Clive Robinson
Saturday’s meeting at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth includes a pair of Listed contests and a highly anticipated Grade 3 event which has traditionally been used as a springboard to bigger Grade 1 targets for some of the country’s finest equine stars.
And judging by the quality of the field assembled for this year’s renewal of the Cape Mile, that could again be the case for the likes of multiple Grade 1 winners Jet Dark and Golden Ducat.
The weekend’s nine-race card will prove tricky for bettors to negotiate but the quality – typical of a Cape Town meeting this time of year – can be guaranteed and is complemented by the presence of another former star in Durban July winner Belgarion, who makes his reappearance after finishing downfield in this year’s race won by Sparkling Water.
Candice Bass-Robinson has stolen the show since racing returned to Kenilworth following Durbanville’s Spring Country Series. She has sent out eight winners over the last two meetings, which included a five-timer two Saturdays ago as well as three winners last Sunday.
She runs three fillies in the Listed Lasisserfaire Stakes (Race 6) over 1100m and will fancy the chances of adding to her stable’s impressive recent form with last-start scorer Santa Maria primed to run a big race.
This lightly raced daughter of Trippi was unsuccessful in her attempt at a Grade 1 prize during KwaZulu-Natal’s Champions Season but she proved that effort over 1200m in the SA Fillies Sprint was not her true form when bouncing back to winning ways in the 1400m Grade 3 Diana Stakes on her return to action in the Western Cape five weeks ago.
Effective from 1000m to 1500m, Santa Maria is unlikely to be inconvenienced by the drop back in distance and her superior race fitness should give her the edge over Brett Crawford’s two runners Whoa Whoa Whoa and Stiptelik.
Andre Nel-trained Young Love is a progressive, lightly raced Twice Over filly who it could pay to follow in Race 7, the Listed Woolavington Stakes over 2400m. She won the second and third legs of the Fillies Winter Series during her three-year-old season before signing off her campaign with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Final Fling Stakes behind stablemate So Flawless.
Nel’s charge resumes after a well-deserved 15-week break but will enjoy the conditions of the race and could prove hard to beat under just 50kg.
Best-weighted Belgarion sets a lofty standard but concedes 12kg and could be in need of the outing, so stablemate Salvator Mundi and Flower Of Saigon may prove the biggest threats.
Dual L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate (now to become the King’s Plate) winner, two-time Champions Cup hero and 2022 Durban July runner-up Jet Dark may have missed out narrowly on Horse-Of-The-Year honours to stable companion Captain’s Ransom but there’ll be no denying him victory in Race 8, the Grade 3 Cape Mile.
The Justin Snaith-trained champion faces just seven rivals and should prove too good for them all, even with 62kg on his back following a 14-week break, his class should prevail!
Returning Golden Ducat, a former winner of the Grade 1 Champions Cup, and Rascallion (back from an 11-month break) are fascinating opponents but best watched for now with a view to backing them later on in the season.
The latter’s stablemate, Silver Operator, should give Jet Dark most to fear after an encouraging second in a 1400m Grade 3 in a recent comeback.
Earlier on the card, Crawford runners Mohandas (Race 3) and Miss Greenlight (Race 4) should reward their followers, with a TAB Double an attractive route to potentially profitable returns.
