Entries Daily News and Woolavington 2000`s

In a perfect world, these races will show who the best 3yr olds are over this sort of trip; in the DN, I think there are quite a few who would need a big performance to maybe still stake a July claim - so it may be a genuine race and for me it should test the strength of Second Base and Copper Mountain vs Linebacker and the other Cape contenders - and thereby one should be able to compare the Cape 3yr olds with Got the Greenlight

In the Woolavington, I do find it strange that Capt Ransom was nominated in the first place - anyway Matchett still has the pacemaker in the field, so it should not be a crawl and sprint - which would also help to see how good War of Athena is vs Princess Calla

So all in all, both races would be worth watching ito rating the contenders for the July :huh:

Would be interesting to know if Gav Lerena had the choice of rides between Second Base and Copper Mountain - as he rode both of them when they were beaten by Got the Greenlight - if he had the choice, CM may be a serious runner here - not currently in the July (but could of course still be entered as Final Entries are only due on 15 June) - but I would guess that they could be targeting the DN for CM - and use it as a prep for SB

Final Field Betting ow.ly/Xb6350ETO3g

GC Press release

Saturday’s Gr1 Daily News 2000 has attracted the cream of the country’s Classic three-year-olds in what is one of the most important pointers going in to the Gr1 Vodacom Durban July.
This year’s crop of sophomores has proved to be vintage in every sense of the word and it is a shame that Hollywoodbets Greyville will be closed to the public due to the on-going Covid restrictions.
Likely favourite will be recent Gr2 WSB Guineas winner Linebacker. Vaughan Marshall’s Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby winner was most impressive in the Guineas, winning rather comfortably after running into traffic early in the straight.
The hard luck story in that race was Kommetdieding. Unbeaten until the Guineas he was caught in an argument at the back of the field with Gr1 Cape Guineas winner Russian Rock, losing valuable ground. He was finishing like a train from last into the straight to run into third and will have pleased the father and daughter training combination of Harold Crawford and Michelle Rix.
Johan Janse van Vuuren saddles Second Base and Copper Mountain.
Second Base is currently seventh on the VDJ log and this will be his first look at the Hollywoodbets Greyville circuit. However, he ran a cracker in the Gr1 Premier’s Champions Challenge over the stiff Turffontein 2000, running Got The Greenlight to under a length. Gavin Lerena has kept the ride and the Highveld form will be fully tested.
Copper Mountain goes this trip for the first time but also gave Got The Greenlight a fright in the Gr1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes, only going down a head at the death.
The Gatekeeper, a full brother to former VDJ winner Legislate, has been touted as Justin Snaith’s big hope for the VDJ. His local KZN debut in the WSB Guineas was below his Western Cape form where he finished third to Linebacker in the Gr1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby.
The defection of Captain’s Ransom from the Gr1 Woolavington has left a big hole and the race has cut up into a seven-horse field. However, what it lacks in numbers is made up in quality.
Wilgerbosdrift Triple Tiara winner War Of Athena heads the field and given the ease of her three wins, Paul Matchett’s filly will be a strong fancy. However, given the respective handicap ratings, she will be tested by the likes of the Paul Peter-trained Netta, rated only two pounds inferior and Princess Calla, four pounds inferior.
War Of Athena and Netta are both Vodacom Durban July entries and Matchett has a second runner in Only The Brave, possibly there to make up the numbers in case of the race being abandoned, but also to ensure a decent gallop for her better performed stable companion. Here are the final fields below.



1 1 RUSSIAN ROCK 60.0 119 A K de Melo Dean Kannemey
2 2 DR DOOLITTLE 60.0 108 A M Yeni Paul Peter
3 3 RASCALLION 60.0 111 A S Veale Vaughan Marsh
4 4 FLYING CARPET 60.0 108 T A L J Ferraris Sean Tarry
5 5 SHAH AKBAR 60.0 108 T A L Hewitson Sean Tarry
6 6 LINEBACKER 60.0 124 A G van Niekerk Vaughan Marsh
7 7 SECOND BASE 60.0 122 AM W Kennedy J A Janse van
8 8 KOMMETDIEDING 60.0 120 A S Cele HWJ Crawford/
9 9 THE GATEKEEPER 60.0 110 A R Fourie Justin Snaith
10 10 COPPER MOUNTAIN 60.0 121 AM G Lerena J A Janse van
11 11 FULL BLAST 60.0 86 BA S Moodley Michael Miller
12 12 INFINITE WONDER 60.0 92 A R Munger Ashley Fortune



1 1 WAR OF ATHENA 60.0 122 A M Yeni Paul Matchett
2 2 ONLY THE BRAVE 60.0 97 T A K Matsunyane Paul Matchett
3 3 EMERALD PALACE 60.0 91 AM R Danielson Gareth van Zy
4 4 SCENTED MISTRESS 60.0 91 BA L J Ferraris Vaughan Marsh
5 5 PRINCESS CALLA 60.0 118 A G van Niekerk Adam Marcus
6 6 CHAT CHING 60.0 114 A K de Melo Candice Bass-
7 7 NETTA 60.0 120 A W Kennedy Paul Peter

Chat Ching is not entered for the July like some of the others, I suspect she is gonna improve again over the ground.

DN betting is interesting :-

HW : (Linebacker 16/10 - Kommetdieding 18/10, was 22/10 at one stage)

WSB : (Linebacker 18/10 - Kommetdieding 5/2 was 3/1 at one stage)

BW : (Linebacker 17/10 - Kommetdieding 5/2)

Wonder what a Linebacker victory will do to his merit rating, bearing in mind he is currently rated the same as GTGL at 124. Conversely, he is a guaranteed runner in the July, and this is an exercise gallop.

Will Princess Calla stay the 2000m , has War Of Athena had too many hard races , lots of questions to be answered. For me Netta is on the up and should go very close to winning the Woolavington

Craig Pienaar wrote: Will Princess Calla stay the 2000m , has War Of Athena had too many hard races , lots of questions to be answered. For me Netta is on the up and should go very close to winning the Woolavington

Princess Calla was up there for a long time in the Met, think she will go close close against her own age and sex

bayern wrote: DN betting is interesting :-

HW : (Linebacker 16/10 - Kommetdieding 18/10, was 22/10 at one stage)

WSB : (Linebacker 18/10 - Kommetdieding 5/2 was 3/1 at one stage)

BW : (Linebacker 17/10 - Kommetdieding 5/2)

Wonder what a Linebacker victory will do to his merit rating, bearing in mind he is currently rated the same as GTGL at 124. Conversely, he is a guaranteed runner in the July, and this is an exercise gallop.

Appears one horse has lost two legs, Linebacker, and the other has found two additional legs, Kommetdieding, both 16/10 now.

Or maybe Linebacker will be scratched, last time something like this happened, Captain's Ransom was scratched which explained the wicked drift in the market, not that Linebacker has drifted, not yet anyway.

bayern wrote:

Craig Pienaar wrote: Will Princess Calla stay the 2000m , has War Of Athena had too many hard races , lots of questions to be answered. For me Netta is on the up and should go very close to winning the Woolavington

Princess Calla was up there for a long time in the Met, think she will go close close against her own age and sex

I was surprised to see on HW that Chat Ching is the joint outsider of the race.

Based on her Cape form to others that have run with Princess Calla she must have a fair chance.

With the large handicap fields on both sides of the features then we can expect large exotic payouts.


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