After deteriorating underfoot conditions put paid to the midweek meeting in Cape Town last Tuesday after just three races at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, a competitive 10-race card at the country course on Tuesday 12 September should fire the engines up again ahead of the Cape’s Summer Champions season.
The meeting, which includes a number of standout betting propositions, is highlighted by the return to action of former Grade 1 Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative who during his three-year-old campaign also finished fourth in the Grade 1 Cape Town Met and third in the Grade 1 Cape Derby.
The now five-year-old son of Twice Over from the Justin Snaith stable makes his belated reappearance after an injury enforced layoff in Race 8 over 1250m.
He is one of 22 runners on the card for the formidable Snaith team which is likely to dominate the meeting with no fewer than five potential winners on the day.
Snaith and stable jockey Grant van Niekerk are likely to start their winning streak in Race 2 over 1250m with Lindbergh who on the evidence of his last start has seemingly benefited from having been gelded.
He improved on his return from a rest and gelding in his last start when running on to finish second over the same and distance, and any progress made with improved fitness on his side should result in a maiden win.
Gimmethelimelight ought to make it a quick double for the combination in Race 3 over 1400m.
She has made marked improvement in her two starts over the distance, the latest at this track (fourth), and Snaith’s charge looks primed to shed her maiden tag from a good draw with Van Niekerk aboard again.
Kimball O’ Hara goes 1600m for the first time in Race 5 but this step-up in distance could eke out the improvement needed of the four-year-old son of Gimmethegreenlight to see him register a second career victory that his consistency deserves.
Van Niekerk has ridden the Snaith-trained gelding in each of his last three starts and finished a running-on second aboard Kimball O’ Hara over 1400m last time and retains the ride which suggests he may have had something to do with the decision to go the extra 200m.
Double Superlative is unlikely to be wound up ahead of his eagerly anticipated comeback, but his class could prevail.
A lucrative summer campaign has been mapped out for the five-year-old entire who will need to run well in Race 8 if he is to fulfill those ambitions.
Given an obvious lack of recent race fitness, he is likely to start at an inflated price, in what is a competitive field, and that opportunity cannot be refused!
Yamadori looks above average and the Lancaster Bomber colt is one of the better bets on the card and should win Race 9.
He confirmed the promise of his debut second by winning his second start before finishing second over 1250m last time out.
Any improvement made on his comeback to the same course and distance ought to bring about a return to winning ways.
Clive Robinson
