Candice Bass-Robinson has less two-year-olds this season – between 40 and 50 compared with last term’s 60-plus – but they include some good horses and they have won four of the nine Cape Town juvenile races so far.

Cousin Liz, a R2.9 million National Yearling Sale purchase, looks the best seen out yet after being backed down to odds-on and making short work of the opposition in the Kenilworth opener on Saturday. “She is a smart filly loaded with ability and, not to beat about the bush, I think she is the real deal,” said an impressed (and recently bearded) Aldo Domeyer.

“I have to decide whether she will stay here for the Nursery or go to Durban,” said her trainer. “I don’t want her to get too hot so my gut feeling is to stay put. She cost a lot so I can sleep easy now but I do think she has a bright future.”

Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s future includes a lot of air travel. He flies back to Dubai next week for Marinaresco in the Zabeel Mile (Feb 21) and is considering returning for South African meetings before the July winner’s next run in the Jebel Hatta on March 9.

He is in blistering form. The Pocket Power room punters were still marvelling at Friday’s Fairview treble when he notched up a quick Glen Kotzen double on Cat Daddy and Sommersonne. A painful coming together between his foot and the metalwork left him sore enough to miss the last two races but did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm. “I’m fine – nothing is broken,” he reasoned as he rather tenderly walked back into the jockeys’ room.

Unusually for racing at Kenilworth six of the eight races were won by favourites with Anton Marcus making it look deceptively easy on Nastergal and Run Fox Run (“She looks the real deal,” said Stan Elley, taking a leaf out of the Domeyer quotes book) but the one punters noted was Boomps A Daisy in the Tabonline.co.za Maiden. The newcomer took off when she finally cottoned on to what her rider was asking and she was only beaten a head by Fluttering. She will be backed off the boards next time.

All credit to Fluttering though. The Fosters’ homebred made every metre and bravely answered her rider’s every call to make her critics eat their words. Interestingly both trainer and jockey seemed to blame themselves for last time’s defeat. “I let her go a bit too early and she got found out,” said M.J. Byleveld while Vaughan Marshall, full of praise for his stable jockey here, added: “I was worried that she hadn’t run for quite a while that last time – and the race brought her on.”

Joey Ramsden’s decision to fly in S’Manga Khumalo proved fully justified when the dual champion rode a peach of a waiting race to snatch the TAB Telebet Maiden in the last stride on 11-1 shot November Storm, described by his trainer as “a hard ride who can be quite reluctant.”

“The pace was on and I thought that giving him a chance – and not rushing him – should do the trick,” explained Khumalo, adding modestly: “I managed to get my head down at the right time.”

By Michael Clower

Eric Sands is aiming to make Rainbow Bridge the first horse to win the Met and the Vodacom Durban July in the same season since Pocket Power 11 years ago.

The Milnerton trainer said: “At this stage we are planning towards Natal, ending up with the July, and then bringing him back to Cape Town. The provisional programme is the Drill Hall, the Rising Sun Gold Challenge and then the July but it will depend on the timing of these races proving suitable for the horse.”

The Ideal World four-year-old is enjoying a well-deserved break at Julia Pilbeam’s Soetendal Estate near Wellington. “He does a light trot in the morning and comes in at night,” said his trainer. “He spends the rest of his day in a field with a 32-year-old pony for company.”

Cape Flying Championship winner Kasimir will step up a furlong for the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes which is being run six weeks later this year on Saturday week. “He is in a very good place at the moment,’ said Justin Snaith who also has last year’s third Sergeant Hardy in the R400 000 Grade 2.

Fresnaye heads the 23 entries for the Vasco Prix du Cap while the Kenilworth Cup has been moved from November to boost this hugely popular Prawn Festival meeting which also includes the Jet Master.

By Michael Clower

Handicap ratings are a handy spanner in the toolbox of any serious punter and when a runner starts to come down in the handicap, it more often than not pays to follow.

Mr Roy was one such runner at Scottsville yesterday, down from a rating high of 104 to yesterday’s 96 in a Pinnacle Plate and with apprentice Jason Gates claiming 4kg, Mr Roy was the equivalent of an 88. That said, it was a fixed weights race but the inference was obvious and Gates, a talented rider not lacking in confidence or an opinion, got the best out of Alyson Wright’s charge to hold off favourite Tribal Fusion and Anton Marcus.

Give Gates the microphone and he is not short of a word or three and this being the 20^th win of his career and his claim cut to 2.5kg, he was not going to let the opportunity pass forcing Wright to forego her interview in order to saddle her next runner.

Marcus looked set for a red-letter afternoon as he booted home the first two winners on the card and in direct contrast to Gates in what has become the norm, he was not back for the interview, leaving the limelight to the owners and trainer.

Marcus partnered Hondo in the card opener for Garth Puller, the gelding having his second run for Puller who took over after the sudden death of Lennie Taylor last year. Always in the vanguard and travelling in first-time blinkers, Hondo kept running to hold off the first timer Ruby Spirit who showed pace and kept running to hold off Krishnies Jet for second. It was another second for Duncan Howells who is currently top of the KZN trainers log courtesy more to his 40 second places than his 29 winners.

Marcus was back in the winner’s circle for Dennis Drier in the second aboard favourite Home Ruler although he had to work a touch harder than expected as Mantle refused to give in and chased him hard all the way to the line.

The third turned into a duel between Marcus aboard another favourite Amex, and reigning national champion Lyle Hewitson. It was a case of two of the best riders in the country up against each other this time it was Hewitson who triumphed narrowly. The two left the balance of the field chasing shadows, Thru’ The Trees in front, then Amex and Thru’ The Trees when it counted to give Lowan Denysschen a welcome winner.

There were more than a few patrons hanging on to the lead rope as King’s Cove made his way into the winner’s box for Doug Campbell. Under a smart ride from Warren Kennedy, who made a telling move to the outside rail in the straight, the Campbell home-bred won comfortably from Frankie Two Shoes with favourite Father’s Frost fourth but reported lame after the race.

If Howells was cursing his luck with his run of seconds, he was joined by Ashburton colleague Shane Humby whose runners finished runner-up in successive races. Top weight Tribal Fusion, game in defeat, was unable to give Mr Roy 6.5kg while Wayward was unable to peg-back the speedy Ronnie Rocket who ran all the way to the line for Pat Lunn and Keagan de Melo.

From the day Solid Gold won his first heat, Michael Roberts knew he had a good horse on his hands and the gelding confirmed that view with a solid win in the seventh, fighting off a determined challenge from favourite Exclusive Quantity with the rest a long way behind. Ante-post favourite Sacred Castle didn’t make it to the track as both Paul Peter runners on the day were scratched – injured in transit.

Marcus and Puller rounded off the meeting, with Jack Of Hearts tracking the pace all the way before Marcus delivered his mount with a telling run to win cosily from pacemaker, Roy’s Physco and stretch the riders tally to 120, a lead of eight over Muzi Yeni in the championship race.

By Andrew Harrison

The ten race meeting on the Highveld tomorrow should favour punters as there are only three handicaps, but on the other hand the Turffontein Inside track can produce upsets.

In the first leg of the PA over 1450m Shanghai Tang has done well against some fair sorts and should have benefitted from his comeback run in December. He does not face an inspiring field and is distance suited although he has a tricky draw of eight out of 14. Colonel Caramel is a rangy type who is improving and last time he stayed on well over this trip to finish a close third in a similar field. He has a fair draw and should be involved. Over Sharing has a tough draw but has the form to earn. Chevron is another one who warrants consideration. Tyrell by Silvano is a full-brother to the top class Tellina and makes his debut from pole position.

In the first leg of the Pick 6 Redberry Lane has overcome tough draws before and this Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes winner is well treated at the weights over her ideal mile trip. Tamarina is an up and coming sort and could be a threat from a fair draw and there is not much between her and the well drawn and consistent Being Fabulous.

In the next race Nimcha is the one to beat over what should be an ideal trip of 1800m. Last time over 2000m he moved up and found no extra and has a similar middle draw. The Honey Badger could be the chief threat. He is a sort who has ability but needs things to go his way and they should go   his way from pole position under Muzi Yeni over an ideal trip. Verdi also warrants consideration having beaten The Honey Badger last time, although there is now a reversal in draw fortunes.

The sixth race over 2600m is the first handicap on the card. Long Pond strikes as one who will enjoy the step up in trip and she gets the blinkers on after finding no extra in her last two starts, both over 2000m. Cantata Mundi stayed on well over 2000m in her first start out the maidens and the jockey who won on her, Ryan Munger, is back aboard. Emily Hobhouse has caught the eye on occasion and will be coming into her own being by Ideal World. She sneaks into the handicap with the minimum weight and is a dark horse.

The seventh is a Pinnacle Stakes event and the three fillies Cascapedia, Silver Thursday and Fort Ember should fight it out. Cascapedia is the tip having proved how good she is over this distance when a close third in the G-Bets Summer Cup, although she might actually prefer 1800m. Silver Thursday should be thereabouts. It was not necessarily the blinkers which helped last time but rather a good draw allowed her to find a better position than she had done in her previous two starts. She over raced last time and still won so if settling well from pole position she could cause an upset. Fort Ember worked hard to get to the front in the Summer Cup when beaten 3,1 lengths by Cascapedia but in this smaller field should be able to get there easier and she has a chance too.

Hakeem is made the value bet of the day in race eight over 1600m from draw two. He stays 2000m but has some speed and this distance looks ideal so as a handy sort from a good draw he should go close.

In the next race Only To Win goes for her second 1600m win of the week and she could fight it out with Aurelia Cotta who should enjoy this course and distance and is drawn well.

By David Thiselton

Procrastination looks good for the Tabonline.co.za Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow after catching the eye on debut three weeks ago.

She was no match for easy winner Run Fox Run that day but she did have the third over three lengths back and, as Andre Nel aims to have them fit enough to run well first time but not normally quite ready to win, this one can be expected to have come on a fair bit.

The selection was 22-10 favourite yesterday with Fluttering next in the WSB market on 5-1. The Vaughan Marshall filly invariably runs well but is beginning to prove expensive. She started favourite when finding one too good for her on her last two starts and, although she ran as if she would have appreciated 1 000m last time, she performed creditably over 1 400m on her previous outing.

Bitter Lemon (15-2) ran on well last time (only her second start) while Sleeping Single (11-2) and 16-1 shot Sacred Story have place prospects.

In the opening two-year-old race the two that have run don’t look good enough and, given Candice Bass-Robinson’s record this term, Cousin Liz is the obvious one to go for. The 28-10 favourite is by Captain Al out of a half-sister to the Empres Club winner Fair Maiden.

But watch for any support for Look To (currently 33-10). A Captain Al newcomer trained by Marshall should never be left out of calculations. Of the others Bad Habit cost R600 000 and Ferrari Red R400 000.

Gold Pact is 5-2 favourite for the TAB Telebet Maiden on the strength of his short head defeat in a work riders race five weeks ago but the form of those events is unreliable and the price looks too short.  Kingston Rock (28-10) is preferred although it is a concern that he was returned not striding out after his last run, and the ground has not exactly gone any softer in the interim.

Cat Daddy was the forecast favourite for the Betting World Maiden after heading the market on Met day only to finish with just two behind him – he was baulked and forced to ease back. Bernard Fayd’Herbe takes over and is sure to finish a lot closer but he may not beat Engage And Beware who has already been nibbled at and was 22-10 favourite yesterday morning.

Dennis Drier’s comfortable maiden winner Cabo Da Cruz is 3-1 joint favourite for his handicap debut in race seven but I prefer fellow 3-1 shot Mythical Bolt who doesn’t have that first-time-out-of-the-maidens tag to overcome.

However the finale appears to be dominated by two such horses. Window To Africa and Run Fox Run both won easily on debut and it is difficult to split them. Indeed they share top spot at 28-10 with nothing else quoted at less than 11-1. It’s a toss-up but the coin comes up heads for Anton Marcus’s mount.

By Michael Clower