Jockey Grant van Niekerk will look to bounce back to winning ways at Kenilworth on Tuesday after mixed fortunes at the same venue over the weekend. Picture: Lo Chun Kit /Getty Images
Grant van Niekerk is the jockey to follow at the Durbanville race meeting on Monday. The riding ace is not short of self-confidence, but he’ll be brimming with expectation of at least a couple of victories on a day when he partners a well-fancied horse in just about every race on the card.
Exceed Expectation is GvN’s aptly named ride in Race 1. Andre Nel’s three-year-old has improved with each of his three appearances at the races and was an unlucky runner-up last time.
In Race 2, Van Niekerk partners another well-named runner, Fighter, for Paul Reeves and it would be a surprise if the two thrusters didn’t finish in the money.
For the third, fourth and fifth races, Van Niekerk is back in the horseshoe-emblazoned silks of Nel’s patron Sabine Plattner, riding Spring Awakening, Fusillade and Lillybelle – all of whom will have a say in their respective events.
Never Ending Rain looks a decent Win bet in Race 6, with collateral form indicating that the Grant Kotzen-trained three-year-old will reverse placings with main rival Debonair, who narrowly got the upper hand two weeks ago.
Another outstanding chance for Van Niekerk comes in Race 7 with So Flawless, a filly who always gives 100%.
Perhaps the star jockey’s least-likely mount comes in the eighth and final race. But by then probably he’ll be too busy counting his earnings to bother too much.
SELECTIONS
Race 1:
2 Exceed Expectation, 3 Full House, 1 Legitimise, 7 Do Si Do
Race 2:
3 Masked Vigilante, 1 Casa Inverno, 4 Fighter, 7 What A Bolt
Race 3:
5 Fateful, 1 Mr Cobbs, 3 Spring Awakening, 4 Apollo Ace
Race 4:
7 Kwinta’s Light, 5 Gillian Anne, 3 Fusillade, 4 Ohwhatanight
Race 5:
11 Lillybelle, 1 Santa Maria, 9 Louis’ Diamond, 8 Fearless Trip
Race 6:
8 Never Ending Rain, 6 Debonair, 3 Han Solo, 2 Alingalonga
Race 7:
3 So Flawless, 3 Marmalisa, 7 Aye Aye, 4 Pink Tourmaline
Race 8:
5 Queen Of Shadows, 4 Amanzimtoti, 11 Greengrowthelilacs, 12 Forries Forever
Pick 6:
1,2,3,4,5,6 x 3,4,5,7 x 1,8,9,11 x 3,6,8 x 2,3 x 4,5 (R1152)
PA:
3 x 1,3,5 x 5,7 x 1,11 x 6,8 x 3 x 5 (R24)