 1600m on the turf. He did not have the clearest of passages, but was doing excellent work late for a 5,15 length fifth. He ran off a merit rating of 104, meaning he carried 60kg and was giving weight to most of the field including older horses.
Snaith said, “It was a brilliant run, he had it all to do at the weights. He is a dark horse as he is not far off my best three-year-olds. He just cannot crack a good draw, but still always runs creditable races.”
This colt has struck as a progressive type throughout the season and the tongue tie obviously helped last time after he had been reported to have “choked up in the latter stages” in the Canon Guineas, when moving up well and not finding the necessary extra. Anthony Delpech staying aboard is another bonus, but the wide draw of twelve makes it tough.
Snaith also runs the new yard acquisition It Is Written in the Champions Cup from a plum draw of five with Strydom up. Strydom with his good hands and immaculate balance should suit him perfectly as this Dynasty gelding does tend to over race. He is 3,5kg under sufferance on official merit ratings with the best weighted horse, Punta Arenas, but the distance looks ideal.
Snaith said, “He is doing well, although he’s not the easiest horse and has had a long season. But the Champions Cup is a bit weaker than normal besides Marinaresco and we are taking our chances.”
Zodiac Ruler (Nkosi Hlophe)
Snaith has another new yard acquisition on the day, Fortissimus, who was recently bought into the yard. She runs in the Gr 1 Thekwini Stakes with Grant van Niekerk up.
This Mogok filly was caught a bit flat footed at the top of the straight in the Gr 2 Gold Circle Golden Slipper over 1400m last time, but then began staying on and ended up seventh. She has 7,25 lengths to make up on the winner of the latter race, Final Judgement, but looks likely to enjoy the step up to 1600m.
Snaith said, “She will run well although I don’t know if she is up to it. She has a lovely temperament and her work has not been bad at all so she could be a dark horse from a nice draw (eight of 14).”
Snaith runs the unbeaten Australian-bred colt Zodiac Ruler in the Gr 1 Premier’s Champions Stakes over 1600m, where he will be a warm order. This big colt has lost ground in both of his starts before powering through to win impressively, and this was particularly so last time out in the Gr 2 Durban Golden Horseshoe over 1400m. He looks likely to relish the step up in trip and jumps from pole position with Strydom up.
Snaith said, “He is very well, I am happy with him and he is improving all the time.”
Harry Lime (Nkosi Hlophe)
The yard run the Captain Al filly The Merry Widow in the Gr 2 Debutante over 1200m from a plum draw of two. However, as a three-time winner up against one-time winners and a maiden she has to give 4kg to the rest of the field. She won her first three starts from 800-1200m, including a Listed race, before being beaten 0,5 lengths in a Gr 3 over 1200m. She has a better draw than she had in the Golden Slipper, when having to be dropped out. Snaith said she had been doing well, but admitted as a “tiny filly” she had “a hard task” giving away that amount of weight.
He runs the three-year-old Dynasty gelding Brooklyn Brawler in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the poly and expected a better run than his last outing in a Listed race over 1600m on the turf on July day.
He said, “He was caught wide and nothing went right, he will do much better tucked in.” Van Niekerk rides from draw seven and this classy sort must be a big runner, although he has not worked on the poly so there is a question whether he will take to the surface.
Harry Lime did not make many inroads from a handy position in a 1000m poly event on July day, but Snaith expected some improvement on Saturday in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1200m on the poly. This horse has suffered a knee chip in the past, so is not the easiest to train, but he did prove his class in January when beating the like of Brutal Force and Talktothestars in a Pinnacle race over 1000m at Kenilworth.
David Thiselton
