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
