Silver Mountain has been installed hot favourite at 1-2 with the sponsors for the World Sports Betting Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth on Saturday.
That might sound a prohibitive price but this race is no stranger to restrictive odds favourites. Mamju started at 30-100 when she won 12 months ago and in 2011 Princess Victoria won at 1-5.
The Mike Bass-trained Choice Carriers winner was reported on song by her stable at the weekend following a work-out over 1 400m on the course last Wednesday when she was partnered by big race rider Aldo Domeyer and went with Inara (Donavan Mansour) and Taffety Tart, third in the Choice Carriers but 20-1 for Saturday’s race. She was ridden by Corne Orffer as Grant van Niekerk was delayed.
“Silver Mountain worked well and she is very well in herself,” said Candice Robinson. “But she again has a difficult draw (11) to overcome and it could be more difficult to get across this time. Also there are a couple of fillies who are better than those she met in the Choice Carriers. Aldo is going to have to shine.”
One of those Mrs Robinson has in mind is presumably 6-1 second favourite Bela-Bela for whom Justin Snaith has booked six times champion Piere Strydom. She also galloped at Kenilworth last Wednesday. “She is a very uncomplicated filly and she went well,” said Chris Snaith.
Anton Marcus will ride the stable’s other runner, 12-1 shot A Time To Dream who has won three of her four starts.
As expected Mike de Kock, who has won two of the last three runnings, has switched Choice Carriers runner-up Entisaar to the 1 000m Southern Cross Stakes on the same card. He relies on 7-1 shot Noor (Anthony Delpech) who has won both her starts, albeit in lesser company.
Entisaar will face the Sean Tarry-trained dual Grade 1 winner Carry On Alice (S’Manga Khumalo) and last year’s Mercury Sprint winner Fly By Night (Domeyer) who also won this 12 months ago.
World Sports Betting prices: 1-2 Silver Mountain, 6-1 Bela-Bela, 7-1 Noor, 12-1 A Time To Dream, 14-1 Well In Flight, 16-1 Flying Ice, 20-1 Taffety Tart, Icy Fire, 25-1 Anglet, 33-1 Our Destiny, Valediction, 50-1 Ocean’s Swell, Miss Marker.
By Michael Clower
Picture (Liesl King): Silver Mountain
