RACE BY RACE PREVIEWS: DURBANVILLE@2024.10.26
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 1, Gallops, 1250m, Turf, R110.000, 12:05GMT+2
Race Summary: PINK PIGEON has finished 2nd in both starts, the latest over track and trip. She’s awkwardly drawn but wouldn’t be winning out of turn. CATCH A PENNY filled the runners-up berth on debut and will be wiser to the task from a favourable inside stall. Well-bred BEACH QUEEN will also have more to offer after a pleasing introduction. BIRD ON A WING and SHEETS AND GOGGLES have the benefit of experience which will stand them in good stead. Well-bred newcomers CAPE CAPTAIN, WAGRAM, POWER OF TIGER and LAUDIUM are others to note on debut, especially if the market speaks in their favour.
Selections:
#11 Pink Pigeon, #2 Catch A Penny, #9 Power Of Tiger, #7 Wagra
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 2, Gallops, 1250m, Turf, R110.000, 12:35GMT+2
Race Summary: MASTER BOMBER caught the eye when staying on to finish 4th on debut over track and trip (DIABLO in 5th). He is awkwardly positioned in stall No 11 but would’ve come on appreciably with the benefit of that experience. GRAND ALLEGRO finished an encouraging 2nd on his reappearance in first-time blinkers and need only confirm that improvement, with the headgear retained, to play a leading role. RAFA BAY has filled the runners-up berth in consecutive starts over 1000m and is ideally drawn in gate No 1, so he has obvious claims. Watch newcomers AMANDLA NGAWETHU, GREENLIGHT JET and TRIPPING THUNDER.
Selections:
#11 Master Bomber, #8 Grand Allegro, #10 Tripping Thunder, #2 Diablo
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 3, Gallops, 1250m, Turf, R85.000, 13:10GMT+2
Race Summary: This won’t take much winning so any market support for well-bred newcomer GRAN CANARIA will be significant. PALACE GIFT, beaten by a newcomer over 1400m last time, has the form and experience to fight for victory. WHAT A FORTUNE was a good 2nd recently against winners over 1400m and need only repeat that performance to challenge for race honours. Returning JUST A GLANCE (gelded) and CIRCUMBENDIBUS, dropping back in trip, aren’t without a chance in a field of this ilk. NORDIC PRINCE and KING VISERYS could also get involved.
Selections:
#3 Palace Gift, #7 Gran Canaria, #2 What A Fortune, #6 Circumbendibus
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 4, Gallops, 1250m, Turf, R135.000, 13:45GMT+2
Race Summary: BJORN IRONSIDE and SURGE OF POWER were promising juveniles and both have more scope for improvement than their older rivals. The latter had excuses on his reappearance from a wide draw so shouldn’t be written off. Last-start winner WAR CHARIOT scored over course and distance in first-time blinkers and should remain competitive under a 4-point penalty. However, in-form NIGHT BOMBER is 2kg better off for a 1.70-length beating and could turn the tables with Richard Fourie taking over the reins. DUMBLEDORE is closely matched with that rival on their 3 September meeting so he isn’t taken lightly.
Selections:
#1 Night Bomber, #3 War Chariot, #5 Dumbledore, #7 Surge Of Power
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 5, Gallops, 1600m, Turf, R85.000, 14:20GMT+2
Race Summary: ZEITZ has filled the runners-up berth in both starts over 1250m and should improve for the step up to this trip. BOMBERS IN THE SKY and GARDEN SUN acquitted themselves well over track and trip last time, so they could pose the biggest threats if building on that improvement. AMERICAN MATADOR ran well against winners last time is dangerous to discount under from an inside gate with 52.5kg on his back. HENRY’S HEDGE, AFRIQUE and LIGHTS ON are unexposed and also open to progress over this extended trip. CHAMPONELLE has the form and experience to stake a claim if overcoming the widest No 13 stall.
Selections:
#9 Zeitz, #5 Bombers In The Sky, #8 Garden Sun, #4 American Matador
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 6, Gallops, 2000m, Turf, R105.000, 14:55GMT+2
Race Summary: JOIN THE DOTS beat GROOVEJET in a similar course-and-distance contest 4 weeks ago. Both maturing 4yo geldings should be competitive, though the latter is weighted to reverse that form on 3kg better terms. POINTDEXTER was dropped out from a wide draw and ran on to finish 4th in the same race on his return from a break. He would’ve tightened up since and starts from a favourable No 2 gate off a 2-point lower mark, so could represent the value in the race. FIREFLARE, TWICE THE MASTER and BATON ROUGE also have claims on these revised terms. Progressive COMMANDER GREEN isn’t taken lightly either.
Selections:
#2 Pointdexter, #9 Groovejet, #10 Join The Dots, #11 Commander Green
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 7, Gallops, 1400m, Turf, R85.000, 15:30GMT+2
Race Summary: AUGUSTA BLUE edged out SPIRIT’S UNITE in a similar course-and-distance contest last month but the latter is 1kg better off for that narrow defeat. UNSOLVED RIDDLE is closely matched on that form but worse off on these revised terms, having finished ahead of MOTHERSHIP and BLAME IT ON ME over 1600m last time. GOLD INDEX ran in both of those races and could make his presence felt off a lower mark.
Selections:
#4 Spirit’s Unite, #2 Augusta Blue, #8 Unsolved Riddle, #1 Gold Index
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 8, Gallops, 1400m, Turf, R165.000, 16:05GMT+2
Race Summary: A smashing race featuring several Stakes winners, including last-start Grade 1 scorer SURJAY who got the better of ROYAL AUSSIE (3rd) in the 1200m Mercury Sprint in KZN three months ago. Both should go well on their seasonal reappearances, though the same applies to the filly in the lineup, RASCOVA, who scored on her only visit to the country course. Progressive 4yo geldings OUTLAW KING and GET IMPRESSED have a bit to find at the weights but they ought to acquit themselves competitively. HLUHLUWE ran in 3 consecutive Grade 1 races during the winter and is a former course-and-distance winner.
Selections:
#2 Royal Aussie, #7 Surjay, #1 Rascova, #10 Hluhluwe
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 9, Gallops, 1250m, Turf, R120.000, 16:40GMT+2
Race Summary: ARTISTE, with the benefit of a promising debut experience under her belt, beat I’M SO PRITTI (4.5kg better off) by 9.25 lengths in the latter’s first start. Both improving 3yo fillies scored over course and distance last time and are likely to continue their momentum, with the margin between the two expected to be smaller. Consistent BABELICIOUS fits a similar profile and has shown enough to be competitive. PUSHING LIMITS caught the eye with a strong late run over 1000m last time, suggesting the step up to this trip will be more to her liking. JOU LEKKER DING and FIRST MASTERPIECE come next.
Selections:
#9 I’m So Pritti, #3 Artiste, #5 Babelicious, #4 Pushing Limits
Durbanville, 26.10.2024, Race 10, Gallops, 1250m, Turf, R85.000, 17:15GMT+2
Race Summary: ALLTHEBOYSIVELOVED impressed when finding plenty under pressure to make a winning debut over 1000m. On that evidence, and with that experience to count on, she ought to improve for the step up to this distance so it could pay to follow her progress. She will, however, be tested by hard-knockers VERONIQUE, herself a last-start winner (over track and trip), and WHY NOT JACKIE, who is 2kg better off with her last-start conqueror. NILE THE BOSS, LOOK FORWARD, CAPTAIN’S DESTINY and GUSTO GIRL will fight out the minors.
Selections:
#7 Alltheboysiveloved, #6 Why Not Jackie, #4 Veronique, #3 Captain’s Destiny
Best Win: #9 ZEITZ
Best Value Bet: #2 POINTDEXTER
Best Longshot: #2 POINTDEXTER
