Please Note: South African Quartet Pools with fractional betting offered at Bath and Newbury (UK) – 16 August 2025

Warren Lenferna

There are eight races coming out of Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday which are sure to get the adrenaline flowing. The opening event is set to go off at 1:00 PM, a Maiden Plate for Fillies and Mares over 1000m.

When looking at the breeding of some of the debutantes here, Xtines Princess has to catch the eye. She is by Kingman out of a Rip Van Winkle mare that could be anything. Keep an eye on the market trends as race time approaches. Pennys Choice from the Marshall yard will be the one to beat. She is making great strides of progression every time she comes to the races and is clearly paying more attention to the task at hand. Trainer Greg Ennion has his string in a good space and he has opted to take valuable weight off the back of Marketa, who is screaming for the win.

In Race 2, the Place Accumulator opener, Beach Verse looks to be a confident banker. She is out of the champ Beach Beauty and this daughter of Vercingetorix looks cherry-ripe for the victory. She has improved with each run and should relish every inch of the extra 200 metres she gets this afternoon.

The first leg of the Pick 6 is competitive, as it should be, being an A Stakes event. Sugar Mountain is on an incredible winning streak and looks set to continue, but it is nowhere near as easy as that. A case can be made for most here.

The Fourth on the program is the Winter Country Championship 2000 Final, and conditioner Piet Botha holds a strong hand with Baton Rouge and Ariovistus. Richard Fourie clearly gets a tune out of Baton Rouge and will be looking to win another with him. It must be noted that Fourie also rode stablemate Ariovistus for his last two victories but if he was given the choice, he’s elected to go with  Baton Rouge.

The Fifth is the Winter Country Championship 1400 Final where Apprentice Brevan Plaatjies will be looking to go one better with Nile The Boss. The ace gate will aid his chances. KZN rider Cole Dicken makes the trip to Cape Town and partners Golden Angel, who is never far from the winners and can serve up some cheek. Interesting runners are Dive Bomber and Happy Verse. Huge efforts can be expected from this pair.

The Sixth is the 1000 Final, and October Storm could be hard to beat. He is a handsome colt that looks to have plenty more to offer. His debut win was breath-taking and his second run was attractive when he finished 5th, only 2.20 lengths behind Escarpment. He can be followed with confidence. She’s My World from the Snaith barn gets Muzi Yeni up, and this filly is ultra-consistent and can go very close. A must for all bets.

Race 7 is the penultimate race on the program and it’s the Winter Country Championship Final over 1200m. Sun Dazed went very close to recording his fifth career success last time, but was only beaten a short head into third place. It was a great run. Kelp Forest could be the lurker for the minor cash positions.

The last race is at 5:05 PM over 1200m and it is a Class 4, where the suggested best bet on the card is, Wander Dune. This regally bred daughter of Zoustar won as she like on debut over 1200m despite showing signs of weakness. She looked an absolute beast in the mounting barn on parade and took one’s breath away when going to the start like a consummate professional. Corne Orffer must have been smiling from ear to ear while sitting in behind the pace with a few hundred meters to go, and it was evident for all to see that the moment he asked her to go, she would win. She could be very well treated, having been given an official mark of 88. She appears to be a filly to follow for the future and this race will tell us a lot more. She is a confident selection to close off the meeting.

Race 1

3 MARKETA easily brings in the best form into this race, she has been very consistent, the drop in trip to 1000m will definitely help her chances, she will be very hard to beat in this race. 1 WHATASTAR ran a fair race on the 17th of June behind Between The Lines, if she can build on that performance, she will be amongst the places. 6 PENNYS CHOICE ran a cracker with the blinkers fitted last time, she is still improving with racing, on her best form, she can certainly trouble them in the finish. 2 ALESSIA ASHEVILLE needed her last run badly, she could sneak into the places at best here. (Brandon Bailey: 3 – 1 – 6 – 2)

Race 2

6 BEACH VERSE has run two lovely races in succession, she will love the step up in trip to 1400m, there is no doubt that she will go very close to winning here. 3 LOVE HER MADLY really enjoyed the 1400m trip on the 21st of June, she ran a great race behind Oncidium, if she can build on that performance from a good draw on Saturday, she will be right there in the money. 1 CLOUDS CLEARING must have a good each way chance in this race from a nice draw, she is improving with every start, include her into all bets. 8 WAIT FOR ME finished really well for third behind Wander Dune on the 26th of July, jockey Richard Fourie sticks with her, if she can beat the tricky draw, she will be competitive. (Brandon Bailey: 6 – 3 – 1 – 8)

Race 3

4 SUGAR MOUNTAIN is absolutely loving life at the moment, he quickened up in devastating fashion to win a terrific race on the 15th of July, even though he has gone up in the ratings, he will be very hard to beat again from a neat draw. 8 PROMETTERE finished like a train last time behind Sugar Mountain, he is very honest and he tries hard, if he gets some luck in running from a tricky draw, he will be super competitive. 9 BOUNDLESS ENERGY has been rested for 65 days, he ran a great race behind Arctic Wizard on the 12th of June up the straight at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, he should appreciate the step up in trip to 1500m on Saturday, if he doesn’t need the run badly, he could finish amongst the places. 3 ARDABIL has been rested for 99 days, he is very consistent, and he is still improving with racing, watch him closely here. (Brandon Bailey: 4 – 8 – 9 – 3)

Race 4

7 ELEGANT NOBLE won really well on the 15th of July, he was given a great ride by Brevan Plaatjies, if he has made further improvement back at home, he can certainly win again. 4 BATON ROUGE won a gutsy race with a big weight on his back last time, he stays all day, jockey Richard Fourie knows him well, even though he was given five points for his last win, he should be competitive. 9 ARIOVISTUS won impressively on the 21st of June, he found plenty betting support in the market, and he quickened up nicely to beat a decent field, if he brings that performance to the track again on Saturday, he will have a good winning chance. 11 KWITE A KING never runs a bad race, unfortunately the bad draw will make life tough for him, but he will be switched off early, and he will come with a big run late, watch him closely. (Brandon Bailey: 7 – 4 – 9 – 11)

Race 5

9 HAPPY VERSE looks to be a smart colt in the making, he stayed on nicely for fifth behind his stable companion in the Grade 3 Langerman on the 21st of June, he is a beautiful colt with lots of ability, if he can beat the draw here, he will be tough to beat. 2 GOLDEN ANGEL continues to slide in the ratings, she has no weight on her back, she has a good draw, and she drops in trip, there is no doubt she will be right there in the finish at a decent price. 1 NILE THE BOSS has run two great races in succession, she really enjoys this trip of 1400m, from a neat draw, she must have a good place chance again. 8 DIVE BOMBER ran a fair race in a big field on the 24th of June, the form of that race has worked out well, he could sneak into the Quartet. (Brandon Bailey: 9 – 2 – 1 – 8)

Race 6

8 SHE’S MY WORLD stayed on strongly for second behind her stable companion on the 26th of July, she is a decent filly, on her best form, she will have a good winning chance in this field. 1 OCTOBER STORM ran a decent race in a competitive field last time, he was still very green early, and he caught the eye late behind Escarpment on the 15th of July, the yard thinks highly of this colt, he is still improving, include him into all bets. 3 TRIPPI’S SILK is much better than his recent form, he can be a tricky customer and a difficult ride, he drops in trip to 1000m on Saturday, if the race works out for him, he will be storming home at a nice price. 4 ALL ABOUT AL ran a fair race behind The Us Of A on the 17th of June, he was only beaten just over five lengths by the winner, the blinkers have now been fitted, he could pop up and earn some stake money. (Brandon Bailey: 8 – 1 – 3 – 4)

Race 7

2 SUN DAZED has been rested for 65 days, he moved up like a winner in his last start behind Firingonallengines, he needs everything to go right for him on the day, he will be switched off early, and he will come with a big run late, include him into all bets. 5 KELP FOREST has dropped in the ratings, and the blinkers have been fitted, he is much better than his recent form, the drop in trip should be no problem for this individual, if he bounces back to his best form, he will be hard to beat in a race like this. 10 AZZURRI must have a good each way chance, he stayed on well for fourth last time behind What A Fortune over 1400m, he could appreciate the drop in trip to 1200m where he won a good race on the 24th of June, his form is good, he should be competitive. 9 AFRICAN PRINCE finished strongly for second in a driving finish on the 22nd of July, if the conditions turn up on the softer side for this race on Saturday, he will be a massive runner. (Brandon Bailey: 2 – 5 – 10 – 9)

Race 8

3 WANDER DUNE quickened up like a very smart filly on debut, she was just off the speed early, and she finished well to win going away at the line, there is no doubt that she will continue to improve with racing, even though this race will be tougher for her, she can definitely win again and remain unbeaten. 4 WILD APPLAUSE finished like a rocket to win a great race on the 26th of July, she settled beautifully in running, and stormed home to beat her stable companion by just under two lengths, her form is rock solid, she will be a massive danger to Wander Dune. 2 MUSIC OF THE NIGHT finished third last time behind Wild Applause, she is a lovely filly, if she can build on her last performance, she will be right there in the money again. 5 OCTOBER FEST never runs a bad race, she hasn’t been beaten too far in her recent races, she could sneak into the Quartet here. (Brandon Bailey: 3 – 4 – 2 – 5)

Please note: As of the next Malaysia (Selangor) meeting, which is scheduled for Sunday, 17th August 2025, the minimum bet
increments for Trifecta will change from a R1-00 minimum to a R10-00 minimum.