Hot stuff in Leg 1 of the Winter Series

By Mike Moon

The Cape Winter Series, long a proving ground of up-and-coming racehorses, gets underway this weekend. The first of the series’ three legs, the Grade 3 WSB Variety Club Mile, headlines Sunday’s Kenilworth meeting.

This year it’s a bit different, however, as many of the runners are already well-proven performers at the top level. Indeed, six of the nine horses carded are among the 60 first entries for the Hollywoodbets Durban July unveiled this week.

Justin Snaith stable

And all six – Pomp And Power, Without Question, Pacaya, Hoedspruit, Silver Darling and King Regent – could quite conceivably make the July final field.

The first five named are from the Justin Snaith stable, and the first two top the betting boards for Sunday’s contest.

Pomp And Power ran an excellent race at long odds in the Cape Town Met in late January, rediscovering his best form to finish a close-up third to Jet Dark. The four-year-old might not be fully wound up for this, ahead of his trip up the coast to Durbs, but he is classy and wouldn’t be a surprise winner.

Against Pomp And Power is a steadying 62.5kg on his back, while jockey arrangements suggest that three-year-old Without Question is the stable elect.

The latter is no overnight sensation, with two wins from 10 outings, but he is game and could well be a late developer at the elite level.

Of Snaith’s other charges, Pacaya and Hoedspruit can never be ignored, while the filly Silver Darling has mixed it admirably with the best of her gender. Her problem is a 60kg impost, but she does have the services of the country’s leading jockey, Keagan de Melo, to help her overcome that.

Glen Kotzen will no doubt be assessing the quality of his charge King Regent: does he head northeast or stay to challenge in other legs of the Winter Series.