With just five months of the 2024/25 racing season nearly behind us, SA Champion trainer Justin Snaith increased his lead at the top of the national trainer log by a margin of over R3,5 million when he saddled five of the winners on the eight-race card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday.
With only Highveld counterpart Tony Peter (17,1%) on a higher strike-rate in the national top ten from a substantially less amount of runners, Snaith has saddled 76 winners at a strike rate of over 15% and continued with his yard’s top-class form ahead of Cape Racing’s De Grendel Merchants racemeeting on Sunday where he saddles twelve runners.
Craig Zackey drives Regulation clear to beat Empire State (Aldo Domeyer) and Gentleman Joe (Corne Orffer) in the fifth race, a Class 4 (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
After a relatively ordinary Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas day last Saturday, where they ‘only’ saddled one winner in the shape of Wild Wild Envy who won the non black type Flash Summer Coronation Plate, the Snaith machine kicked into overdrive with five winners.
“The single biggest strength of Snaith Racing at the moment is that we use the jockeys we believe best suited to the horse. We are under no pressure at all – even from some assistant trainers in our owner ranks,” laughed Justin about a subject that has received some debate in the past week.
The run started in the second when Richard Fourie booted home the R1 million National Yearling Sale buy Express Yourself for top owner Nic Jonsson. The son of Trippi was winning at his sixth outing when trying the 2000m for the first time.
Justin Snaith said that he was under the impression that the meeting was on the winter course with its shorter run-in, and he is clearly happy to be on the summer course.
The Winx-sponsored JP van der Merwe rode the first of his four winners when the consistent Silvano gelding Groovejet stormed through late to win the third. Part owner Greg Bortz was celebrating the GPI Christmas luncheon on course and it was no surprise to see the 4yo start tote favourite.
Van der Merwe followed up in the fourth when the Royal Mo gelding Rule Of Thumb finished best to win the Class 4 Mile contest at 10-1. Part owner Jonathan Snaith enjoyed the win from his holiday break in Hermanus.
Craig Zackey got in on the Snaith action when he brought the Foster home-bred Regulation home in the fifth for an eyecatching victory.
While the jockey was bemoaning the traffic issues, the happy trainer felt that his charge had benefitted from being boxed in and being forced to be given a confident. “They need to do something about it,” quipped the Highveld rider. Was he referring to the Stipes?
JP van der Merwe completed his treble contribution to the Snaith rout in the sixth race when the What A Winter filly Jet To The Sun ran out an easy winner for what one hopes will be a confidence-boosting second career victory. “She kicks everything. When we pad the box, she kicks where we didn’t pad,” added Snaith.
The next Cape racemeeting is at the same venue on Sunday.
First race is off at 12h20. There is a jackpot carryover of R200 000 – projected to reach R1 million. The jackpot starts in the fifth at 14h40.
