Graded Races – Greyville, Saturday 8 June

RACE 5 – Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial (Grade 3)

Oriental Charm

The Brett Crawford-trained three-year-old Vercingetorix colt, Oriental Charm, takes his place today in the Grade 3 Hollywoodbets Dolphins Cup Trial over the 1800M on the turf at Greyville Racecourse. Coming off a three-month break at his last start at Greyville, he ran a brilliant second, 0.3 of a length behind the Snaith trained Future Swing in the Grade 2 World Sports Betting 1900. JP Van Der Merwe had dictated the pace of the race from the jump and pushed the button at the top of the short Greyville straight. He and Richard Fourie slugged it out over the last 400M, with Future Swing gaining the upperhand in the shadow of the post, nosing ahead at the line.
Oriental Charm drops in class today into the Grade 3, but being a handicap means that he will have to carry the weight relative to being the highest merit rated horse in the field at 118. He also jumps from a wide draw of ten and will have to work a little harder to get to the front than he did at his last start when drawn three. However, the Greg Bortz, Leon Ellman and Gina Goldsmith owned colt does have the advantage of his good gate speed, and JP will have to be alert as the starter presses the button to ensure that he utilizes that speed fully as they jump.
The three-year-old colt will have four of his rivals that finished behind him in the Grade 2 opposing him in this Grade 3, and as he received a five-point penalty for finishing second, they will all meet him on better terms today. However, he is the highest rated horse in the race, and if he jumps and dictates as he did last time, his courage and ability could see him confirm the promise he showed when running third, just over three lengths behind July favourite Green With Envy in the Grade 1 Cape Derby.

RACE 6 – East Coast Radio Tibouchina Stakes (Grade 2)

Happy Chance

This Hollywood Syndicate owned four-year-old filly Happy Chance has had a checkered start to her 2024 racing campaign. At her first start in 2024, over 1800M at the Kenilworth Racecourse, she finished just over a half a length off the highly regarded Beach Bomb and superstar filly Princess Calla in the Grade One Cartier Paddock Stakes. On Cape Town Met Day, in the Grade 1 COCT Majorca Stakes over 1600M, she was up with the pace to the 400M, where she started to fade despite the constant urgings from the saddle of Kabelo Matsunyane. She finished downfield, needing the run.
At her next start in February of this year, she ran fifth, just over five lengths behind current Tibouchina Stakes favourite Double Grand Slam in the Grade 3 Prix Du Cap over 1400M also at Kenilworth Racecourse. However, in the Grade One Cartier Paddock Stakes and the Grade 3 Victress Stakes she has run exceptional races. In the Victress Stakes she took over the running at the 200M, just being overhauled late by East Coast Cup winner Saartjie. Today, she is back over the shorter trip of 1400M, and Kabelo is back in the saddle.
Despite being drawn wide, Kabelo will do what is required to ensure she is in a good position in the 400M they run before they take the bend into the home straight and she will be spot on for today despite the 105-day rest. The conditions of the race mean that Double Grand Slam receives weight from Happy Chance despite being the highest MR horse at 118 vs Happy Chance MR of 113. However. if Happy Chance can be well positioned soon after the start, she will be running on strongly in the Greyville straight and 25/1 is great value for a filly that ran 0.3 lengths off Princess Calla in receipt of a half a kilo in a Grade One.