Preview by Mark van Deventer
After blitzing rivals last time at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, Andre Nel suggested Candy Town could have more natural ability than her brilliant dam, Captain’s Flame – in which case she is teed up to complete a hat-trick in Race 8, a Class 4 over 1000m.
The filly showed tremendous early speed and had the race sewn up at the top of the straight in her last start. She stays at the same class level, taking on zippy, course specialist Blue Holly; late running chestnut, Flying First; recent Maiden winner Lady Look Alike plus the re-opposing, Palo Queen and Different Face were all burnt off by the ‘flame thrower’ three weeks ago.
(Candy Town with jockey Corne Orffer, image Chase Liebenberg)
It’s concerning when a horse loses ground by jumping slowly and then over-races at a speed favouring circuit such as Hollywoodbets Durbanville where tractable, push- button speed has the advantage. Despite those queries, beaten favourite, Trippi’s Silk is primed to shed his Maiden against seemingly weaker opposition in R4.
The fact that he still got quite close to Hat’s Pride (who has since run well in a much tougher race) despite things going awry makes him the stand-out pick and another possible banker in the P6.
All About Ronnie has improved in blinkers and seems the main menace, whilst career Maiden, Run Rudolph Run (10 places from 17 starts) seems incapable of finishing it off and, Hakas Krakas is poorly drawn.
Punters who like to focus on two horses in a race and ” Dutch” in fixed odds betting or build single race exotics around them have options across the card. Strata and Fanny Kemble in R1: Rainbow Lorikeet and Enchanted Sky in R3, then Katsu (close to follow up winner, Rule of Thumb) and Gentleman Joe (upsides in same race) in R6; and Moya Wa Laliga/Lines Crossed in R9 all have logical claims.
(Lines Crossed with jockey Grant van Niekerk, image Chase Liebenberg)
A spec bet on Ticket To Vegas is suggested for R2. Ricky Maingard’s filly will need to bounce back from some dreary no-shows but has intriguing back form. She raced commendably in key races behind The Charleston (when finishing next to unbeaten Gqeberha champ, Luna Halo) and G1 placed, Distant Winter in April. A return to that level gives her a shake here, at a price.
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