R8 Million Pick 6 On Gold Cup Centennial Day

WSB Gold Cup contender Imperial Ruby (Pic – JC Photos)

An estimated R8 million Pick 6 pool awaits players at Hollywoodbets Greyville on 29 August where a bumper ten race feature programme, including four sensational Gr1 contests and the 100^th running of the 3200m magic marathon, the World Sports Betting Gold Cup.

The card was declared on Thursday and, while still having a bearing on the Equus awards for the 2019/20 season, it represents a bright start to the new term in an age of desperate uncertainty for the game and where Business Rescue threatens to make for bigger news than our Gr1 races.

Tote betting on the meeting opens on Thursday 27 August.

 R400 000 3200m 15:15 Ref-70
1st R250000, 2nd R80000, 3rd R40000, 4th R20000, 5th R10000
WORLD SPORTS BETTING GOLD CUP (Grade 3)
Open
WFA: 3yrs-11.5kgs 4yrs-2kgs
No Apprentice Allowance

With a carryover of R1 million, the Pick 6 pool on the afternoon is projected to reach R8 million, while the Gold Cup quartet could get to R4 million.

The first Jackpot, which starts with the running of the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes has a R250 000 kickstart and should read a pool of ten times that.

Gr1 Thekwini Stakes contender Love Bomb (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)

The World Sports Betting Gr1 Mercury Sprint, the final leg of the bumper Jackpot hosts a Trifecta that should reach R1 million.

One of the Mercury’s chief contenders worked this week at the big race venue.

David Thiselton reports that Andrew Fortune, assistant trainer to his wife Ashley, brought down a couple of horses to gallop on the Hollywoodbets Greyville polytrack before the racemeeting on Wednesday, including their Gr1 contenders Invidia, Chantyman and Validus.

Fortune learnt a lot from the trainer he regarded as the best he had ever worked with, Joey Ramsden, and believes it is important for the lungs to be cleaned out properly in a hard workout ten days before a big event.

Invidia – big runner in Mercury Sprint (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)

Therefore Invidia and Chantyman were galloped together and Validus was worked hard with a companion.

Invidia and Chantyman both put in good workouts and will be ridden by S’Manga Khumalo and Ant Mgudlwa respectively in the Gr1 Mercury Sprint over 1200m.

Invidia won the CTS 1200 on Sun Met day and in his reappearance after lockdown finished a half-a-length second to Eden Roc in the Gr2 Post Merchants over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville.

In the Gr1 Golden Horse Sprint over that same course and distance he was shifted continually outward from a seemingly good low draw and finished a 1,85 length sixth. He was carrying only 52kg that day so now faces a much tougher task under weight for age conditions.

Chantyman had to give Invidia 4kg in the Post Merchants and was beaten 3,65 lengths by him. He subsequently won a Pinnacle Stakes event over 1100m on the poly on Vodacom Durban July day. However, under weight for age conditions he also has it all to do.

Invidia will be 8,5kg under sufferance in the Mercury with the highest rated horse Kasimir and Chantyman will be 4,5kg under sufferance.

Validus did nothing wrong under Anton Marcus in Wednesday’s workout but the companion he worked with, a first-timer, was particularly eyecatching.

Dynasty colt Validus made his debut in the Gr1 Golden Horse Medallion over 1200m and finished a not disgraced 8,50 length eighth after opening at 13-2 and drifting out to 14-1.

He followed that up with a 1,90 length win over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Scottsville at odds of 9-10.

He was ridden by Craig Zackey on both occasions but Anton Marcus has been booked for the ride in the Gr1 Premiers Champion Stakes.