– Written by Mark van Deventer
Cape Racing puts on a nine-race programme for Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, with a total of 112 runners carded.
Snaith Racing can provide punters with at least two winning opportunities: EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN in Race 2 to be ridden by Richard Fourie, and STEADFAST under JP van Der Merwe’s guidance in Race 6.
EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN earned a swift time figure behind Surge of Power on 30 April over the course and distance, and repeating that last out effort down the “straight six” should be good enough to shed a Maiden – unless there is a very talented firster amongst the opposition.
Best of those with experience are LA PULGA and CUMBRE VIEJA, while KRIM looks a likely improver second up.
STEADFAST won fluently last time and can go in again in the 15h30 race, a Class 4 over 1400m. He remains attractively handicapped now that he’s rounded back to form, clearly responds well to van der Merwe’s riding style, and is building a neat record over the 1400m trip.
STEADFAST’s main menace is recent Maiden winner, MONT LOISIR who will race handy drawn just inside of him. Brett Crawford’s entry is getting the hang of things now and will put up a vigorous fight, but might just be a bit close in the weights to his year older foe.
Punters taking wider perms can add DRAGONFLY (who is showing signs of life despite his sliding merit rating) and CARRIOCOU – who is also getting some relief from the handicapper – to their tickets.
The 16h05 Cape A Stakes over 1400m is arguably the hardest on the card to fathom where a plausible case can be made for practically all 12 participants. Gr1 class performer, ZAPATILLAS, towers above the field on official merit ratings, but it’s hard to know what to make of him after 293 days off track, even if he has a neat record running fresh.
SAN PEDRO is suggested as a better each way option at the prices. Vaughan Marshall’s light weight will get a good trip racing handy from draw 4, and he clearly responds well to jockey Ashton Arries’ urgings as they have won on three out of four occasions.
WECANGOALLNIGHT is always a threat at this level, especially if the early pace is fast as he can zip through sharp closing fractions when in the mood. CAFÉ CULTURE is also in the mix on collateral form together with long-term loser, FUTURE PRINCE (last won 817 days ago) who is no forlorn hope on his best efforts. This is a difficult race, so it makes strategic sense to cast a wide net for exotic purposes.
DIAMOND ROCK offers some value in the day’s finale, a Class 4 over ten panels. He had some “hidden” form behind It’srainingwilliam (in a much stronger race) and again when hampered behind fast progressive, Green Mandarin, which suggest he can pop up going a suitably longer route. The Erupt gelding is trained by Candice Bass Robinson and will be piloted by Aldo Domeyer.
The youngster must, however, try containing the stretch drive of 4-year-old, MARSHALL FIELD who looks pretty dangerous just 2.5kg’s above him at the weights. The Ideal World gelding was stiff at three, repeatedly getting rolled in Maidens under unfortunate circumstance, but has now gained strength and confidence with maturity. Lucinda Woodruff’s charge is developing into a decent middle-distance type with three wins from 16 starts – and the services of Richard Fourie are an obvious bonus.
Beyond those two, Vercingetorix gelding, DAIMYO and son of Silvano, BLUE BAY are potently bred rivals very much in the mix with regular place-getter, SUDDEN SONG worth including underneath in tris and quarts.
