Justin Snaith has a strong hand at Durbanville tomorrow, particularly in the first four races when he has three favourites and a joint favourite, and the champion trainer may win both the two-year-old events.
Cyber Blossom, already backed from 2-1 to 14-10 for the Tabonline Maiden Juvenile (race three), was good enough to run creditably in the Listed race on Met day and probably has most to fear from Mike Robinson’s 22-10 shot Stylish Icon and the Eric Sands-trained 7-2 chance Driving Miss Daisy who both made promising debuts last month.
Six of the other seven are first-timers and, while nine of the first 12 two-year-old races in Cape Town this season were won by newcomers, experience is beginning to count and all the last five races went to horses who had had a run.
Vaughan Marshall’s Captain Of Stealth aside, it is Candice Bass-Robinson who appears to have the strongest hand so far and riding arrangements point to Sanskrift, an R800 000 Duke Of Marmalade full sister to Santa Clara and half-sister to Horizon. “I think she is going to be a little bit too green, especially to take on those raced fillies,” says her trainer. “She could maybe run a place but she probably needs a little bit more time.”
Rio Querari is 17-20 for the first and, while the form of his debut hardly warrants him being odds-on, he looks marginally the best. The entire field was running for the first time and he was just one of four that were slowly away while the winner let the form down by managing only fourth ten days later. But Rio Querari did run on well and Richard Fourie has stuck with him.
All Black, fourth of six on debut when totally unfancied and hampered at the start, has been backed from 7-1 to 9-2. Hexatonic (22-1) and Pick Eight Captain are both R400 000 Captain Als and, with Brett Crawford’s juveniles getting into gear, the latter is probably the danger to the selection. Perhaps significantly, he has already been backed from 5-1 to 33-10 second favourite.
The Bass-Robinson stable introduces 25-1 shot Doppio Oro and Tree Of Wisdom (11-2) who has been nibbled at but his trainer feels he will need the run – “I think he will probably need the experience and that he is not wound up enough.”
Destin (7-10 with World Sports Betting) is rated 4kg the best in the mile Betting World Maiden but, while he is taken to beat 3-1 shot Var Express, it is more than a little disturbing that his last two runs have been over ten furlongs and an extended mile and a half.
Blush Scarlet appeals at 5-1 in the TAB Telebet Maiden. The Glen Kotzen filly was badly drawn when only a fifth of a length behind second-placed Lip Service at Kenilworth last month and has much the better of the draw here.
By Michael Clower
