Star Major can do the double

Jack Milner

The Grade 1 Daily News 2000 is one of the most important features for three-year-olds in the country and is often a good pointer to the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

A field of 11 runners will be lining up for Daily News 2000 over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday and it does look quite competitive.

Heading up the field is Justin Snaith-trained Note To Self, whose best performance so far is a 0.75-length second behind Wish List in the Grade 1 Lucky Fish Cape Derby over 2000m at the end of January, giving her 2.5kg.

He made his comeback in a Conditions Plate over 1600m at this course and ran on strongly to finish a 0.90-length third behind stablemates Okavango and Eight On Eighteen.

This race has always been one of the goals for this Futura gelding and there is little doubt he will be better over this trip. The only concern is he takes time to get going and might not be ideally suited to the short straight at this course.

But there is confidence oozing from the stable about his chances, and jockey Andrew Fortune does not believe he can lose – but there is nothing new about that.

However, could face a serious challenge from James Crawford-trained Star Major who threw his name into the hat when storming to victory in the Grade 2 World Sports Betting Guineas at this course over 1600m.

Ridden by Mickaëlle Michel, he came from last to beat Tin Pan Alley going away and his connections will be out to prove that the win was no fluke.

While there is concern in some quarters about the additional 400m this time, he is out of a Silvano mare so there should be staying ability in his blood.

What is also worth mentioning is that he was a very late foal, only born on 9 November, which makes him some four month younger than Happy Verse, who he has beaten, and two months younger than both Note To Self and Jan Van Goyen.

He clearly is a late developer and there could be a lot more to come from him. Michel takes the ride again and as was the case last time, from the widest draw, he is likely to come from behind once again.

It is also worth noting that his 22.6secs for the final 400m in the Guineas is an outstanding time, compared with the 24secs it took Note To Self to cover the same distance.

Michel takes the ride again.

Mike and Mathew de Kock-trained Jan Van Goyen was a dominant winner of the Cape Guineas and then had a bit of a hazy period where his form dropped off. He has since been gelded and clearly needed the run when narrowly beaten last time in his first run back. He is a class act, the stable is in top form and a massive run is expected.

Hazy Dazy is the only filly in the race and has the benefit of a 2.5kg sex allowance. She won the Grade 1 Wilgerbosdrift SA Fillies Classic over 1800m and comes in as the best weighted runner in the field.

Although she could struggle against the colts, she has only once finished outside the top three and is one to include in Swingers, Trifectas and Quartets.

There is also a carryover Pick 6 at the meeting with R500,000 kicking off a pool which is likely to reach R2 million.

Everybody will be looking for a banker and the most popular will be Wish List in the Grade 2 Lucky Fish Woolavington 2000.

She proved her wellbeing with an easier victory than the 0.30-length margin may suggest and this three-year-old daughter of Legislate will be very hard to beat over 2000m.

Jack Milner’s selections

Race 1: 2 Scotch Again, 1 Two Tigers, 7 Brigitte Anne, 5 Free Roaming, Bangkok Magic

Race 2: 7 Brightsunnyday, 9 Captain T, 3 Quandura, 2 Bourbon’s Beast

Race 3: 8 Sovereign Grant, 5 Perilla, 6 Bright And Brazen, 7 De Vlugge

Race 4: 2 Impressive, 10 Benny And Paul, 11 Coast Of The Sun, 4 Navigation

Race 5: 2 Curious Girl, 11 Ahead Of The Facts, 9 Continentalexpress, 3 Royal Invitation

Race 6: 5 Wish List, 1 Beach Verse, 7 Keukenhof, 3 Rainbow Lorikeet

Race 7: 11 Star Major, 6 Note To Self, 7 Jan Van Goyen, 3 Hazy Dazy

Race 8: 5 Whatastar, 7 Captain’s Pride, 6 Ruby Rising, 8 Plumbago Park

Race 9: 7 Winter In London, 2 Gallic Victor, 11 Definitely Yes, 1 Black Frost

BEST BET

Race 6: 5 Wish List

VALUE BET

Race 9: 7 Winter In London

BEST SWINGER

Race 7 6×11

BIPOT

R81

Leg 1: 3, 7, 9

Leg 2: 5, 6, 8

Leg 3: 2, 10, 11

Leg 4: 2

Leg 5: 5

Leg 6: 6, 7, 11

PLACE ACCUMULATOR

R144

Leg 1: 5, 6, 8

Leg 2: 2, 10

Leg 3: 2

Leg 4: 5

Leg 5: 6, 11

Leg 6: 5, 6, 7

Leg 7: 1, 2, 7, 11

PICK 6

R2016

Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11

Leg 2: 2

Leg 3: 5

Leg 4: 3, 6, 7, 11

Leg 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Leg 6: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11

JACKPOT 1

R36

Leg 1: 2

Leg 2: 5

Leg 3: 3, 6, 7, 11

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

JACKPOT 2

R288

Leg 1: 5

Leg 2: 3, 6, 7, 11

Leg 3: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Leg 4: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11