Kenilworth-Saturday J&B MET Larger than LifeX(

Undecided there, might just take the field and move onto the next race....

What about the Met?

You know the only thing that kind of scares me in this race is the absolute lack of pace. The only runner I can see going out tot he front and making the pace is Celtic Fire......nothing else "wants" to go to the front. Perhaps Anton and the Mother will go but it won't be ideal I wouldn't imagine.

Don't quote me but I have a sneaky feeling we are in for a little bit of a result this year. Once again just a gut feeling.

I think Mother Russia is a worthy favourite but she cannot have my money over 1 1/4 miles.......

My lunatic swinger horse is Paddy 'o Reilly

Paddy WHO.... Is that a horse:D ... Strydom will suite Rushing Wind imo, top four selection for me with Mother Russia, Tales of Bravery and Bravura.....

Hope the pace is on Tombo, Last Regal maybe to set the pace?

Not certain Rushing Wind will stay in this company, but I have been wrong before

If they go slow he has to be a massive runner, and yes Striker will suit!

Like I said, hard, hard race that and there are only a precious few I can rule out for sure!!!

The way he was finishing in the Queens I reckon he will get the trip, but have been wrong before as well:X

Greg, the 9th I think we can get our money back from Darrie. She was desperate last weekend and this is much weaker. I think she will be right there for your favourite CTN trainer

Yip agree with you Tombo, include Icy Zone.....

Include Capt Thriller this time over 1200m.....Bastille Day will be all over them in The Derby.....

i'm also with Tommy's lunatic pick Paddy O'Reilly for swingers and places at a huge price.

Kabz, they offering 7-1 Berkley in the juvenile race, off the 4/1. So it looks like maybe its not fancied that strong. Anyone know anything different ?
Hoping so anyway - going for Princess Victoria.

My Best for the day is Solo Traveller - with WE THREE as my Bet of the day. Was hoping for more than 6/1 but will wait until tomorrow and see. I respect Cree Lodge but think WE THREE is an improving type.

In the 1st - Shadow In The Wind (value)
3rd Race - I respect Princess Victoria at the weights, but I think Split The Profit (Danielson) will make a race of it!!!
8th Race - I like Legion Of Honour eachway.

Hard card!!!! BUT ALL THE BEST TO EVERYONE OUT THERE!!!

J&B Reserve Stayer's Trainer Comments by DT


Stephen Page, Carl Burger, Justin Snaith and Riaan van Reenen of the Phillipi training centre together with Noordhoek Beach private trainer Mike Stewart hold a strong hand together in the Grade 2 J&B Reserve Stayers over 2800m on J&B Met day.



Page won this race, which is virtually a Weight For Age event, with Mokaro in 2009.



This year he is bullish about the chances of his five-year-old Strike Smartly entire, Two Strikes.



“He is a nice type of staying horse and is still up and coming. There is no reason to geld him as he has the most wonderful temperament, he’s a quiet, shy horse. Sometimes entire’s blood can get thick, but he’s not like that. In last year’s Gold Vase, when still with Michael de Beer, he was still too immature and not hard enough. When he moved to my yard Richard Fourie asked if he could stick with him. He’s starting to get hard enough now. In his second run for me he finished second in the Woolavington over 2400m. Then I gave him a run over 1800m to get him right for the Cape Summer Stayers over 2500m on Boxing Day which he won. Its hard for stayers, they need to get their breath back, so he hasn’t run since then. I’m not worried about his draw of 15, he’ll overcome it somehow.”



Page also has the six-year-old 2009 Gold Cup runner up Noblewood (Fort Wood) in the line up and said, “He’s a good stayer on his day and has a top rider (Piere Strydom) aboard. He hasn’t really gone downhill, but has had little niggly problems with his legs. His form hasn’t been bad, he’s run some fair races lately, and he’s very well at the moment.”



Stewart is double handed too with the five-year-old Badger’s Drift gelding, Hospitality, and the eight-year-old Jet Master entire, Sudden Storm.



“Hospitality is my best bet of the day,” said Stewart. “He’s a lovely horse and is a true stayer.”



Stewart has often emphasised that, due to Hospitality’s resolute one-paced galloping style, he needs to get to the front and at last he has an ideal inside draw.



“He will now be able to get to the front without killing himself,” he said.



“Super Storm is just as good, but he is an entire so I battle with his blood. If they’d gelded him as a three-year-old he would’ve won the J&B Met.”



Burger saddles Grey Cossack (Fanatic Dane), who has a tough task on paper as he is merit rated only 83 compared to some of the horses who are over 100.



“You mustn’t forget that he’s only a four-year-old and he’s improving with every run, “ said Burger. “A lot of the opposition are just about past it. I think he’s a big runner. He’s an out and out stayer and has changed from a horse who had a bad temperament into one who is very quiet and relaxed. He is huge, standing over 17 hands, so can carry the weight. He also has a nice draw.”



Interestingly Burger has a share in one of the opposition horses, the Grant Paddock-trained Port Elizabeth raider, Louie’s Pride.



He has a soft spot for Louie’s Pride, who gave him his first winner as a trainer, and said after a pause and a smile, “I think Grey Cossack will beat him.”



Snaith runs the four-year-old Silvano filly We Three and said, “If she gets 2800m she will do well. I’m a bit worried about her staying the trip, but the staying races are very weak at the moment, so we will give it a go. She was very unlucky in the TBA Paddock Stakes. She had to drift to the outside and couldn’t get a run, otherwise I think she would have finished second. She is very well.”



Van Reenen saddles the six-year-old Kahal gelding Sun City, who won his penultimate start over 2500m, despite being slowly away.



He was then well beaten in the Cape Summer Stayers when jumping slowly and awkwardly from a wide draw. He could do better than that effort.