See It Again to hit headlines at Daily News 2000

See It Again to hit headlines at Daily News 2000

Andrew Harrison

It took Michael Roberts, eleven-time South African Champion Jockey, 16 rides to win the Hollywoodbets Durban July when he partnered the David Ferraris-trained Super Quality to victory back in 1997.

This year Roberts has an outstanding chance of emulating David Payne and Bert Abercrombie, the only two to have ridden and trained a July winner. Payne won the race aboard the Brian Cherry-trained Chimboraa in 1967 and saddled the mighty In Full Flight to victory just four years later with Raymond Rhodes in the irons. Abercrombie rode the grey Jamaican Music in 1982 and saddled Bush Telegraph with Garth Puller aboard in 1987.

The Gr1 Daily News 2000 to be run at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday, May 27, has always been a key race going forward into the Gr1 Hollywoodbets Durban July and Roberts will be using this race as a final prep for Gr1 Splashout Cape Derby winner See It Again.

After his late finishing effort in the Gr2 WSB Guineas, See It Again saw his odds slashed for the big race and is the current ante-post favourite. Piere Strydom, triumphant aboard the gelding in the Derby, keeps the ride and a win in the Daily News on Saturday will surely see the colt’s ante-post odds cut even further.

The three horses’ home behind Guineas winner Charles Dickens, including runner-up See It Again, are all in the final Daily News line-up. See It Again’s Derby triumph has assured him of a July place along with Grant Maroun’s Gr1 WSB SA Classic winner Anfields Rocket, fifth in the Guineas, but Dave The King and Cousin Casey, third and fourth respectively, along with East Coast and At My Command are all borderline cases along with recent winner Shoemaker.

Last season’s Equus Champion Two-Year-Old Cousin Casey finished fourth in the Guineas and stands his ground for Glen Kotzen who has called on the services of Grant van Niekerk.

Mike de Kock’s three entries include Dave The King, the recently gelded Shoemaker and East Coast, sixth in the Guineas.
Also in the field are Weiho Marwing’s Gr1 WSB SA Derby winner Son Of Raj and the Justin Snaith-trained Without Question who recently showed his mettle against a smart field of older horses at Kenilworth.

This year’s Gr1 Daily News 2000 has all the ingredients for a cracking race.

For the first time the Gr1 Woolavington 2000, restricted in the past to three-year-old fillies, has been opened up to all comers and has attracted a high class field headed by Rain In Holland and Silver Darling, both rated 120 but drawn on opposite sides of the barrier.