Back our female riding star Rachel Venniker to run a place on Without Question in the Hollywoodbets Durban July on 6 July.
That’s the advice of David Mollett after a close perusal of Saturday’s Gr 2 race in which her mount was certainly in need of the run. The four year-old hadn’t been seen since finishing third in the WSB Met in January.
Rachel Venniker – ran third in the WSB Cape Town Met on Without Question (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
The 22 year-old, who was rejected by the Jockeys Academy three times and told to “finish your schooling and think again”, will feel she’s got an each-way shout on the son of The United States, after finishing three lengths behind stablemate, Future Swing, in Saturday’s WSB Gr2 1900.
It’s already been a great year for Rachel with her win in an International Jockeys Challenge in Saudi Arabia in February.
It was a win that didn’t surprise 5-times champion trainer, Geoff Woodruff. “Horses instinctively run for her – she has the natural balance of a good horsewoman and I think they try harder for her,” he ads.
Rachel did finish her schooling at Roseway Waldorf School, but hasn’t looked back since, thanks to the excellent tutorship of trainer Michael Roberts. An invite to participate in the Shergar Cup at Ascot in August remains a possibility.
So with the Hollywoodbets Durban July market dominated by Green With Envy, See It Again and Gimme A Nother, surely Without Question has it to do and many will feel the sponsors have got it right quoting the gelding at 25-1.
In my book, we must remember two top performances by the Cheveley Stud-bred horse.
First his third – beaten only two lengths – by See It Again in last season’s Daily News 2000 and, secondly, his third behind Double Superlative – beaten less than two lengths – in the Met.
In Saturday’s WSB 1900, Without Question had to concede six kgs to the winner, Future Swing. He had a merit-rating of 120 and Justin Snaith will expect this to be cut by the handicappers.
Snaith will also be happy that fifth-placed, Mucho Dinero, put his poor last run behind him. Strange that the four year-old was ridden by Kabelo Matsunyane considering Brett Crawford had Oriental Charm in the race. The three year-old paid a compliment to Green With Envy by finishing second.
Two Gauteng-trained horses, Atticus Finch and Safe Passage, both had their supporters but their July chances surely went out of the window when they finished 12th and 13th respectively and the former has since been scratched.
Andre Nel might only be in 14th place in the national trainers log, but two of his Hollywoodbets Durban July entries ran with credit at Hollywoodbets Greyville – Saartjie taking the KRA East Coast Cup after a storming run from the rear and Master Redoute taking the third cheque of R50 000 in the WSB 1900.
Two jockeys – some 6000 miles apart – Richard Fourie and William Buick – continue to dominate in their respective countries. Fourie is practically walking on water while Buick was amongst the winners at Chester last week.
