Rainbow Bridge will bid to extend his unbeaten record to five in the R150 000 Cape Mile at Kenilworth on Sunday. Eric Sands confirmed the gelding a runner at the weekend and said that Bernard Fayd’Herbe, who won the Matchem on the four-year-old last month, will again have the ride.

Rainbow Bridge (Liesl King)

Victory for the Met and Queen’s Plate hope would be an appropriate tribute to owner Chris Gerber whose death from malaria, contracted on a fishing trip to Tanzania, is such a loss to South Africa’s breeding and racing industries.

Richard Fourie, who rode Rainbow Bridge in his first three wins – including the Winter Guineas and the Winter Classic, resumes his partnership with the Glen Kotzen-trained Eyes Wide Open on whom he won last season’s Cape Derby.

Justin Snaith has booked Lyle Hewitson for Silver Maple and has also declared Copper Force who was ridden by the champion when a surprise second in the Queen’s Plate. Rocket Countdown, second in the Winter Guineas and Classic, runs for Candice Bass-Robinson who has also entered Horizon. However both Brave Move and the unbeaten Hashtagyolo will wait for easier pickings in the mile fillies Pinnacle on Thursday week.

Magical Wonderland has been installed 3-1 favourite for the Laisserfaire Stakes on the same card and Mrs Bass-Robinson has confirmed her a runner “even though they disgracefully gave her 64.5kg (a hefty 10st 2lb in old money).”

World Sports Betting has Too Phat To Fly (11-2) and Elusive Heart (7-1) next in the market. Both are trained by Kotzen who will also run 20-1 shot Ostinato and 50-1 chance Princess Vicky.

Snaith will also run four with Fourie on Casual Diamond (7-1), Hewitson on Township Melody (22-1), Robert Khathi riding 12-1 chance Angel’s Trumpet and Athandiwe Mgudlwa on 35-1 long shot The Boston Rose.

Wayne Kieswetter reports that last year’s Sun Met winner Whisky Baron has gone to his farm in Ireland for a break and that his Group 1 Pretty Polly winner Urban Fox has been retired. She visits Dubawi next year.

By Michael Clower