Keagan de Melo thinks highly of Silvano’s Dasher, whose record to date suggests she is a 1400m to miler type. However, on closer inspection she has a July pedigree (Wayne Marks)
If Keagan de Melo keeps up his number-of-rides rate as well as the same strike rate he will end the season on 308 wins.
However, the national championship leader does not think about numbers and rather just concentrates on doing the best he can at every meeting.
At the close of play today he had had 771 rides in the season for 163 wins at a strike rate of 21.14%.
Her is also looking forward to some of the big horses he is associated with.
They include Grade 1 WSB Summer Cup winner Puerto Manzano and Grade 1 Pongracz Cape Flying Championship winner Gimme A Prince.
There are a few others and one he made mention of was the progressive Brett Crawford-trained Khaya Stables-owned Silvano’s Dasher.
This lightly raced four-year-old Silvano gelding started the season rated 86 and is now on 106 after a hugely impressive win from well off the pace over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth last time out.
Could Silvano’s Dasher be a Hollywoodbets Durban July horse?
He was defeated by the useful Imilenzeyokududuma over 1600m three starts ago, although he was giving the latter 1kg, and has since been dropped to 1400m and won both races, which suggests he is not a middle distance horse.
However, Silvano needs no introduction as a July sire, while Silvano’s Dasher’s Western Winter dam, Dashing Scarlet, is out of July winner Dancer’s Daughter.
The powerful grey will be one of the most fascinating horses to follow for the rest of the season.
