The nine-race card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday 31 January includes a rare midweek feature, the Non-Black Type Clapham Stakes. There is a good chance two jockey-trainer combinations could bag doubles on the card, so bettors would do well to include these four runners in all their bets.
The 1800m main event for three-year-old fillies presents a good chance for Glen Kotzen-trained Hold My Hand to recapture the winning thread as she drops significantly in class having contested the Grade 1 Paddock Stakes over the course and distance last time out.
Prior to that no-show in illustrious company, this daughter of Gold Standard had caught the eye when running on strongly in the closing stages over the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas over 1600m at her previous start.
On the evidence of that display, she should have no issue seeing out the extra 200m on favourable weight terms. As the highest-rated (thus best-weighted) runner in the line-up, Hold My Hand is slung in under the conditions and should double her career tally with a second race success under Grant van Niekerk who has ridden her twice before.
He rode Kotzen’s charge to a fast-finishing and close-up fourth in the two-year-old Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes at the end of last season.
Earlier on the card, Thewolfofwolseley should strike for the jockey-trainer in Race 2 over 1400m. This son of Elusive Fort joined Kotzen from Paul Peter’s Highveld base and was off six months, during which he was gelded, before returning to finish a pleasing fourth on his stable debut over 1200m on the last day of 2022.
He would have tightened up since and, on pedigree, should also be better suited to the extra 200m so with expected improvement ought to run a forward race.
Selukwe should follow suit and provide Van Niekerk with a quick double in Race 3, as the return to 2000m is likely to favour this Andre Nel-trained Pomodoro gelding. He was slightly disappointing over 1600m last time out but had no luck in the running from the widest draw, so that effort is best ignored.
Well drawn in gate No 1 and reverting to a distance over which he finished third three starts back will suit Selukwe who is fancied to break his duck.
Richard Fourie and Justin Snaith cannot be left out during Cape summer meetings and they team up with a promising three-year-old colt who has a strong winning chance in Race 4. Progressive Future Swing was an impressive last-to-first winner of his most recent outing and looks well placed to follow up that course-and-distance success with just 54kg on his back off a three-point higher mark.
Clive Robinson
