Rockin Russian, most disappointing on her two previous Cape Town starts, can take advantage of a significant drop in class to bounce back in the Betting World Progress Plate at Kenilworth today.
The Sean Tarry filly was considered good enough to be ridden by Piere Strydom in the Fillies Guineas but she raced wide on the bend, suffered interference and finished stone last. Prior to that she was second last when the only filly in the Cape Classic.
Desert Rythym
Her previous Durban form is good and, although that now has more holes in it than a piece of Swiss cheese, she is well in at the weights and appeals at 28-10. World Sports Betting has Elusive Heart favourite on 22-10. The Glen Kotzen filly was seventh in the Fillies Guineas, is ridden by on-fire Richard Fourie (five winners here on Saturday) but has to concede 3kg to the selection.
Tarry’s other runner Desert Rhythm (9-2) has not raced since finishing fourth in the Thekwini, a length and a half behind Rockin Russian who is a whopping 6kg better. Freedom Charter (28-10) has been upped 2kg for winning a handicap over this trip last time, Salimah (5-1) finished last of seven when favourite for her last race and 16-1 shot Kenna looks out of it.
Vice Versa was my original choice for the TAB Telebet Handicap despite carrying a first-time-out-of-the-maidens red warning flag as she was so impressive when winning an admittedly modest maiden that she looked as if she could prove the exception to the golden rule. However she has gone lame on her near fore.
Via Sacra, put up 2kg for winning over the trip after leading nearly 400m out, is now favourite at 16-10 and gets the vote. Also fancied at 2-1 is Best Kept Secret who was only raised a kilo for last time’s win and for whom Mike de Kock has snapped up Fourie.
Pata Pata has losses to recover in the opening ItsARush Maiden after being beaten at 1-2 last time when she went to the front before halfway and was run out of it in the last 100m. Her previous run was good but it is a little disconcerting that Brett Crawford’s stable jockey Corne Orffer is now on newcomer Pacific Trader. The latter opened at 2-1 while Pata-Pata (ridden for the first time by Greg Cheyne) is again odds-on at 7-10.
In race three Pearl Jam (22-10 favourite) only has half a length in hand over 11-1 chance Eternal Night on last time’s running while 7-2 shot Spam Alert is badly drawn. The once-raced Prairie Sky is suggested each way at 14-1.
By Michael Clower
