Jockeys Richard Fourie and Keagan de Melo have been in dominant form this year. They bagged a Grade 1 win apiece on Met day, as they scored five wins between them on the 12-race card, and six of Tuesday’s eight races at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth went the way of the in-form pair.
De Melo currently sits atop the National Jockeys’ log but it is Fourie who has stolen the show of late, having ridden Jet Dark to World Sports Betting Cape Town Met glory and Royal Aussie to the R5-million Gold Rush first prize before his Tuesday five-timer, which also included the four races that comprised Jackpot 2.
At Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday, Fourie and De Melo look set to dominate proceedings once more, with the former likely to be outdone this time around on the eight-race card.
De Melo has a particularly strong book of rides and should land the spoils in each of the first three races, Querari filly Royal Oasis finished second in consecutive starts under De Melo before only managing to finish fifth under Calvin Habib last time out.
Corinne Bestel’s charge will be reunited with De Melo in Race 1 over 1200m and should get her and her followers off to a winning start in the opener.
Tony Rivalland-trained Super Fast, a son of Querari, has finished second in back-to-back outings under De Melo too, and should also break the ice in Race 2 over 1400m, with the step-up in distance expected to bring about improvement from the three-year-old gelding.
De Melo seldom rides for Wendy Whitehead but has a good record when teaming up with the Summerveld-based trainer, which bodes well for the chances of Gelsomnia.
This lightly raced daughter of Twice Over has finished behind re-opposing rivals Guten Tag and I’ve Got Wings in recent starts but is better off at the weights this time around and will be good value to turn the tables on both with De Melo aboard.
Both Cataleya Summer (Race 5) and Ideal Act in Race 6 have strong winning chances on the day and could have De Melo and his legion of fans smiling all the way to the bank!
Fourie’s hopes of winning at the meeting lie with Johnny’s Hope in Race 4 over 2400m, after the son of Canford Cliffs finished second over 2000m when returning from a break last time out, and in Race 7 with Count Marsh who switches back to the turf after a string of consistent performances on the Polytrack.
Clive Robinson
