Cosmic Event is one of Justin Snaith’s raiders for the WSB East Cape Derby (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Henk Steenkamp (Nelson Mandela Bay Racing)
Three of the country’s top stables will be involved in a fierce battle for top honours on Derby Day at Fairview on Friday.
Cape Town trainer Justin Snaith and the East Cape giants, Gavin Smith and Alan Greeff, are set to fight it out for victory in the two feature races – the R350 000 Listed WSB East Cape Derby for three-year-old’s over 24000 (race 7 at 15:20) and the R175 000 Listed Dahlia Plate for two-year-old’s over 1200m (race 6 at 14:45).
The only other trainer represented in these two races is Kelly Mitchley who has two runners in the Derby.
Snaith is currently the leading trainer in South Africa. He and Smith are the only ones to have saddled more than 100 winners already this season. Greeff is third with 92 winners.
The big question in the Derby is if the Smith-trained Perfection, with regular pilot JP van der Merwe in the irons, will get the distance.
More was expected of the son of Ideal World when he tired late in the Derby Plate to finish third over 2000m.
The Smith stable would have made some adjustments to ensure Perfection is up to the task. He is 3kgs better off at the weights with the Plate-winner Heathcliff for a 2.5 lengths beating.
With his win in the Derby Plate, Heathcliff (Greeff) showed that he should have no problems stepping up in trip. He and jockey Richard Fourie will be ready to strike if things don’t work out for Perfection.
Snaith will saddle Cosmic Event and Machete Man. Both horses won their respective last starts at Kenilworth easily.
With Grant van Niekerk keeping the ride after a very good win over 2000m, Cosmic Event is the stable elect and a huge runner. Machete Man must have an outside chance though.
The dark horse in the race is Cherry Ano. He won four of his five starts for the Smith stable but is taking a big rise in trip. If seeing out the extra distance he could be right there at the finish.
Racing tactics will be key to the outcome of the race as Perfection and Machete Man both like to dictate from the front. The conditions are also a factor as rain is predicted.
Snaith, Smith and Greeff will also fight it out for the win in the Dahlia Plate. Smith and Greeff have three runners each in the race and Snaith is visiting with the filly Golden Sickle.
The winner should come from Golden Sickle, the Greeff filly Luna Halo and the colt Vision Of Wonder (Smith).
Vision Of Wonder is targeting another Listed win after his easy victory in the East Cape Nursery in which he showed good speed.
He looks a classy sort and the son of Visionaire had two runaway victories over track and trip but the fillies will give him a run for his money.
It was an eye-catching win in the Listed East Cape Fillies Nursery by Luna Halo when she quickened up nicely. She will be involved in the finish.
The speedy Golden Sickle is highly regarded and her Cape Town performances indicated that she can win, carrying 56.5kgs, a kilo less than Luna Halo.
The Winter Lake (Smith) and Joy And Peace (Greeff) are others to consider for the Quartet in what should be an exciting contest.
There are nine races on the card and Derby Day starts at 12:00 with the very popular Work Riders Maiden Plate.
Ilha Da Mauricia (Brett Crawford) looks like a banker in the first leg of the Bipot in the second race at 12:30.
The Place Accumulator starts with the third race at 13:00 and the Pick Six gets underway in race four at 13:35.
