Captain is out to fix a tattered reputation

The Cape Town visitors rather successfully plundered last Friday’s Fairview feature race meeting, but one let-down was the disappointing showing of Captain Tatters in the Merchants.

Backed in to 3-1, Justin Snaith’s five-year-old sprinter was jittery in the pre-race proceedings and performed as if he’d used up his store of nervous energy – finishing fifth behind fellow Cape Town raider Spring Awakening (5-1) from the Andre Nel stable.

Snaith has Captain Tatters back to face the same track and trip, just seven days later, and you’d expect the horse to be a bit more settled in a familiar place this time.

He will start at shortish odds for Race 5, a 1200m Graduation Plate, in far more modest company than last week and is the best option for an exotics-bets banker.

Richard Fourie reprises his role in the irons and will also have a better feel for the horse and his response to his surroundings.

Fourie also partners Snaith’s other two runners on the day, Wildest Dreams in Race 2 and What A Blizzard in the eighth and last. Both must be included in all bets.

SELECTIONS

1: 2 Jungle Promise, 1 Route Sixty Six, 4 Hot To Trot, 6 Absolutely Fab

2: 1 Wildest Dreams, 4 Get It Done, 10 Such Luck, 8 Crafty Heart

3: 6 Cane Lime ’N Soda, 9 Legend Has it, 8 Bold Strike, 10 Proud Warrior

4: 1 Colorado Springs, 2 Miss Orange, 5 Princess Kalisi, 4 Bold Diva

5: 1 Captain Tatters, 2 No Laying Up, 4 Vista Nova, 3 Africa’s Rock

6: 7 Mesmerizing Moon, 4 Glacier Gold, 5 Variety Breeze, 2 Afternoon Tea

7: 10 Stanton Street, 1 Rock Garden, 7 Masterful, 6 Emerald Flame

8: 2 What A Blizzard, 14 Princess Santo, 8 Blindlove, 11 Princess Of Winter

Pick 6: 6,7,8,9,10 x 1,2,3,4,5 x 1 x 2,4,5,7 x 1,2,4,5,6,7,10 x 2,8,14 (R2100)

PA: 1,4 x 6,9 x 1,2 x 1 x 4,7 x 1,7,10 x 2 (R48)