S’manga Khumalo and Justin Snaith have teamed up to devastating effect, most notably with dual L’Ormarins Queens Plate winner Jet Dark, and they are likely to do so again when racing returns to Durbanville’s country course on Wednesday 9 March for an eight-race card.
‘Bling’ – as Khumalo is affectionately known – has a ride in each race for Snaith and should strike early before the card gets a lot more competitive later on with several tricky handicap events.
Smith And Wesson returned to Cape Town from the Eastern Cape a beaten odds-on favourite, going down 0.50 lengths over 1000m at Fairview last time out – his second runner-up finish from three starts.
Snaith’s charge, a two-year-old colt by first-season sire The United States, has been backed in each of his outings so is obviously pleasing during his workouts and his supporters should be rewarded when he lines up in Race 1 attempting to shed the maiden tag.
Likely improvers Piroshka and Charlie Croker could pose the biggest threat. Both are expected to have come on after fair introductions, so should be included in Swinger and Exacta bets.
Stablemate Steinbeck is an even better bet in Race 2. This very well-bred Silvano gelding (half-brother to well-performed 2019 Cape Derby runner-up Charles, by Dynasty) has improved racing around the turn, finishing second in each of his three starts beyond 1200m. His latest second-place finish over 1400m was not only his first start after gelding but also Khumalo’s first time aboard Snaith’s charge and, with that run under the belt, there is likely to be more to come from Steinbeck.
The step up to 1600m will be right up his alley too so Place Accumulator and Bipot players can confidently banker Steinbeck.
Zippy Over could well complete a quick treble for the combination. She has a bit to find on re-opposing Red Kite on the form of a recent meeting at Kenilworth, but Khumalo’s mount has the benefit of a favourable No 5 draw, while her rival is in gate 10.
She returns to the course of her pleasing September debut and is distance suited, so could give Khumalo and his followers another reason to “Whoop! Whoop!”
Clive Robinson
