Last year’s Cape Derby runner-up has the proverbial stone in hand and in theory he should win by six lengths. He is going to start hot favourite – he was 1-2 with Betting World yesterday – but he is a classic red-warning light case.
Most trainers will tell you that they don’t believe in the second-run-after-a-rest theory except when a horse is coming back after injury – and Dynamic damaged a tendon 18 months ago. On his first run back, at Durbanville eight weeks ago, he performed way above expectations to win comfortably.
“I do believe in the theory for certain horses but it depends on the horse,” stresses Justin Snaith. “For example Another Idea was in the same situation at Kenilworth on Saturday and he ran second to Generalissimo. Dynamic has done well since his win and I purposely haven’t galloped him.” In other words he should be OK. But there is an element of risk and punters should bear that in mind, particularly with the price so short.
Dennis Drier only brings horses to Cape Town if he thinks they are going to win and so newcomer The Tripster catches the eye in the opening maiden. “He has taken a bit of time and, although he is a staying type, he is showing plenty of pace,” says the trainer who cautions that it looks a strong field.
Power To Please is the form horse and should be hard to beat. He has already been backed from 4-1 to 3-1. One who could also go well at a good price is Winter Trade who last time lost far more ground at the start than he was beaten and now wears blinkers for the first time. He was as big as 14-1 yesterday.
“He doesn’t concentrate and he looks at everything,” says Darryl Hodgson, explaining his decision to fit the blinds. It could be worth bearing in mind that Winter Trade was considered good enough to run in the Cape Nursery on his previous start, and he was far from disgraced behind Kingvoldt.
Jet Revez has shown useful form but Karl Neisius is on stable companion Captains Corner in race two. “A beautiful filly with a magnificent action,” says Dean Kannemeyer. “But I haven’t galloped her.” In other words she can be expected to go well but she may need the run. Her price of 16-10 looks too short.
Kannemeyer’s Evil Woman has proved costly to follow, largely because she loses a fatal amount of ground at the start every time she runs. But this course will suit her much better than Durbanville and she may finally get her head in front in the Racing Association Maiden. She opened 12-10 favourite and was 22-10 yesterday.
Philosophy (6-1) is an obvious danger. She was only three-quarters of a length adrift last time and now wears blinkers because, says Paddy Kruyer, “she is very one-paced.”
Without Permission ran well enough first time to suggests he will be hard to beat in race four while Line Break, reported “a smart horse” by Mike Bass when he floored the prohibitive odds laid on Dynastic on debut, should be able to follow up in the Rugby 5 Handicap off a mark of 82.
Picture: Dennis Drier who saddles The Tripster in the first at Kenilworth tomorrow.
