Winners have been hard to come by for Richard Fourie at recent Cape Town meetings, which has seen Keagen de Melo maintain a comfortable lead atop the National Jockeys’ standings.
This quiet spell has brought just a solitary winner from each of the last two Hollywoodbets Kenilworth meetings but is likely to come to an abrupt end with a haul of winners on the nine-race card at Cape Town’s flagship course on Wednesday 17 May.
Fourie has a full complement of eight rides at the meeting – Race 1 is for work riders – and ought to walk away with the ‘Man Of The Match’ award, with four likely winners on the day.
Justin Snaith-trained Flying V should get the ball rolling for Fourie in Race 2 over 1200m. This daughter of Vercingetorix has improved markedly after a break following a disappointing debut run. She finished fourth behind Blue Holly over 1000m and second to Baltic Secret over the same distance last time out, and both of those rivals placed in a Grade 3 recently.
On that form, and with the step up to 1200m likely to bring about further improvement, Flying V should open her account and get Fourie and his followers off to a winning start.
Shane Humby provides Fourie with a winning chance in Race 4 on three-year-old filly Where’s The Party, who only tired late to finish fifth and 1.45 lengths behind the winner Symphony Of Light in her last start. This daughter of Pathfork would’ve tightened up for that outing and should, with improved fitness on her side, mount a serious winning bid from gate 11 on 1,5kg better terms. Hear My Voice and Little Miss Pink finished between the pair in that race and can be included in boxed Swinger and Exacta bets at larger odds.
Another runner at larger odds who it could pay to follow is Snaith-Fourie representative Peut Etre Moi in Race 6 over 1800m. There are several improving fillies in the race and a number of others, including Snaith’s charge, who have dropped in the ratings to a more competitive mark having lost their consistency at a higher level recently.
Master Of My Fate filly Peut Etre Moi finished a close-up second over 2000m off a similar rating two starts back but was unplaced last time when punched up three points by the assessor. She has been dropped two points following that performance and reverts to the course and distance of her Listed third, so ought to play a leading role if bouncing back to that form.
Metar fits a similar profile and should be competitive for Louis Mxothwa and Brett Crawford, while unexposed Estimated could improve after a break to stake a claim on her return. In competitive fillies and mares event, last-start winners Hang Out The Stars and Just Before Dawn also have claims.
Grade 1 Cape Guineas third and R5-million Gold Rush winner Royal Aussie let his supporters down when only finishing fourth behind stablemate Tout A Fait last time but this son of Royal Mo may have needed that outing after a busy and productive summer campaign, so is worth another chance when he lines up under Fourie on 3kg better terms in Race 8.
Elsewhere on the card, jockey Anthony Andrews should continue his good form with a double of his own. He steered Royal Invitation to a winning comeback last month and should follow up aboard the Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Elusive Fort filly in Race 5 before completing a double for the yard on Charlie Croker in Race 9.
Clive Robinson
