As the Cape Summer Of Champions season draws near, a number of promising sorts and established others have hit the tracks in Cape Town as trainers across the Western Cape are readying their charges.
Some trainers have stepped out some of their yard’s better horses with the view to aiming them at some of the big prizes on offer later this year. This has made for terrific racing and provided bettors with several attractive betting propositions.
Tuesday’s nine-race card at Hollywoodbets is no different and is highlighted by the belated reappearance of Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative, who returns from an injury enforced layoff in Race 8.
Among his other achievements are a fourth place in the Grade 1 Cape Town Met and a third in the Grade 1 Cape Derby,
He is one of 22 runners on the card for trainer Justin Snaith who looks likely to dominate the meeting with five potential winners.
Among them is high-flying Silver Falcon, a winner of his last five starts, who reappears over the same course and distance of his latest success in Race 3. Snaith’s charge has defied penalties at his last three outings and there’s no reason to suggest this well-bred Silvano gelding can’t do so again.
He nabbed re-opposing frontrunner After The Rain on the line three weeks ago and will need to eke out a little more improvement if he is to get the better of that rival, who is now 1.5kg better off.
Silver Falcon has only once been beaten in five starts at the country course and four of his five recent wins, including his last three, have come under Grant van Niekerk who, unsurprisingly, retains the ride.
Snaith has a strong coupling in Race 4 over 1400m but is likely to win with Princess Izzy, who finished ahead of stablemate Sun Spectacular last time over 1250m. JP van der Merwe steered the former, a Master Of My Fate filly, to a fast-finishing second last time while Van Niekerk was back in fourth aboard Sun Spectacular, herself a daughter of Varsfontein’s resident stallion Master Of My Fate.
Given his position as the stable’s number one rider – the role relinquished not so long ago by Richard Fourie – it’s no surprise to see Van Niekerk opting to ride Princess Izzy, although that should not detract from the chances of Sun Spectacular despite her wide No 10 draw.
Both fillies are likely to improve for the step up in distance, so taking Swingers and boxed Exactas could pave the way to a handsome profit.
Of Snaith’s three runners in Race 5 over 1400m, however, Van Niekerk’s ride, Gimmethelimelight, is the standout pick of the stable’s trio. This daughter of Gimmethegreenlight has made marked improvement in two starts over 1400m, including over the course and distance last time out.
She stayed on well after racing handy, having been used up early to secure position from an awkward starting berth, to finish fourth and less than two lengths off the winner. On that evidence, a more favourable draw is likely to bring about a maiden success.
Gimmethelimelight is drawn to do no work this time around in gate No 3 and Van Niekerk ought to slot in and get the run of the race before delivering a probable winning effort.
William West (Race 2) and We’re Jamming, who is one of three very talented Snaith-trained runners (that includes Double Superlative), are the yard’s other potential winners on the card.
Candice Bass-Robinson has two runners with strong winning credentials, and both are worth a punt. In Race 1 Strata should deliver the goods with alumites fitted back and front for the first time. She has become costly to follow but of those in the line-up with experience, she is a standout pick on form.
Diamond Rock was caught flat-footed and got going too late when stepped up to 1600m last time but from gate No 1 under stable jockey Aldo Domeyer, should have the race run to suit. He finished behind re-opposing older rival Naushon, who was drawn wide, on that occasion but can be confidently backed to turn the tables in Race 6.
Clive Robinson
