Runner comments for Greyville

A R6-million Pick 6 pool is expected for Saturday’s top-drawer meeting at Greyville and sets the stage for a day of high excitement. Betway clients can contribute to the pool and stand a chance of sharing in the potentially massive payout via our Tote portal on Betway. 

Betway ambassador Mike de Kock will be saddling five runners in the features and in his comments below suggest that all of them will bear consideration for inclusion, some at good odds. It’s an important calendar day for the stable’s runners and hopefuls from other stables to impress the Durban July panel and the competitive nature of the features may well produce a few upsets.

Union Square (Race 4, 1600m) is the highest rated horse by a long way in a Progress Plate and Mike commented: “I think he is still a run short of his best following his last run, which was after injury. That was a good run and he pulled up very well. Imposing is close to Union Square on their last run, but Union Square is better off for fitness.” Considering Mike’s feeling that Union Square may still be a run short of his peak, it may be wise to include Richard Fourie’s mount Noble City in your play, too.

The Daily News is a flagship race for three-year-olds and a good Durban July pointer, and Mike has a say with three talented runners in the field, namely Dave The King, East Coast and Shoemaker. He discussed their chances in a line-up that includes early July favourite See It Again, and Cousin Casey, and said: “All three have enjoyed very good preparations. Dave The King is a big, beautiful horse, he was well exposed in third to Charles Dickens in his second run after a rest last time. The second horse, See It Again, came from behind him and ran past him. Dave The King has a big stride, likes to race handy and I’d say the danger with him is the 2000m. He is an aggressive racer, a strong horse, and on paper there are worries about him seeing it out competitively, though on pedigree he should stay. It’s a G1 race, we have to try with him.

“East Coast needs to about find four- lengths on his last run to be competitive here and I think he has improved, he has come on from that run and should be involved. Shoemaker is a much better horse since he was gelded. On the way he runs I am fairly confident that he will see out 2000m, though I understand that this has to be a bit of a debate. He’s a fit horse, he’s had two runs on top of each other and he finished his last race off very well, his style of running suggests he will get the 2000m. He travels to Durban on Friday morning. We’re forcing the issue a little bit, he and East Coast need to finish up close, first three, to stand a chance of getting into the July. He’s a runner, a smart horse, expecting him to get into the hunt.”

Former Derby winner Aragosta (Race 5, 2400m), is another who needs a good run to be considered for the Durban July and Mike said: “He had a good first run back but then a mediocre run last time, but I have a feeling that was a bit of a flat run. He was down here in KZN only two weeks, perhaps he was entitled to a flat run. The 2400m is more his game, if he runs to his best form, he will be there or thereabouts. He has tended to do some quirky things at Greyville.”