JET DARK IS SET FOR TAKE OFF!

JET DARK Victory salute as Jet Dark wins the 2022 L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate

Photo:Gold Circle/ Candiese Lenferna

The Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge is the third leg of the unofficial Grade 1 WFA mile championship, the other two being the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate run at Kenilworth in Cape Town and the HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes run at Turffontein in Johannesburg.

But there is more than just Grade 1 glory at stake this Saturday. The winner of the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge gains automatic entry into the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Durban July so for some this is make or break and for others it’s about prestige.

Jet Dark holds a July entry but given the form of Justin Snaith’s colt, he is a top-class miler and not certain to see out the tough 2200m of the July.

He ran a cracking race to win the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate for the second time and followed up with a smart second in the Cape Met over 10 furlongs.
He was beaten by the now retired Rainbow Bridge in the Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge last year, but that was his first run back from a break. This year he has had a warm-up for this event in the 1400m Independent On Saturday Drill Hall Stakes and Snaith did warn that Jet Dark was always ‘cold’ in his first run back from a lay-off illustrated by his drift in the market from an opening call of 5-2 to start 8-1. He was doing his best work late from the worst of the draw in the Drill Hall so he should be stripped for Saturday’s event.

MK’s Pride has pulled the widest marble in gate 12 which is not in his favour on the tight Hollywoodbets Greyville 1600m. Paul Peter’s runner was a narrow winner of the Grade 1 HF Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut Stakes but the line arrived just in time. The shorter Greyville straight will suit but his wide draw is a concern.
MK’s Pride looks to have the advantage on Mike de Kock’s gelding Al Muthana given the result of the Horse Chestnut but he has won five of his eight starts this season, his last coming in the Gr2 Hawaii Stakes over 1400m.

He does hold an entry for the July but he does have stamina doubts.
Vaughan Marshall saddles former Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Cape Derby winner Linebacker who many thought was a touch unlucky when second behind Kommetdieding in last year’s July. He was narrowly beaten by the same horse in the Cape Met, finishing third but beaten under a length. Marshall was more than happy with the gelding’s come-back run in the Drill Hall Stakes where he too had a wide draw to contend with. The Mile could still be on the short side but he will improve lengths on his Drill Hall effort.
The three-year-olds are represented by Prince Of Fire and Supreme Warrior. The former has won five of his eight starts but faces his toughest test to date. Given his official rating he should be up against it but he does jump from barrier one which is always an advantage on this course.

Mike Azzie and his son saddle Supreme Warrior who came within an ace of landing the WSB KZN Guineas, beaten a nostril by a low-flying Zapatillas. The latter has booked his place in the gate for the Hollywoodbets Durban July and has been wrapped in cotton wool for Saturday, July 2.

Supreme Warrior has no July aspirations and will be looking to go one better although his form suggests a lot of speed but only just getting a mile.
Snaith could hold the key to this race and the Hollywoodbets Durban July with Crown Towers. The gelding has been a soldier for the stable and often used as a pacemaker, a role that he is probably been tasked with on Saturday for Jet Dark, given that he is a natural front-runner. However, he has apprentice Rachel Venniker aboard and given that her mentor, former champion jockey Michael Roberts, has instilled in her a judgement of pace, she could surprise them all and book a ride in South Africa’s ‘big one’.

Johan Janse van Vuuren has a second string to his bow. Champion jockey elect Warren Kennedy rides Prince Of Fire with Kabelo Matsunyane tasked with Bingwa hopefully booking his place in the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

His recent form has tailed off a little, but in the past he has been right up there with MK’s Pride. He ran a cracker in a recent Pinnacle Stakes race over 1500m on the sharp Turffontein inside track beaten a length and giving the winner Willow Express 8kg.

This promises to be a great racemeeting but please note that a valid vaccination certificate for Covid 19 is required for entry to the racecourse. Alternatively you can produce proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event.