Sunday’s Kenilworth meeting – originally scheduled for Saturday 23 April but pushed back a day as a result of the local racing calendar being reshuffled because of inclement weather – begins the Western Cape’s Winter Series on a fascinating nine-race card.
The Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes for three-year-old fillies and Grade 3 WSB Variety Club Mile, formerly known as the Winter Guineas, have attracted just eight runners each but what both the fields may lack in quantity is made up for in quality.
The Winter Series ‘Triple Crown,’ which encompasses the 1800m Winter Classic and Winter Derby over 2400m, has a stellar honour roll that includes the names of iconic Pocket Power, African Night Sky and Singapore-based Katak, while past Durban July winners Marinaresco and Power King are members of the Winter Guineas alumni along with internationally acclaimed Variety Club after whom Sunday’s race is named.
Brett Crawford may hold the ace in this year’s renewal with Future Prince, a three-time winner from four outings. He got his career off to a winning start over 1200m but disappointed connections slightly with just a sixth-place finish in a field of eight over 1400m. He was then gelded and has since raised his game considerably, winning over 1200m on his comeback from three months out before an impressive last-start success giving weight and a beating to a field of hard-knockers over 1600m under 61.5kg.
On official ratings, Future Prince is 5.5kg under sufferance with top-weight Pacaya but the Crawford-trained son of Futura is on a steep upward curve and likely to prove a lot better than his current merit rating of 97. A bold winning bid is expected under rider Louis Mxothwa.
Justin Snaith’s charge Pacaya is the highest-rated and best-weighted runner in the line-up. He was strongly to fancied to win his last start in the 1800m Grade 3 Politician Stakes but could only finish fifth in that traditional Cape Derby trial 12 weeks ago, having made most of the running.
This son of Trippi is likely to have strengthened and matured since his time off, during which he was gelded, and is one of just a few runners in the race who hold realistic claims of clinching the Winter ‘Triple Crown’ as he has no stamina doubts – unlike Future Prince.
Pacaya, however, is vulnerable to the superior fitness of the latter who is marginally preferred in what looks the proverbial ‘match-race’.
The Exacta route with these runners should prove both a popular and profitable play. For Trifecta and Quartet purposes include stablemates Sugar Mountain and Thunder Master, as well as last-start winner Gem King.
In the fillies’ equivalent, the Listed Sweet Chestnut Stakes, Candice Bass-Robinson has two strings to her bow, both being daughters of Gimmethegreenlight. And with conditions of the race in her favour, it could pay to follow best-weighted Dancetildaylight who also appears the stable elect under the yard’s first-choice rider Aldo Domeyer.
Snaith-trained Maria Querol and Crawford runner She’s A Rainbow are sure to provide plenty cheek so must be included in exotic bets. Stable companion Going Up is also likely to prove a worthy adversary stepping up to 1600m for the first time and is a must for Trifecta and Quartet bets, as well as larger Pick 6 and Jackpot permutations.
Domeyer has a strong book of rides throughout the meeting and can count Piroshka (Race 2) and Epsom Girl (Race 4) among his mounts with serious winning credentials in their respective races. Camille Claudel (Race 1) and Aeneas (Race 9), who were both close-up finishers last time out, are other runners sure to attract the attention of Domeyer’s followers.
Clive Robinson
