Former SA Champion trainer Justin Snaith tops the national trainer log after the weekend and three months into the new season, marginally ahead of reigning title holder Sean Tarry.
With limited features run, the standings are very sensitive at this stage and it is obviously early days yet with the R2 million Summer Cup run on 30 November, the first Gr1 of the new season.
Justin Snaith (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
Saturday’s Charity Mile offers a first cheque of R625 000 and victory in the handicap will see the likes of Sean Tarry reinforcing his position again.
While Paarl-based Glen Kotzen was the talking trainer of the weekend, with three top-notch feature winners which took him to a seventh position with earnings of R2 119 375 just ahead of Mike de Kock (R2 073 35), it was Snaith (R3 283 600) who edged marginally ahead of Tarry (R3 256 238), despite one less winner on the board than the Gauteng kingpin.
After a thundering early start, Paul Peter has slipped back to third on R3 159 975, ahead of PE champion Alan Greeff on R3 109 888. The rampant Greeff leads the log with his winner tally of 43.
While not yet kicking into top gear, Philippi based Brett Crawford (R2 849 000) has the leading national win strike-rate of 20,07 %.
Brett Crawford – grinding away
Summerveld resident Garth Puller holds a very respectable top ten position with stakes of R1 495 750. It is a position that the veteran champion has conceded he is unlikely to maintain when the big guns are unleashed in the feature high-season.
Top yards looking to up their game in the next eight weeks include past July winning trainers Dean Kannemeyer (10% win strike and R979 475) and Candice Bass-Robinson (5% win strike and R891 350), Geoff Woodruff (12,9% win strike and R850 550), and the former Cape champion Joey Ramsden (4,4% win strike and R216 625).
The Sporting Post was unable to confirm Ramsden’s position on his Singapore move.
It will be interesting to revisit the positions just over three months from now on Sunday 2 February – 24 hours after the Met.
