The excitement starts early at Kenilworth today when high expectations and high prices get their first real test in the first two races.

No less than 19 of the 26 runners are newcomers and, if the winners come from this group, it would fit the pattern of the Cape Town juvenile scene so far this season. There have been 13 two-year-old races and ten of them have gone to first-timers.

The highest-priced of today’s debutants is Frank Lloyd Wright who made R3.25 million at last year’s Cape Premier Yearling Sale. He was sold by Drakenstein and now races in the colours of Qatar Racing in partnership with Drakenstein. By Captain Al, he is out of a seven-time winner and opened 3-1 favourite for the Itsarush.co.za Maiden when World Sports Betting posted its prices on Saturday.

“He is the type we could see in the R5 million races next January,” says Jonathan Snaith who is wary of predicting victory as he points out that the stable has not won a two-year-old race this season. “This colt is inexperienced but he should run into the money and we will be disappointed if he doesn’t.”

But seemingly he will have to go to beat Quick Star who was backed down to 4-1 second favourite when fourth on debut in the Kuda Sprint on Met day. Admittedly he was beaten over seven lengths but seemingly the money for him had a solid foundation.

“He is a serious horse and we thought he had a big chance that day,” recalls Glen Kotzen who predicts: “He should be hard to beat.”

He has been backed from 4-1 to 22-10 joint favourite with the Vaughan Marshall-trained Var colt Deepston. Marshall has won four juvenile races this term and all four scored first time out. This one has been backed from an opening 9-2.

Candice Bass-Robinson won with a number of first-timers last season and her two juvenile winners this term were both newcomers. She runs the What A Winter colt Sacred Arrow, a R250 000 buy. “He is ready to run but I am not expecting him to win first time,” is her verdict on the 10-1 chance.

Joey Ramsden has won four juvenile races but only two were newcomers. The Var colt Carnage showed enough first time to suggest he could get into the shake-up but he has drifted from 9-1 to 14-1.

Sailor Sam (10-1) is the most experienced and was only beaten a neck last time. “”He is well and he should again run well,” says Greg Ennion.

Quick Star gets the vote and in the TAB Telebet Maiden Juvenile half an hour later the Marshall runner Canukeepitsecret looks the pick. She comes from the prolific-scoring Mystic Spring family and is a Captain Al filly out of the Sceptre and Southern Cross winner Secret Of Victoria, already the dam of All Is Secret and The Secret Is Out. “She is on the list for Durban,” says Marshall. She opened favourite at 16-10 and was 14-10 yesterday.

European Roller (4-1) has finished closest but Kotzen’s Princess Elsa (backed from 3-1 to 16-10) ran in the Listed race on Met day and, judging by the money for her, she is expected to go close.

Mrs Robinson runs four newcomers with stable jockey Aldo Domeyer on the 6-1 Judpot filly Nous Voila – “She should have run earlier but she was coughing. She is very nice and I think she will run well,” says her trainer.

Corne Orffer can bounce back from last Saturday’s sickness to win the Tabonline.co.za Maiden on 12-10 favourite Miss Smarty Pants although stable companion Capital Q is joint second favourite at 5-1 with Blue Flower.

Chatuchak has gone close in his last two and is understandably favourite at 22-10 for race four but slight preference is for Sark at 28-10.

Silver Coin, last in the Cape Derby, heads the market at 3-1 for the Play Soccer Handicap but he could be hard pressed to beat top weight Bobby Dazzler who might well have won at Durbanville last time had he got away on terms.

By Michael Clower