The Irridescence Stakes, a Listed event for two-year-old fillies going 1500m pops up early on Saturday’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth betting menu. Eric Sands’ filly KINDA WONDERFUL appeals in the 12h10 slot (Race 2), but she will need to run down the speedy SAHARA CAT and in-form trainer, Greg Ennion’s well-performed, MISS WORLD, to get the gold gong.
KINDA WONDERFUL has earned some good figures coupled with strong closing sectionals, despite her jockey twice dropping their reins in recent second place finishes. Trainer Sands was encouraged that she settled better last time, and has targeted this slightly longer race for his charge.
The suspicion is that this daughter of Gimmethegreenlight is a way-above-average talent, and a potentially trouble-free passage in the short six-runner field gives her the chance to prove as much.
16 thoroughbreds will go into the gates in Race 1. Maybe the quartet is the right play in such a large field, focussing on KRIM on top or to be second, as he ran especially nicely at his second start when punted, and duly making the substantial improvement expected of him.
SOUND OF THE SEA and SAIL THE SEA are his main menaces. CUMBE VIEJA and LATE DECEMBER also have legit place claims. Watch the prelims and let the betting market take shape before committing, then spread as wide as possible in the lower slots. Sometimes racing chaos can be your friend, and a bizarro hitting the board will boost dividends.
Richard Fourie has a special affinity with SHE’S MY CAPTAIN, and all five of her wins have been achieved when galvanised by his singular riding style. The duo will try go in again in Race 4, a Class 4 for fillies and mares sprinting over 1100m, though she has been raised three points in the handicap and faces several lively challenges.
It may be a good idea to add the following horses to P6 perms: SILVER SCREEN mixes her form but has competitive figures; STRATA is adaptable as she can go handy or come from off them, and she too is a contender of her best runs; NIGHT VIGIL rates upsides of She’s My Captain on their most recent clash; FIRST MASTERPIECE loves this C/D and is poised to complete a hat-trick under these circumstances while LOVE SHACK is handicapped to finish close to her.
Race 8 is a 14-runner dash over the same 1100m course but pitched at higher class level. SOUTHERN SKIES has thrived in the Cape, and while there is a change of gears for the M/A Azzie trained filly with blinkers going on, Fourie sticks solid. That’s significant as Azzie and Fourie combine to win at a 33% clip.
She will need to be at her best to deny Candice Bass-Robinson’s NORDIC QUEST though, who comes in here off a last start career top. Aldo Domeyer rides the Querari filly and will be trying to arrest an unusually high sequence of seconds. The typically high percentage hoop has recorded ten from the last 30 rides, but he’s managed three wins in that sequence, too.
Wise counsel would be to check if any draw bias exists on the day as one side of the straight course is usually advantaged when the going is soft.
Based on the form book, others to consider are GIRL LIKE US who has gotten close to NORDIC QUEST before; speedball KINKY BOOTS who will be a pace factor, while Bass Racing companions, WINTER RAINFALL (assuming she can work out a decent path from a stand-side draw of 14) and KYALAMI GIRL must also be considered. Even lightly campaigned one-time winner, ONI SAN might get into the fray at a big price on the best of her end of ‘23 form.
The ten-race programme concludes with a tricky handicap over 2200m which could turn into a slog on a rain-softened track.
The top four selections are ultra game, improving front-runner, BATON ROUGE; IGNATIUS who sports neat C/D form; DAIMYO, weighted to finish closer to BATON ROUGE with scope to make a big step up over 11 panels, and TOTHEMOONANDBACK, another who is bred to enjoy a test of endurance and loves it when it comes up mud, so might just outrun his lowly merit rating.
