The Boston Rose makes a lot of appeal in the Supabets Handicap at Kenilworth today and she can resume her winning streak now that she is back to her own level.
This four-year-old won three off the reel before returning from a three-month lay-off to contest the Laisserfaire Stakes two and a half weeks ago. She made little impression in that 15-runner Listed race and finished with only two behind her, some eight lengths adrift of the winner.
Township Melody (Candiese Marnewick)
It is significant that Richard Fourie rides her because Justin Snaith also runs Township Melody who was fifth in the Laisserfaire, five lengths in front of The Boston Rose, and is only a kilo worse. The pair have both been around the 7-2 to 4-1 mark with World Sports Betting which opened Golden Chance at the head of the market on 5-2.
Dennis Drier’s charge romped home seven lengths clear on her Scottsville debut in early September and, judging by that performance, first time out of the maidens may not prove quite the difficulty that so many find it.
Drier and stable jockey Sean Veale can start off with a winner as Via Salaria looks the part in the opening Itsarush.co.za Welcomes Maiden. This colt was second in a barrier trial and again in the real thing when odds-on for his Kenilworth debut 17 days ago. He opened a warm 16-10 shot here.
That looked a bit short and the price (2-1 yesterday) might ease a bit further, particularly given the high regard in which Glen Kotzen holds Duc D’Orange. He started favourite for a race sponsored by his trainer at the beginning of the month and finished a promising fifth. He has been backed from 5-1 to 4-1 but the one negative is that Kotzen said before his first run that he would need further.
The TAB Telebet Handicap half an hour later is a tricky-looking affair but top weight Love Supreme has some fair form if you are prepared to ignore her last run. She started favourite and finished last with Anton Marcus reporting that she changed stride continually and so he did not persevere with her in the final furlong. The course vet found her to be not striding out in front. She is weighted to reverse previous placings with Ontenderhooks who also ran below form last time.
Elusive Victor has eased from 7-2 favourite to 9-2 for the Tabonline Maiden (race three) as punters have taken cognisance of his terrible draw and so the vote goes to the Vaughan Marshall-trained Rochester who looks reasonably priced at 5-1. The lightly raced 17-10 favourite Au Revoir makes most appeal 40 minutes later.
By Michael Clower
