Glen Kotzen takes a Good Traveller to Scottsville

Scottsville on Sunday is the weekend’s racing highlight, with four highly competitive sprints providing an appetiser for the big speed meeting at the same course in a few weeks’ time.

Trainer Glen Kotzen could land a noteworthy double in the juvenile features, which are effectively trials for the Grade 1 Gold Medallion and Alan Robertson Championship – long regarded as the acme of two-year-old achievement in South Africa.

What catches the eye about Kotzen’s runner Good Traveller in the Grade 3 Godolphin Barb over 1100m is the gelding’s career debut over this course and distance in February, when he trotted up by more than four lengths.

Good Traveller won again next time out, at Greyville over 1200m, though a lot less easily after being pushed forward in the early stages to overcome a wide draw.

A two-month break will have freshened up the chestnut nicely and the services of Grant van Niekerk, coming in for injured Anton Marcus, will do no harm at all.

The opposition is tough. Dean Kannemeyer-trained Cosmic Highway is also unbeaten in two runs, though his form is from Cape Town and Scottsville is notorious for catching out horses visiting for the first time.

Uncomplicated, Paris Rix, Edgartown and Chief Executive all have good Scottsville experience to their names. Social Image, Safe Return and Irfaans Boy have good credentials but have yet to enjoy a day in Maritzburg.

As compelling a contest is the companion-piece for females, the Grade 3 Strelitzia Stakes.

Kotzen and Van Niekerk team up with Casa Inverno who has no Scottsville experience, being freshly arrived from Cape Town, but who looks the fast, powerful sort that can cope with the tough uphill finishing stretch. She led from the front to land her maiden at Kenilworth after a similarly gutsy effort on debut.

High Hosanna and Sound Of Warning are Drakenstein Stud-retained fillies from the high-riding Justin Snaith and Sean Tarry yards in the Cape and on the Highveld respectively. With a win apiece to their credit they will be well supported in the betting and they might well justify that faith.

Michael Roberts knows all about Scottsville, having ridden his first winner here more than 50 years ago. He saddles Danse Milord, the runner with the most racing experience with six runs under the belt.

Her last effort was an overdue win over 1200m on this turf. Her rider that day was reigning national champion Warren Kennedy, who has sought out the job again.

Saturday’s racing is a double-header at Turffontein and Kenilworth. The action at both venues is run-of-the-mill – but that has never stopped anyone winning money.

SELECTIONS

Turffontein Saturday

Best bet: Race 3 No 5 Miss Magician
Value bet: Race 8 No 6 Muleta

Kenilworth Saturday

Best bet: Race 2 No 1 Royal Flush
Value bet: Race 5 No 6 Icon Princess

Scottsville Sunday

Race 1: Many first-timers; watch betting

Race 2: Many first-timers; watch betting

Race 3: 5 Indigo Man, 1 Fateful Mistress, 8 Global Appeal, 10 Meghan

Race 4: 13 Speed Machine, 2 No Laying Up, 11 Tempting Fate, 15 Traces

Race 5: 3 Casa Inverno, 8 High Hosanna, 1 Danse Milord, 6 Sound Of Warning

Race 6: 7 Good Traveller, 1 Cosmic Highway, 2 Uncomplicated, 9 Chief Executive

Race 7: 3 Zimbaba, 2 Keep The Lights On, 4 Love Bomb, 1 Singforafa

Race 8: 8 Princess Anastasia (best bet), 5 Star Vega, 4 Cherry Road, 2 Admire Me

Race 9: 9 Cleto (value bet), 7 Deorsa, 11 Pistol Shot, 14 Patronage

Pick 6:

2,11,13 x 1,3,6,8 x 1,2,3,7,9,10 x 2,3,4 x 8 x 5,6,7,9,11,14 (R1296)

PA:

1,5,8 x 2,11,13 x 3,8 x 7 x 3 x 8 x 7,9,11 (R54)