Banker the stars in PE

The opposite has become true in recent times in that many young runners go off to the Eastern Cape to establish their careers. Glen Kotzen took top-class Light The Lights to contest Friday’s Listed Racing Association Stakes over 1400m while today four-year-old Arion, considered by trainer Justin Snaith as a possible J&B Met winner, will run in the Grade 3 Algoa Cup over 2000m.

Racing returns to the grass track this weekend following a lengthy spell on the Polytrack and often tends to result in a few upsets, but it seems highly unlikely these two will suffer that fate and both stand out as the best bets on their respective cards.

Light The Lights delivered the promise with a facile victory in the Racing Association Handicap and now it is the turn of Arion. Arion ran in some of the key three-year-old features in the Western Cape last season but the Investec Derby over 2000m was the one they were waiting for. Snaith won the race with Legislate who beat off Captain America, but flying up into the third place was Arion.

He was rested through the winter and has had one warm-up at Durbanville and looks ready for the task at hand. With 55.5kg to carry, Piere Strydom takes the trip to Port Elizabeth to ride the Snaith runner and they have the benefit of No 2 draw. It all makes for a winning combination.