'Future' beckons for Kantor silks

THE strength of Cape racing is shown in the class of horse that has been appearing at what is supposedly their lesser centre of Hollywoodbets Durbanville and there were a number of impressive performances in the Saturday meeting in which both Justin Snaith and the stallion he used to train, Gimmethegreenlight, had fourtimers. The star of the day was Eight On Eighteen's halfbrother by Futura, Future Free.

- DAVID THISELTON

The Justin Snaith-trained three-year-old colt was having his fifth career start having won last time out carrying 58kg off an 81 rating in an open maiden over 1400m. He relished the step up to 1800m on Saturday in a Class 5 handicap. He might have been running off only an 82 rating in a seven horse field, but it takes a good horse to come from last, then be switched wide for a run and end up winning going away by 2,50 lengths in effortless fashion.

Justin Snaith and Craig Zackey were not getting carried away, but the latter summed it up well by saying he was a really nice horse and was still soft so there was plenty of scope for improvement.

The Drakenstein homebred is part-owned by Bernard Kantor and runs in his familiar yellow colours with blue epaulettes, which are among the colours on Hollywoodbets Greyville's Wall Of Honour as they were carried by the great dual Hollywoodbets Durban July-winning Do It Again.

The latter was in fact the last horse in the Snaith yard to run in the Kantor colours.

July watchers would have earmarked Future Free as a candidate for next year's big race after Saturday's performance, although with Drakenstein being the part-owners, thus meaning breeding potential is foremost, a classic route is more likely this season than a weight-protecting July-targeting campaign.