A contentious, Middle Stakes headlines Tuesday’s Cape Racing card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. The 1400m event goes off at 15h43 as Race 6, and there is a wide spread of attractive form which makes coming up with a confident selection a tricky undertaking.
Maybe the two to focus on are the consistent PRINCESS IZZY and Irish bred ENEMY TERRITORY, with a marginal preference for the first-named as she is better drawn and has beaten her companion (albeit quite narrowly) before. PRINCESS IZZY will try build on her fluent Sweet Chestnut Stakes triumph in April over the course and distance.
Both are saddled by Brett Crawford. He also sends out WUGUG, who goes well for Richard Fourie, but now moves up from Class 4 into much deeper waters.
The contention does not end there. SCHOOL POLICY is on a hat-trick after successive course and distance wins when pressing the pace, but FUN ZONE, who went down by half a length last time is now 4.5kg better off and could have her measure.
SIDDELEY has been keeping stronger company and is a dangerous on-pace runner for Snaith Racing.
MISS MARGUERITE is a possibility on her Olympic Duel Stakes effort in January, yet she could still be in the grip of the handicapper and might need a bit more relief.
Highly competent Lucinda Woodruff continues to steadily send out winners. She had another two on Saturday – Dean Street and Omikami to bring her tally to six from the last 30 – and she presents MONASHADA, a Silvano mare with an erratic record. In her favour, though is a 2/2 record over 1400m.
All told, this is a tight, closely rated affair and casting a wide net seems prudent in the Picks.
Proceedings begin at 12h50 when seven talented juveniles contest Race 1. Perhaps WORLDCRAFT, who earned a neat figure when she beat subsequent wide margin winner, Roccapina on 26 May, can come out on top.
Vaughan Marshall’s filly showed gameness and sustained speed to prevail and while FURIOUS QUEEN (an impressive debut winner who then found the boys too strong in the Winter Nursery), BABELICIOUS (comes out of some sharp formlines) and AIR RAID all show promise, the daughter of One World might prove good enough.
Regularly placed MANEO NEKO is in the right race to exit the Maidens, unless one of the firsters can scuttle in the 13h25, which forms Leg 1 of the PA. The Danon Platina gelding is a ready-made banker for that bet at least, based on reliable form this year where he’s hit the board every time.
Race 5 is a typically hard to fathom low level handicap. Vaughan Marshall’s SHAVOUT is a tearaway front runner, and he might blast off and tee things up for the swoopers, though allowing him too much leeway could be dangerous on the Winter course.
MY BESTIE has now dropped to an appropriate level and merits respect; PRIME VENTURE has twice run fairly since being gelded, and the diminutive NAUSHON will make a late rally at his stable mate. They should all be added to P6 and Jackpot tickets
However, a possible each way dabble is suggested on the dependable FAIRE ADVANTAGE who sets the standard for this grade. He should get the run of the race drawn two and nearly always stays on purposefully. There is no point in going crazy over a horse that has failed to win in 101 weeks, yet running off a career low OMR brings Andre Nel’s entry into the picture, and it also helps that he is comfortable on a softer surface.
An 1100m Class 5 ends off the meeting. None of these runners can be mistaken for equine stars, yet they are competitive earners at the lower rungs of the thoroughbred class ladder. Veteran horseman Andrie Steyn diligently runs one of the smallest yards in the Cape and his WYLIE JACK is proposed as an each way play – a slow starter who finds 1000m over too quickly yet can run into the mix over this intermediate distance.
WYLIE JACK can be combined in single race exotics with SHIFTING PATH (does just fine at this class level), TAMBOURINE MAN (eventually shed his Maiden after managing eight places from 12 starts), MR FROSTIE ( a pacey sort who comes out fresh after a spell), LOVER’S LANE (who can get closer to Shifting Path based on their penultimate clash ), and SEEKING PEACE (the wetter, the better.)
