Canukeepitsecret seems sure to be the shortest-priced horse of the meeting at Durbanville’s St Patrick’s Day fixture tomorrow when Mike Robinson’s wife Luella and the racecourse are combining forces to bring in a whole host of Stellenbosch University students.

Hopefully they won’t get their fingers burnt. The superbly bred Vaughan Marshall filly ran a cracker first time to beat all except Nous Voila who could well prove to be something special and she should win this.

Vaughan Marshall

But she is horribly short – she opened at 5-10 with World Sports Betting on Wednesday and was 4-10 yesterday morning – and it is worth noting that, while she had Cruise Along over a four and a half lengths behind, that filly lost almost as much ground as she was beaten by dawdling out of the pens. She will know a lot more about it this time and is 33-10 second favourite.

Silver Reserve (11-2) is one of six newcomers that Justin Snaith is running in the three two-year-old races. He has taken an ultra-patient approach with his juveniles this term, so much so that he is the only one of the big Cape Town trainers not to have won a two-year-old race. Marshall and Joey Ramsden have each won five already.

“I think my two fillies are a bit more forward than the colts but they are up against a horse that looks a shoe-in,” says Snaith.

Ramsden’s Bountiful Strength looks the one in the opening Juvenile Plate. He ran well when unfancied in a 14-strong field on debut despite losing a front shoe.  He is 13-10 favourite and has the added benefit of the in-form Richard Fourie in the irons. There is a line of form that puts him close with 16-10 Frozen Tune but that first run should have brought him on by a decisive amount.

The Racing Association Maiden (race two) is not as clear cut as the other two juvenile races. The Marshall-trained Flying Arrow is favourite and has already been backed from 19-10 to 16-10 but he owes his market position more to his trainer’s reputation and current form than to the book. He gets only a tentative vote. Lanza (4-1) and Skidoo (6-1) disappointed in better company on Met day while 10-1 shot Sacred Arrow and Carnage (4-1) also have claims.

Mister Colin found one too good for him when a heavily backed stable fancy on Queen’s Plate day and has since won at Fairview. Despite being raised 4kg for those last two runs he can justify 19-10 favouritism in the Play Soccer Handicap.

With Adam Marcus in such form Strabo (5-2) is taken to beat 15-10 favourite Negma and 22-10 shot Royal Marine in the Durbanville Twilight Meet Maiden.

By Michael Clower