Having teamed up to win two prestigious Grade 1 contests with Make It Snappy this summer, Louis Mxothwa and Brett Crawford have gone relatively quiet. This formidable jockey-trainer combination drew a rare blank on Cape Town Met day and also failed to win one of the eight races at the last Western Cape meeting.
But, as the saying goes, “you can’t keep a good man down” and the partnership’s dry spell is unlikely to go on for much longer, with the eight-race card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Tuesday 7 February likely to mark a return to winning ways for both Crawford and stable jockey Mxothwa.
Two-year-old colt Pressonregardless has the form and experience to mount a serious winning bid for the combination in Race 1 over 1200m and that could set the tone for the day. This well-bred son of ill-fated Lancaster Bomber has produced two pleasing efforts over 1000m, experience which should stand him in good stead.
The form of his last start has worked out well and, on the evidence of that display when a staying-on fifth, the extra 200m on offer should be more to his liking.
The same could be said of Zoomie, who Mxothwa rides for Crawford in Race 2, after this son of Querari put up a promising 1000m debut behind highly regarded stablemate and first-start winner The Abdicator. He stayed on encouragingly from ninth position at the 400m mark to finish fourth, suggesting the step up in distance will suit.
Improving Supreme Dream has finished closer to the winner with every start and step up in distance before the addition of cheekpieces over 1600m last time saw Crawford’s charge post a fast-finishing and career-best second under Kabelo Matsunyane.
Unsurprisingly, the headgear will be retained when she lines up in Race 5 over 1800m with Mxothwa back aboard. She should also improve for the step up in distance so can be confidently backed to break her duck!
And after contesting Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 races at his last three starts, a return to form could also be on the cards for smart three-year-old gelding Port Louis in Race 7 over 1400m. This son of Gimmethegreenlight made no impression in the Cape Guineas behind Charles Dickens but is a lot better than that effort suggests.
He finished fourth from a wide draw in the 1600m Cape Punters Cup won by Cousin Casey and is probably best judged on his fourth-place finish to Charles Dickens at level weights in the Cape Classic over 1400m. A return to this distance should favour Crawford-trained Port Louis who looks likely to add another win on the card for his namesake Mxothwa.
Clive Robinson
