Silver Mountain has what it takes to lift the roof off the stands for Mike Bass and his family in the World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas at Kenilworth tomorrow.
Throughout the last four nightmare months of near-death, amputation and desperation – and a recovery that has had to be fought for every step of the way – this filly has shone like a beacon of hope.
Silver Mountain (Liesl King)
Her trainer will be at the racecourse to see her – and he has been at the track most mornings this week – with his determination to get back to his old self proving far better medicine that anything the doctors can prescribe.
Nobody knows better than he does how frustrating it has been to send out the runner-up in each of the last three years and the way Silver Mountain won the Choice Carriers four weeks ago has convinced the bookies that victory is a formality – the sponsors have her at 11-20, Betting World at 6-10 and favourites have won four of the last five runnings.
Some in the stable believe all she needs is a decent gallop and no bad luck. “She has plenty of pace and a turn of foot,” says a confident-sounding Robert Fayd’Herbe. Bass’s daughter Candice is worried about the draw but wife Carol recalls how Sun Classique won from gate 13 nine years ago.
On paper Aldo Domeyer’s task is easier than it was in the Choice Carriers. This time he has ten inside him instead of 14 and twice as much ground in which to get in before the bend starts. But the bend is significantly sharper and going three wide could be fatal.
So what can spoil the party? Seemingly not the favourite’s stable companion Taffety Tart who was closest of those that ran in the Choice Carriers and is best-priced 20-1. “She is going to prefer this longer straight but she had every chance last time,” says Grant van Niekerk, “and the other filly is very good.”
Flying Ice (16-1) was beaten just under three lengths. Can she close the gap? “Over a mile, definitely,” answers Neil Bruss. “She drew badly in the Carriers and I think she also needed the run. She has come on a lot since.”
Flying Ice (Nkosi Hlophe)
Justin Snaith has won four of the last eight runnings, reckons he could win five of tomorrow’s nine races and that he has the ammunition to take the big one. “Silver Mountain is going to be a hard nut to crack but I couldn’t pick two better fillies to have a go at her,” hesays. “Bela-Bela (6-1) could still be a bit green but she is very well while A Time To Dream (winner of her last three and 12-1) is no slouch. Indeed I would almost put her level with Bela-Bela.”
But maybe the biggest danger to a Bass red-letter day, the draw apart, could be 9-1 shot Noor who has won her only two starts. Both were in much weaker company but Mike de Kock has not got where he is today by running no-hopers in classics. Indeed he has won this one three times – twice in the last three years – and had four seconds.
“I like this filly and she can run,” he enthuses. “Her last win was in a handicap when she was giving weight to older horses and I think she will handle the step-up no problem. The only thing is she has had to travel and she was delayed five hours on the road by an accident.”
Well In Flight (14-1) and Icy Fire (20-1) can be expected to show improvement on their Choice Carriers running as can 25-1 chance Anglet (Paddy Kruyer: “She got bumped coming out of the gate and she was baulked a furlong out”) but she has a terrible draw. At 33-1 and 5-1 a place the lightly-raced Our Destiny is probably best of the long shots.
By Michael Clower
