The annual Festival of Sprints at
Scottsville is a highlight of the KZN Champions Season. On Saturday the four Grade 1 sprints will form the four legs of an expected R3-million carryover Jackpot One, on races 5-8. There are two other Jackpot One carryover pools on a super weekend of Graded racing both locally and globally – one at Fairview on Friday and another at Kenilworth on Sunday.
It's also Group 1 Betfred Oaks and Derby weekend at Epsom in the UK, and Sunday's Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly wraps up three days of high-quality racing action. With plenty of chances to win, make sure your Betway accounts are topped up and remember that tote bets via the
Betway portal get 6% tax refunded to you every month-end.
Betway ambassador Mike de Kock has three runners at the Scottsville meeting, including runners in two features.
He saddles the ASSM Syndicate’s consistent three-year-old White Pearl in Race 7, the SA Fillies Sprint over 1200m and said: “She’s a game and talented filly and she has a big win in her. This is a good field, no easy task but I have a feeling she will be at her best over 1200m and I give her a chance. She’s not out of it.”
Zinovi lines up for the same ownership in Race 8, the Golden Horse Sprint over 1200m. He’s posted impressive wins against weaker opposition, but Mike said: “He’s not without a chance in this league. He has had three excellent runs since his wind operation, two wins and a second. He’ll enjoy a hot pace, there is plenty of it in this race, so I’d include him. He’s a decent horse.”
Arividicio will come under starter’s orders in Race 3 over 1400m. He has had several unsuccessful attempts this year, but Mike has persisted with him and said: “He’s run two poor races at Greyville on the polytrack but he hated the surface. You can draw a line through both runs. His rating has dropped to MR66 and he has won at Scottsville. He has a shout from a good draw, back on turf.”
Aidan O’Brien’s City Of Troy ran poorly in the Qipco 2000 Guineas earlier this month, but O’Brien said he was unsettled that day and that the run can be forgiven. He is still at the top of the boards for the Group 1 Betfred Derby at Epsom Racecourse in the UK on Saturday. City Of Troy was also considered to have needed the run on Guineas Day and is the preferred ride for stable jockey Ryan Moore ahead of his unbeaten stablemate Los Angeles. But there remains a question mark over City Of Troy and, in an open renewal of the race, one may have to look wider for a potential winner. Charlie Appleby’s scopey Dubawi colt, Ancient Wisdom, makes value appeal on the strength of a more impressive preparation.
Vaughan Marshall’s Lion Rampart is the main contender in Sunday’s Somerset 1200 at Kenilworth. He has blistering pace and was just was run out of it late in the Grade 3 Winter Nursery over 1100m earlier this month. He has been concentrating better with blinkers fitted recently, keeping a straight course. But it has to be noted that he failed in his only attempt over 1200m, which brings his stablemate Talk To The Master into the picture. He is on the up, runs on strongly and seeks a hat-trick over the course and distance.
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