By Mark van Deventer
Dean Kannemeyer saddled Gimme a Prince to win the Gr 1 Cape Flying Championship in a scintillating performance of international standard and he’s continued to send out a stream of winners, albeit at a lower level since that tour de force. Real War, Uzwano and progressive filly, Give Me Everything have all won in the past week.
He has some fit, well-placed entries for Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth card, and, given a lifetime strike rate of 14% is unlikely to leave empty-handed.
RICH FOLKS HOAX in Race 3; INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH in Race 5; GOLDEN DESTINY in Race 7 and ROSH KEDESH in Race 8 carry stable hopes with FRENCH FLAME in Race 2 probably the least likely of his five entries despite belatedly dropping to a more realistic mark.
Maybe the best bet of them all will be INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH who should get a perfect transit on the inside with DEVIL A SAINT, COMMANDING, MONT LOISIR and perhaps even, MASTEROFTHEDESERT teeing up a fast – run, Class 5, off at 15h00.
The Gimmethegreenlight colt has been noted staying on purposefully at this level from awkward gates and now gets an ideal opportunity to record the second win of his brief career under jockey Craig Zackey, currently riding with more confidence and swagger.
The fillies, Swiatek, Family Power, Golden Angel rate INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH’s main dangers.
RICH FOLKS HOAX, a handsome looker, has also drawn advantageously, but so too has the resurgent, ICONIC DESTINATION in the Summer Country Championship 1600, off time 13h50.
That makes for quite a showdown between Kannemeyer’s steadily developing 3YO, and Andre Nel’s 5YO campaigner who is staging a revival after successful surgery to correct a serious breathing problem.
AZZURRI; the in-form, likely leader, KEBONALESEDI; deep closer, BOUNCEBACK and consistent MASTER OF PARIS for red hot jock JP van der Merwe are others to consider in Race 3, opening leg of the P6.
AZZURI
GOLDEN DESTINY rushed through from the back of the field in the final race on World Sports Betting Cape Town MET Day, triggering substantial exotic dividends off a starting price of 40/1. He won’t be dismissed as such a long shot this time around, and ought to be in the finish once again.
SOOTY got caught in a pocket on the inside a month ago, which thwarted a major betting plunge on Paul Reeve’s charge who was backed from 14/1 into 4’s. He, nevertheless, did well to close sharply for second behind Kelp Forest once Rachel Venniker had extricated him, and with a clearer round can get a well-merited second victory.
Draw 12 is not ideal down the straight course but it is not insurmountable either with judicious placement, so the Gareth Wright ridden, son of Pathfork gets the marginal verdict.
SOOTY faces many live threats. ELSINORE was merely three quarters of a length back in the same Kelp Forest Class 4 form line and must be respected as he could get the run of the race stalking the pace down the inner.
TOUGH TERRAIN was only half a length off Golden Destiny, also finishing with a flourish, so is another to keep onside. And well-handicapped filly CAPTAIN’S DESTINY caught the eye dashing home to get close to Sohot Sowhat and is primed to run well off a light mass in what will be an exciting finish.
A withering pace seems likely in the finale – Race 8 over six panels for Class 3 sprinters. The afore-mentioned ROSH KEDESH will enjoy a torridly run 1200m and can stay on into the money at generous odds to boost trifectas and quartets, but Greg Ennion’s very smart 3YO, ARCTIC WIZARD is selected on top.
The What a Winter colt can press a sustained pace and find extra – optimal tactics for turf sprints that have already helped him secure three wins from only seven starts. He will need to run a career top though to stave off smooth last start victor, TENANGO, DUMBLEDORE and CAPTAIN WEST who turns back to sprints after showing pace and caving in over further.
OLIVER may be at his absolute best at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. If, however he transfers that country course form to Hollywoodbets Kenilworth (he swept ROSH KEDESH aside there in October over 1400m) then he would also be feared, in a competitive event that concludes a challenging eight race card with 95 entries.
