Baking and backing on Durbanville’s menu

Some punters might reckon there’s a misprint in the adverts for Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Durbanville race meeting. “Braai, bak & brew,” it reads.

But, in keeping with the Spring Country Series mini-season at the country course, that “bak” means there’ll be baked comestibles – delicious in any language – to go with the barbequed boerie and craft beer on offer to folk on course.

But, as we know, any race meeting is actually all about baking horses … sorry, backing horses.

The wagering fare is tempting for both on and off course players, with the Settlers Trophy topping the bill.

Ponte Pietre

The Listed 2000m handicap has a very competitive line-up of nine and selecting the field is the sensible option for bigger punters in Pick 6s and Jackpots.

The early favourite for the race is Dean Kannemeyer-trained Ponte Pietre, who put in a superb effort to finish less than a length behind the winner in the Gold Cup in Durban in late-July.

The five-year-old was built up for that contest and will probably still be in good nick.

Kannemeyer’s second arrow is Pas De Nom, who loves this racecourse and cannot be ignored.

Justin Snaith saddles four, with the stable choice appearing to be the top-rated runner Rapidash, who had a middling Cape winter season but bounced back to top form with a game win on this course 18 days ago.

Stablemate Call To Unite won at the same meeting, battling bravely through a buffeting along the way.

He has never run out of the money in five outings at Durbanville, gets 8kg and 7.5kg from the two aforementioned opponents, and has the very capable Rachel Venniker in the irons.

Barbaresco

The four-year-old’s ante-post odds of 6-1 make him a must for most bets.

The parallel Saturday race meeting at Turffontein might not look as tasty as Durbanville at first glance, but there’s certainly plenty cooking – if not baking.

There’s no braai on offer, but there is Barbaresco, the charismatic grey who performed creditably in three big races in Durban recently – despite having less than perfect passages.

He looks baked-in as a banker in the exotics.