Clive Robinson
With the Western Cape’s summer season fast approaching, trainers in the region are steadily showing their hand by stepping out some of their stables’ ‘big guns’ in preparation of possible feature-race campaigns, whilst testing the mettle of other promising big-race hopefuls who could also be aimed at lucrative prizes.
Brett Crawford appears to have assembled a formidable string to rival perennial achievers Justin Snaith, Candice Bass-Robinson and Vaughan Marshall for the big prizes on offer this summer and is already finetuning his charges ahead of an assault on Group race honours in the coming months.
At Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Wednesday 5 October, Crawford is signalling his intent by dominating the nine-race card at the country course. He has 17 runners across the meeting, is represented in each event, and ought to walk away with four victories on the day.
In Race 1 over 1250m, well-bred Allende should get the stable off to a winning start at her third attempt. This Dynasty filly, whose half-brother African Rain (by Soft Falling Rain) finished a close-up third in the Grade 1 Cape Flying Championship, was fourth on debut over 1200m then a fast-finishing second over the course and distance of Wednesday’s opener from a wide draw.
Allende is favourably drawn in gate 4 this time around and will again be partnered by stable jockey Louis Mxothwa. She is worth a sizeable Win bet.
Stablemate Metar has found her niche racing over 1600m. In three starts over the distance, the lightly raced daughter of Soft Falling Rain has recorded a second and two wins, the most recent of which came on handicap debut over the course and distance of Race 2.
On that occasion, she was dropped out to last from the widest draw before finishing with a wet sail to collar re-opposing Costa Smeralda in the shadow of the post. Crawford’s charge is 0,5kg worse off and concedes weight to all under 62kg but she is maturing and, in all likelihood, is better than rated.
It could pay to follow the progress of Metar who is taken to defy the four-point penalty and complete the hat-trick at the expense of familiar foes Beneath The Moon, Call It Fate and Costa Smeralda who are Swinger, Exacta, Trifecta, and Quartet inclusions.
Douglas, another lightly raced Crawford inmate who took time to come to hand, should reward connections for their patience in Race 6 over 1800m. He belatedly shed his maiden tag over that trip at his 11th start but has run encouragingly in both subsequent outings over shorter distances and in stronger company. The fourth-place finish he achieved over 1400m last time was full of merit and he need only run to that level of form again, off an unchanged mark, to win again.
A forward showing from Douglas would only strengthen the credentials and enhance the chances of exciting three-year-old colt Le Morne who puts his unbeaten record on the line in Race 7 over 1400m.
This son of Futura confirmed the promise of his debut win over 1400m with another cosy success under a confident Mxothwa ride over the same distance three weeks ago. Still very much a work in progress, Le Morne is already being touted as a Cape Guineas prospect, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise were he to defy the handicapper’s six-point penalty by completing a hat-trick of his own and remain unbeaten.
