Justin Snaith believes that Run For It will stay the 3200m of Saturday’s Gr 1 eLan Property Group Gold Cup and jockey Sean Cormack called the five-year-old a “huge runner” if he did indeed get the trip.

Snaith said, “I have always wanted to try ground and he stayed 2000m easily as a three-year-old, so should get this trip as a six-year-old. The Gold Cup is not like the Melbourne Cup and they go slower, especially as the jockeys have to be careful crossing the two roads. He is very well and I’m very excited to have him in the Gold Cup. He is the first of our better horses that we have ever run in the Gold Cup. I think at 16-1 he is the best place bet on the card.”

Cormack said that he had never seen a horse better prepared for a race than Run For It in last year’s Vodacom Durban July, where he rode him to a close second.

He was hoping for a repeat and Run For It does look to have had another fine preparation as this will be only his third run of the Champions Season, following a five month layoff.

He is drawn well in five and carries 57,5kg in a race where the compressed handicap conditions favour the higher weights on paper.

Snaith was bullish about the chances of his Gr1 Beach Beauty Champions Cup runner Readytogorightnow.

He said, “He is doing well and I think he would have run a big race in the July if he had got in. His Cup Trial run was his second run after a year’s layoff and he was beaten only a length by Futura. He has come on from that run and I think he would have gone close in the July. I am hoping there are a lot of tired horses in Saturday’s race. That’s why we didn’t run him on July day as we wanted him to be fresh for this race. The 1800m is his optimum trip and he is drawn well.”

Anton Marcus will be aboard Readytogorightnow.

Snaith’s Gr2 Post Merchants 1200m winner Varikate will be running in the Listed Umgeni Handicap over 1000m and as a front runner with a lot of pace should have a fine chance from draw three.

Grant van Niekerk keeps the ride and Snaith said, “Varikate is doing very well, she’s always well.”

The yard’s only other runner on the day is Ottimo, who runs in the Listed Darley Arabian over 1600m on the polytrack from pole position with Anthony Delpech up.

Snaith said, “He is doing well but I don’t know how well he will take to the polytrack.”