Warren Lenferna
Three mouthwatering feature races are on offer on Saturday, 22 November, at Headquarters, Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. The first race is off at 12:45 and the day concludes after ten scintillating races at 18:00. The Cape summer is here, and it is sure to be a bright, shining early evening when the last is run. This meeting officially opens the Cape Summer Season.
Race 6, the Sophomore Sprint for three-year-olds, goes off at 15:40, and what a line-up it is. All The Rage is clearly classy and packed with ability, having kept on rolling to beat Good For You six weeks ago over 1200 m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville. He has won three from five and finished third in the other two — another exciting young prospect on the Cape’s conveyor belt of top three-year-olds. Green Gateway from the Kannemeyer yard has his third run after a gutsy winning debut in KZN in late July. He is entered for the Hollywoodbets Guineas and will be letting down strongly as the finish line looms. Magical Place was given an exceptional ride by Callan Murray last time to deny Dame Of Trix, who has boosted the formline since. Military Command has to be way better than his last two runs, where he had very valid excuses — expect much more this time, and the yard is in mustard form. Roland Garros returns from a ten-week layoff and might well be revving his engines for the Guineas in early December. He should run fresh and well and can go close; he is talented and surely has plenty more up his sleeve. Malmesbury Missile is far better than his last seventh-place finish suggests and cannot be ignored, while Black Eagle has plenty of speed and should be right there at the finish. The selection is All The Rage to beat Roland Garros.
Race 7 is the headliner — the Grade 2 Race Coast Punters Cup over 1600 m at 16:15. Fox On The Run should love the mile and has won his last two in the manner of a talented horse, so he must be respected. Good For You is a Grade 1 winner and seems to be prepping extremely well for the Guineas, giving him an obvious bright winning chance. Chapbook is held by Good For You on their latest meeting and should not finish in front of him today. Absolutely Yes needs to do a touch more on current form, while Count Of Rouen is far better than his last two starts and benefits from the services of Andrew Fortune. Aristocratic is another held by Good For You and should again finish behind the Kotzen-trained gelding. Better Man is a hugely exciting, quality gelding whose last two wins were gutsy; he has an undeniable hat-trick chance as he marches toward the Guineas. Pay The Palace should strip fitter today, but others are preferred for the shortlist. Star Major is improving steadily and must be included in wider combinations. Aversator had valid excuses last time but does not appear to be the stable elect. Happy Versereturns from a 12-week breather; he raced wide last time and still found plenty to win, making him clearly another on the up. Randolph Hearst should be in the mix with a touch of luck in running. The firm first choice is Good For You, for the Kotzen/Little combination and owners Govender, Macnab, Poriazis, Ramsamy and Russo.
The last feature of the day is the Bantry Bay Stakes, a non-black type event over 1100 m at 16:50. If Tenango does not need this run to tighten up, he will be very hard to beat. He last ran on 27 July, finishing a courageous second to Buffalo Storm Cody in the Grade 1 Mercury Sprint — and Buffalo Storm Cody has franked the form since.
