Silver Host aptly named for Cape Derby

ARF stands for Asian Racing Federation, the umbrella organisation for racing jurisdictions in Australia, Arabia, Africa and Asia which has been having its annual conference in the Mother City over the past week.

Many of the delegates will round off their visit as guests at Kenilworth, so the event will have a nice international flavour – not to mention seafood flavour as the fixture also hosts the Cape Town Prawn Festival.

The racing is also tasty, with not only the Grade 1 Derby and its illustrious history of past champions, but also the Grade 2 Diadem Sprint, with a line-up of top speed merchants; the Grade 3 Prix du Cap over 1400m, which gives high-class fillies and mares another shot at black type; and two Grade 3 Nurseries, which look inscrutable to punters but which could throw up a rising star or two.

The Derby has been held on Met day at the end of January in recent years, but was pushed out by three weeks, partly to allow young Met candidates to also tackle the classic. In the end, no three-year-old connections went for the Met; nonetheless the 2000m Derby somehow seems to fit better a little later on the calendar, providing potential future stars slightly more time to test their endurance capacity.

Saturday’s R1-million prize has indeed drawn a very promising line-up.

Topping the boards at 2-1 is Viva Rio who impressed with a 1600m Pinnacle Stakes victory at this course two weeks ago. Trainer Glen Kotzen’s son of Oratorio has yet to race beyond a mile, so puntrers are taking rather a lot on trust.

Perhaps more noteworthy a win was posted by Justin Snaith-trained Silver Host a week earlier, in the 1800m Politician Stakes on Met day. With pole position and ace rider Richard Fourie aboard, the Silvano gelding looks good value at 33-10. Plus, he has got the right name.

Golden Ducat is an interesting runner, being a half-brother to the brilliant Rainbow Bridge. He is relatively unexposed and has had a few health issues, but this might be his chance to show his suspected worth.

The sole filly in the field is Invisible. Powerful jockey Gavin Lerena flies in from Joburg to partner the grey daughter of fast-rising stallion Pomodoro and odds of 20-1 shouldn’t put one off including her in combo bets.

Big names Run Fox Run and Undercover Agent have been scratched from the Diadem, but a formidable array of speed remains in the 1200m sprint.

The Snaith-Fourie bullet Kasimir is favourite, but have to be on his toes to best the likes of Russet Air, Bold Respect and Chimichuri Run.

• TAB has announced that a second Jackpot (Jackpot TWO) will be in operation on both the Kenilworth and Turffontein race meetings on Saturday, 22 February, but the actual racecourse venue ovals must be marked to take these bets – not venue oval 9.

The normal daily Jackpot TWO pool, which is usually played by marking venue oval 9 on the Phumelela betting form, will not be operational on Saturday.

Instead TAB customers wishing to play Jackpot TWO on Saturday’s Turffontein meeting must mark venue oval TURF on the Phumelela betting form and Race 6 (leg 1 of Jackpot TWO).

To play Jackpot ONE on Turffontein mark venue oval TURF and Race 5, as normal.

Jackpot TWO at Kenilworth must be played by marking venue oval in the same way.

Venue oval 9 for the second jackpot was only introduced because of issues with the tickets going forward and will-pay displays.

It appears these issues have been resolved and a second Jackpot will be offered on both South African race meetings on an experimental basis using the actual racecourse venue ovals.

The trial will be repeated on Monday and an update issued after that.

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