Tomorrow (Tuesday, July 16) is the last supplementary stage for all off the big races on World Pool Gold Cup day, but there were already some interesting supplementaries today (Monday).
Justin Snaith has supplemented the crack filly Double Grand Slam in to the Gr 2 R500,000 Gold Bracelet and he has supplemented the Querari gelding Underworld in to the Listed R200,000 Umngeni Handicap.
Double Grand Slam was one of the unluckiest horses on Hollywoodbets Durban July day. She was unwinding a strong run from off the pace in the Gr 1 Ridgemont Garden Province Stakes when squeezed out at about the 300m mark. Despite having to be snatched up and reignited she was beaten only 1,35 lengths into third, so she might well have won that race.
She is untested beyond a mile, but the yard might be viewing this as a good opportunity to test her stamina, considering there is a long gap from now until the Cape Summer Season, and she will also be the highest rated runner in the race.
Undwerworld has not run since a disappointing fifth place finish in the Gr 3 Byerley Turk over 1400m on March 31. However, he has been gelded since and this will be a good opportunity to give him a comeback.
Snaith is just over R1,2 million ahead of Sean Tarry in the national trainers championship and the latter has some good firepower on Gold Cup day, so two extra runners on the day for Snaith will also help his championship cause.
Another interesting supplementary entry in the Gold Bracelet is Double Grand Slam’s fierce rival Rascova.
This Lancaster Bomber filly has also never been tried beyond a mile before and the thinking in the Glen Kotzen camp, with races like the Gr 1 Cartier Paddock Stakes over 1800m available in he Cape Summer, might also be to see this as an opportunity to test her stamina.
Amazingly, Rascova has clashed with Double Grand Slam in every one of her last eight starts and the score is four-four. Another clash between the pair could add another intriguing dimension to the Gold Cup meeting as it will decide which one of the pair emerges on top.
The third supplementary in the Gold Bracelet is the Paul Matchett-trained Special Charm, who finished a close third in the Gr 2 Tabgold Oaks, which saw her raised form an 87 to 104 merit rating.
Also supplemented in to the Listed Umngeni Handicap, interestingly, is the crack Tony Peter-trained two-year-old Pistol Pete. Pistol Pete is also in the Gr 2 Umkhomazi over 1200m, but is better suited to 1000m. and he drew very wide in the Umkhomazi.
Glen Kotzen has supplemented Ripple Effect into the Umngeni.
In the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m, Brett Crawford has supplemented Pomodoro’s Jet and Dennis Bosch has supplemented Diani.
