Saturday showcased fantastic racing at a sunny Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, on a stakes laden card, with Beach Bomb’s come-from-behind win in the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas (GR1) and See It Again’s imposing performance in the World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes (GR2).
Candice Bass-Robinson has a fine crop of young fillies and had made the right decision to partner her with stable jockey Aldo Domeyer, with Beach Bomb, ahead of the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas. He positioned the 14/1 chance a few lengths off in what was a torrid early pace and made a well-timed run from the back of the field to deny Mike de Kock’s Gauteng invader, Silver Sanctuary, the win. The runner-up had hit the front looking a winner yet was caught late.
In the pace meltdown, it was only Rascova of the on-pace runners who admirably lasted to keep third spot, with Mrs Geriatrix (drawn 13) staying on from miles back to complete the Quartet.
Beach Bomb is by Lancaster Bomber out of the great race mare, Beach Beauty. She has won three of five starts, using gameness and a fine turn of foot (which were her diminutive dam’s primary attributes) to get the job done.
See It Again is an outstanding middle-distance exponent and seems locked in as a favourite for the World Sports Betting Cape Town Met 2000m. Like all high-class performers, he can still win even when taken out of his comfort zone over different distances, proven by stylishly dismantling the best milers around in the World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes, a GR2 over 1600m. His starting price was 11/2.
Piere Strydom covered up the chestnut son of Twice Over before gliding smoothly through the gears to sweep past 33/1 long shot, At My Command, Charles Dickens and Princess Calla and win under the hands. Said veteran rider, Strydom, “This GR1horse has fallen into my lap, and I can’t retire just yet. Michael Roberts told me not to be hard on him as he’s targeting two other big races this Summer, and I wasn’t – but he still won.”
Though unable to match See It Again’s finish, At My Command ran a sterling race to get second and seems now to be coming back to best. He has unfulfilled potential and looks interesting for upcoming feature races. Princess Calla made a good-looking centre move but was outrun in deep stretch, clocking in fourth 2.45 lengths behind.
5/10 odds on favourite Charles Dickens, raced awkwardly, made a sudden wide move on the turn then dashed to lead on the outer before his run petered out. He was beaten just over two lengths into third place. There can be no questioning his brilliance on a going day, but he is becoming somewhat difficult both to manage and ride, so punters might be leery of taking extremely short prices about him in future.
Grant van Niekerk gave Kwinta’s Light an inspired steer at 10/1 in the wsb.co.za Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m, catapulting the Gimmethegreenlight mare past practically the entire field within the final 250m. The early fractions set by Candy Town whilst chased by Baltic Secret were hectic, and the ensuing pace collapse saw the race’s complexion change in the final furlong.
As it happened, the Justin Snaith trained entry got the splits when needed and surged through from dead last to nail Shantastic, Three Rocks (a tremendous run from Alan Greeff’s Eastern Cape raider) and October Morn (slightly baulked at a crucial point) on the line in an exciting, clustered finish.
4/1 shot, Aragosta took out the Spinawinna Slots Cape Summer Stayers Handicap (Listed) over 2500m to provide a measure of consolation for trainer Mike de Kock after Silver Sanctuary’s near miss in the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas. The Rafeef gelding had a wind op during the Winter, badly needed his comeback run in early November; also needed his (much better) next up start in the Summer Cup at Turffontein and was primed a mere week later to outstay his coastal rivals.
Aragosta will target Graded endurance races during the Cape summer. He lumped 62kg’s in Saturday’s victory, giving plenty of pudding to, and outclassing a brave Raisehallelujah, favoured, One Way Traffic and Otto Luyken.
This revived stayer of some quality (he won the G1 SA Derby in 2022) is in the hands of a master conditioner and could be hard to hold out in future engagements.
