A fantastic card awaits punters at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Sunday headed by the Grade 3 Legal Eagle Stakes over 1800m. This is the second leg of Cape Town’s winter feature campaign. The first leg was won by Garrix, an exciting prospect who looks set to back-up his Grade 3 Variety Club Mile victory.
His last start was his first as a gelding, something he needed badly. He had no luck when he ran at a high level during the Cape Summer Festival of Racing. Slow-run races, bad draws and erratic behaviour took its toll. Despite all this, his runs were admirable in January. The day he took a pleasant turn was in the Grade 3 City Of Cape Town Politician Stakes over this distance. From a deep draw of No 10, he was forced to be used off a very slow pace but he stuck around to finish a 2,75-length third behind Zeitz. He followed up to finish third behind Eight On Eighteen in the Grade 1 Splashout Cape Derby over 2000m a month later. He had every chance but he was run out of it late by one of the best three-year-olds in the country.
Gelded and mature, he turned up last month at this course and he looked impressive when easily accounting for Let It Be Said by 1,5 lengths in the Grade 3 Variety Club Mile.
Many pundits are surprised that he has skipped being entered for Africa’s Greatest Race, the Hollywoodbets Durban July but trainer Piet Steyn has remained stoic that his charge will stay in Cape Town as a three-year-old, strengthen up further, stay happy at home before considering spreading his wings in a year from now. Gavin Lerena is carded to take the ride. At 55,5kg, that is a huge effort from Lerena to commit to that weight.
Billy Bowlegs ran in the July as a three-year-old, although never a factor, he has run at the highest level. He must be a threat to Garrix on the evidence of his last run. He blew the start badly but he recovered to finish 3,25 lengths behind Garrix. The extra distance would be an advantage before considering his poor luck at the stalls last time. He has not had many runs in Cape Town but he has stepped forward with every start. Craig Zackey is carded to take the ride.
La Pulga is entered for the July. He has also come along with every start and this will go far to how quickly he has improved. Gutfeel is that he will come of age in six months’ time but it is hard to knock a horse who continues to step up.
Rascallion is always worthy of a mention. Evergreen, honest and tough as they come, he will be a popular choice even if Garrix has him held on their last meeting to the tune of 5,25 lengths.
The Grade 3 Winter Nursery over 1100m always gives clues for the future and again, some highly promising runners will line up. Dreamland was undone by Military Command in the CRS Slipper in mid-March but inexperience might have counted against him. He is held in high regard by trainer Vaughan Marshall who is formidable with his two-year-olds. Lerena is carded to take the ride.
Keep an eye on All The Rage, a half-brother to La Pulga. He made a sparkling winning debut in mid-April when he looked like a true professional. He was not green, did not hesitate to aim in between horses and shot away like a smart youngster. This is a huge step up in class but he could be up to the task. Aldo Domeyer is carded to take the ride.
North Point has done little wrong lately and he, too, needs to be considered. He has a high cruising speed and a convincing turn of foot. He has more to beat than who he smashed in his last two runs but he cannot be left out.
Race 6, the Listed Ladies Mile is the final feature on the card. Kinda Wonderful was scratched from the first of the fillies features of this campaign when she was given a strong winning chance. She was last season’s Champion Two-Year-Old Filly who came alive this time of the year when the sting was out of the ground. Her last two runs came in good company. The Grade 1 Maine Chance Farms Majorca Stakes, she looked outgunned but she was not disgraced behind Rascova when she finished fourth. Her last run came in the Schweppes Summer Oaks when second behind subsequent winner, Give Me Everything over 2000m. Zackey will be aboard.
Time For Love is as gallant as they come and she should provide stiff opposition under Lerena. Deadly from the front, she is often hard to fetch and she has dropped in class. She has not run since January but she did have a gallop at the course just over two weeks ago.
She’s My World is given the narrow verdict in race 1 over 1000m. She needed her last run when she was undone by Match That, who runs in the Nursery later in the day. She has good feature race form without winning so this could be her turn under Richard Fourie. Beautiful One ranks as a massive danger. Her debut was pleasing behind Una The Unicorn when she was stuck on the wrong side of the course and still finished third. Now drawn in No 1 and with experience under the belt, she is worth tons of respect.
Clair De Lune started her career impressively and she is now due a maiden win. She is also in her calmest waters to date in race 2 over 1200m. In four starts, she has three runner-up finishes to her name. Her last run was her worst on paper but it was in a strong renewal of the CRS Cape Slipper. She ought to get the job done.
Past And Present is a tentative selection in race 3 over 1800m. It is hard to sway from a horse who has run second three times in succession and who seems to finally be mature enough to win. It has taken some time for him to develop. He is a big guy who should mature into a reasonable four-year-old. But there should be stiff competition from Jet A One and Moment Of Truth who are both trained by Des McLachlan and both have shown a positive turn in form lately.
The well-bred Air Raid looked the part when coming back from a break last time out when winning over 1200m at this course. He has given himself a lot of hope going forward and he should be among the list of winners in race 4 over the same trip. He won hands and heels by 2,5 lengths from Arctic Wizard, whom he meets again and the weights tell that deficit should not be reversed. If he builds on that performance he will be hard to beat.
The rest of the card becomes much trickier and much less quality will take part. Country Time carries 50,5kg in race 8 over 1100m. If apprentice Sifisokuhle Bungane can keep her balanced and neatly placed, she could score victory. Bungane rode her in her last start when she came second, less than a length behind Golden Ideal.
Tanneron is consistent and she has a positive swing at the weights with Captain’s Destiny which should give her an advantage in race 9 over 1100m. She is 1kg better off for 0,9 lengths. Tanneron is a one-time winner from nine starts but she has six places to her name. She could be rewarded for consistency now. Domeyer and Bass-Robinson team up again.
The Us Of A must be a leading candidate to win race 10 over 1000m. He might have needed his last run back from a three-month break. He ran a cracker to finish 0,4 lengths behind Crowned Hornbill when filling second place. His turn of foot is his biggest asset but he is not the easiest to ride because he can take the bit. If Richard Fourie can hold him together and get him to quicken at the right time, he could take all the beating.
