Half the field have plausible claims in the Grade 3 Cape Mile, carded as race 6 at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, in what should be an intriguing, high-quality showdown where seven of the 13 runners sport OMR’s of 110 or better. The event is open for four-year-olds and older and starts at 15h20.
“Pace makes the race” is a well-worn racing maxim and, with only giant-striding, Montien a proven front runner there is a slight query about how truly this contest will be run. Montien should get the run of the race from draw 2 and this 25/1 lurker must be taken seriously even if he falls short on ratings.
Feisty miler, Royal Aussie has also done well pressing the pace so may try get over from draw 12 (nobody rides this tricky circuit better than his jockey Richard Fourie) but both will need to resist a horde of top-class “swoopers” though.
All of Trip of Fortune, Double Superlative, Pacaya, Waterberry Lane, At My Command and Cosmic Highway have past performances which suggest they could win if things go their way.
Trip of Fortune (priced at 5/1 ante post) and 2021 Cape Guineas hero and Met ‘22 fourth placed, Double Superlative (7/2 early favourite) meet the class and distance suitability test as Grade 1 winners over 1600m. Both recently made encouraging seasonal openers at the course so should now be fitter and fired up for strong showings.
They are especially well-weighted under the terms of this race and thus occupy the top two positions on the betting boards.
Trip of Fortune would be the marginal preference over a mile having won the WSV Green Point Stakes, Horse Chestnut and Drill Hall Stakes in this distance range, but an impost of 63kg’s and gate 11 are daunting obstacles.
Cosmic Highway is interesting. Brilliant earlier in his career, when comfortably handling Trip of Fortune in the Diadem Stakes and the fastest finisher in the KZN Guineas of 2022, he subsequently went through a spell in the doldrums when nowhere near that level. He may now be finding form again after being gelded and since returning to the Cape. Cosmic Highway is a must use on exotic tickets at odds of 10/1.
At My Command is hindered by the extreme outside draw of 13. It must be noted that this ultra game gelding has run tremendously under similar circumstances, witness his storming second to Cousin Casey in the Selangor from gate 15 a year ago. He was by no means disgraced when confronting formidable contemporary, Charles Dickens a few times as a three-year-old, has an expert conditioner in Brett Crawford and looks like a potential “wise- guy” horse for the upcoming Summer season.
It may be too much to expect him to actually win this, but he seems sure to put forth a bold show. At 16/1 he seems slightly overpriced and rates a good place chance at least.
Waterberry Lane (three lengths in arrears of Trip of Fortune in the ’22 Green Point Stakes) and Greyville 1900 victor, Pacaya rate a couple of lengths below Trip of Fortune and Double Superlative (who set the standard here) yet have sound place claims.
Future Prince is also rounding back to form – his last fine try from a wide draw here behind Sugar Mountain tees him up nicely for this sterner test. Scalini was just ahead of him on that occasion in a career best effort though substantial improvement is required given the tough nature of Saturday’s oppo.
Seeking the One, Money Heist and Linebacker have their work cut out. The former was put in his place by Royal Aussie in the Gold Rush whilst Money Heist, an admirably versatile performer, was handled with ease by Waterberry Lane in a Pinnacle Stakes at levels and is now three kg’s worse off.
Linebacker is battling to rekindle the spark he showed earlier in his career when at the top of his generation. His OMR continues to slide from a high of 126 down to 114.
All told, P4 and P6’s bettors may need to cast a wide net to survive the Cape Mile. It promises to be a fantastic spectacle and a significant pointer to Graded features over the next couple of months.
– Written by Mark van Deventer
