Barbie – Ken’s on the right (Pic – Warner Bros)
Summerveld veteran Louis ‘The Goose’ Goosen has gone from Blue Bull to Barbie and proudly steps out his dashing new pink and white racing silks at Hollywoodbets Scottsville this afternoon.
While the seasoned racing man denies being a fan and having watched the Barbie movie, or that he is abandoning his beloved Blue Bulls, it will be interesting to see how the consistent 5yo Cyber Time goes under Calvin Habib in the fourth.
“I always raced in the Blue Bulls colours. But my silks had the branding of old sponsors and companies that I had closed. So rather than buy a new set of colours for R1200, I phoned my old mate and owner Claude Comaroff. Racing fans will recall he raced Waywest Goddess and Variometer, amongst other good horses. He gave me his silks, so I paid for the re registration and that’s my new flag. I know a lot of racing guys won’t get excited by Barbie, but it could inspire Cyber Time, who will be dressed like a little doll today in the fourth race. Maybe it’s the boost he needs and it’s certainly time for him to win again, even though it’s a very competitive race. And don’t ignore stablemate Juan Carlos – he’s dappling well!”
He’s a Barbie boy? Louis Goosen is enjoying his racing and having fun (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
Louis also points out that Donquerari can’t be left out when he runs in the fifth.
“I can’t give you the confidence to put your head down and have a bet. But he’s a real sprinter, and he is fit and a happy horse as we approach spring. We’ll have some fun with him in summer,” he concluded.
Eight races are carded today and the free to play Hollywoodbets Punters Challenge entries must be in five minutes before the first which is due off at 12h40.
If you aren’t a Barbie fan, other decent bets on the card include Trainer Tony Rivalland’s Captain Casey in Race 7.
He ran a fair race in the Non-Black Type KZN Breeders Mile last time. His form prior to that outing was good. The son of Captain Of All is having his peak run today and Gavin Lerena may be able to coax that little bit extra out of him where it matters most.
Banzai Pipeline from the champion Garth Puller stable could also represent decent each way value in Race 4.
He did not settle in the early stages of his last start over 1950m on this course, but the manner in which he stayed on at the finish was encouraging.
He is having his peak run today and should be cherry-ripe. The 6yo gelding takes a drop-in class and if apprentice Siphesihle Hlengwa is able to switch him off early, he can return to winning ways.
Please take note that Smanga Khumalo will not be riding in the first race.
| Weather | Sunny with 24% chance of rain, 25 Deg, 18K/hr South Easterly Headwind | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain Report | July: 14mm & August: 1.5mm | ||
| Rainfall | Last 24 Hours: Nil | Last 7 Days: 1mm | |
| Irrigation | Last 24 Hours: Nil | Last 7 Days: 8mm | |
| Penetrometer Reading | 23 (Both tracks) | ||
| Track Condition | Good (Both tracks) | ||
| False Rail | 4.5m | ||
- The Bipot starts in the first race at 12h40
- The Place Accumulator starts in the second race at 13h15
- The Pick 6 starts in the third race at 13h50
- The first Jackpot starts in the fourth race at 14h25
- The second Jackpot starts in the fifth race at 15h00
