By Mark van Deventer
Bringing a racehorse back after a breathing operation is a fraught exercise. Sometimes the surgical finesse of the vet does the trick – other times the horse remains damaged goods. RHYDIAN, who goes in Race 5 at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, is a case in point, as Kannemeyer Racing try to get his career back on track after a procedure to correct respiratory problems.
His early form to highly rated 3YO contemporaries Talk To The Master, Great Plains and Chestnut Bomber is particularly strong. He then got beaten in June 2024 at odds of 1 /4 on due to his compromised beathing and was duly laid off for the operation.
He only returned in April 2025; during the layoff he was also gelded. At his comeback sprint, RHYDIAN stayed on well despite being held tight in an encouraging effort behind Green Planet. It is likely that he will strip fitter and build on that start from a month ago. If he can come anywhere close to fulfilling that early potential, then the son of Rafeef can, belatedly, open his account.
Andre Nel won the World Sports Betting 1900 Gr 3 with Selukwe at Hollywoodbets Greyville over the weekend and this astute conditioner with a consistently good strike rate, saddles some promising runners on Tuesday’s card.
THINGAMABOB has twice run decently in Open Maidens and the Trippi filly has a crack in the 13h50, a sprint over 1000m where she takes on RUBY REX, AMERICAN ULTRA and a couple of debutants.
CALL ME JANE is also bidding for her first win and has shown enough to suggest she can be competitive in Race 6, an Open Maiden over 1200m.
NORDIC CHIEF is a smart sprinter on his day, and he too rates a threat in Race 7’s Class 3 on his best form.
LA DIVINA looms as the controlling speed in Race 8, a Class 4 for fillies and mares over 1500m. That tactical edge could swing things her way, especially if Nel’s filly gets loose on the lead under stable jock, Corne Orffer, a most experienced reinsman.
An esoteric threat is posed by HAMPSTEAD HEATH, the rank outsider at 20/1 in early betting. This 2x winner from 14 starts mixes her form but her victory over Kamchatka in a similar class race back in November boosts her claims. And her penultimate in a far stronger contest won by Let It be Said would give her a shake here at a price.
Plenty of rain fell on Saturday in Cape Town to soften the going. Some horses, particularly those with physical niggles, relish “give” in the surface, so do much better when they get a more forgiving track to take away the aches and pains.
Race 9 is another brain teaser where plausible cases can be made for most of the 11 runners. P6 and Jackpot players will sensibly cast a wide net. But one such entry who steps up on softer ground is TOTHEMOONANDBACK. He faces several rivals that also ought to go well on recent collateral form such as 64kg, high weight, KWITE A KING; HELIOTROPE; progressive young stayer, SHOW OFF; TWICE THE MASTER and above average youngster, LADY SPRINGFIELD. Even front running filly, DOUBLE DASH and mudlark PRIME VENTURE are not hopeless case.
TOTHEMOONANDBACK looks competitive off his current rating of 69 and the softer course may help him regain his mojo in the finish. It is not as if he ran badly last time behind KWITE A KING, HELIOTROPE, TWICE THE MASTER – but for suffering interference he could have gone even closer than finishing on top of those rivals mentioned.
The 2200m distance and ground suits, and he tends to run well this time of year. As a moderate, three-time winner from 33 starts who has let the side down frustratingly often, he is not one to bet the ranch on. Nevertheless, a speculative each way dabble at double digit odds in an open race is suggested.
