Justin Snaith gets rolling in KZN

Justin Snaith looks set to successfully defend his national champion trainer title – but he’s not leaving anything to chance. Nearly three weeks before the official start of KwaZulu-Natal’s winter season – the highly lucrative season closer – the Cape Town conditioner has relocated a power-packed squad of 27 horses up the coast to Durban.

The ultimate professional, Snaith wants his best horses well acclimatised and tuned-up at Summerveld training centre when the big-money races start rolling in May.

The Snaith party had barely unpacked their bags when one of their number demonstrated the stable’s fierce ambition.

Muzi Yeni on board

Colt Gran Canaria broke his maiden at Scottsville on Saturday, saddled in Maritzburg by Snaith assistant Gokhan Terzi for Andrew Fortune to deliver a masterful ride, pinging the 1400m gates from a wide draw and positioning himself perfectly for the kill.

Snaith himself was at home base taking care of business at the weekend. And that business was serious. Snaith saddled three winners at Kenilworth on Monday – from his “stay-at-home” ranks.

All three were ridden by Muzi Yeni, who has positioned himself well for a prominent role in the Snaith assault on those KZN purses. Yeni was also aboard a Snaith winner at Fairview on Friday.

Coastal raids

This flurry of winners has seen Snaith top R20-million in prizemoney for the 2024/25 season thus far – nearly R10-million ahead of second-placed Alan Greeff. However, the champion will be well aware of Joburg supremo trainer Sean Tarry’s habit of recent years of sneaking up on him in July.

Tarry currently sits in third place on the log with R9.8-million accumulated but has plenty of strong candidates lined up for coastal raids over the next three months and could make inroads into his rival’s lead.

Much of the excitement of Snaith’s KZN campaign will centre on bright new star Eight On Eighteen. After his weekend win at Scottsville, Fortune said he had a message for punters: “Eight On Eighteen will be unbeaten the whole season!”

The comeback marvel has been putting in a lot of morning gallops work with the Snaith horses at Summerveld.

These are the horses Snaith Racing has moved to Summerveld, as recorded by Sporting Post:

Little Suzie, Double Grand Slam, Goodnessgraciousme, Get Impressed, Black Cheetah, Malmesbury Missile, Pacaya, Regulation, Great Plains, Eight On Eighteen, Sail The Seas, Legal Counsel, Future Swing, Royal Aussie, Rapidash, Okavango, African Prince, Native Ruler, Un Bel Di, Summer Lily, Late Bloomer, Wild Wild Green, Underworld, Master Of Paris, Gran Canaria, Plumbago Park, Rockpool