Charles Dickens leads Guineas charge

Jack Milner

Charles Dickens will put his unbeaten record on the line in Saturday’s R2-million Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas.

Fifteen runners have been carded to face the starter in this Grade 1 race over 1600m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.

Racing fans are in for a bumper day’s racing as there are 11 races on the card which will include two BiPots (Race 2 to 7 and Races 6 to 11) and three Jackpots (Races 1 to 4 and Races 5 to 8 and Races 8-11).

Of most significance is a R1-million Pick 6 carryover with the pool likely to reach R6 million.

Although Charles Dickens is now taking on the best three-year-old colts in the land and that he has landed No 11 draw, bookmakers are taking no chances and the Trippi colt has been priced up at 11-20 to make it six wins from six outings.

Trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, Charles Dickens has got better with every run and the manner in which he disposed of older rivals last time, despite giving all but Captain Of Stealth weight, could not have been more impressive.

Aldo Domeyer has the ride.

The opposition is led by Cousin Casey, winner of both the Golden Horseshoe (Grade 2) and Premiers Champion Stakes (Grade 1) at Hollywoodbets Greyville last season.

He made his comeback at Kenilworth in the Grade 2 Cape Cup over 1600m and ran out an imposing victor.

Glen Kotzen’s charge, quoted at 4-1, also had no luck with his barrier position and will jump from draw No 14. The son of Vercingetorix will be ridden by Grant van Niekerk.    

The Joburg challenge is headed up by Mike de Kock-trained Union Square and Shoemaker, first and second respectively in the Grade 2 Dingaans at Turffontein, as well as Grant Maroun’s Anfields Rocket, who had both De Kock runners behind him in the Grade 3 Graham Beck Stakes at Turffontein.

Also run at the meeting will be the Grade 2 Ridgemont Highlands Peninsula Handicap and the Grade 3 Victress Stakes for four-year-old fillies and mares, both over 1800m.

Betting on the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas:

11-20 Charles Dickens

4-1 Cousin Casey

11-1 Shoemaker

16-1 Union Square

20-1 At My Command

25-1 Anfields Rocket

35-1 Royal Aussie

40-1 Le Morne

50-1 Money Heist

66-1 Port Louis, Street Outlaw, Lord William, Dave The King

80-1 Famous And Rich

90-1 Canford Lights

Final field for the R2-million Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (Grade 1) over 1600m.

1 - 1 AT MY COMMAND (B Crawford) K de Melo 60.0 - 109

2 - 2 PORT LOUIS (B Crawford) K Matsunyane 60.0 - 105

3 - 3 CANFORD LIGHTS (C Bass-Robinson) G Wright 60.0 - 80

4 - 4 UNION SQUARE (M F De Kock) R Simons 60.0 - 116

5 - 5 STREET OUTLAW (R Maingard) S Veale 60.0 - 99

6 - 6 ROYAL AUSSIE (J S Snaith) R Fourie 60.0 - 99

7 - 7 SHOEMAKER (M F De Kock) B Fayd'Herbe 60.0 - 114

8 - 8 FAMOUS AND RICH (G S Kotzen) C Habib 60.0 - 96

9 - 9 LORD WILLIAM (V H Marshall) J Jacobs 60.0 - 100

10 - 10 MONEY HEIST (G van Zyl (Jnr)) P Strydom 60.0 - 103

11 - 11 CHARLES DICKENS (C Bass-Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 - 121

12 - 12 DAVE THE KING (V H Marshall) C Orffer 60.0 - 105

13 - 13 ANFIELDS ROCKET (G J Maroun) G Lerena 60.0 - 102

14 - 14 COUSIN CASEY (G S Kotzen) G van Niekerk 60.0 - 115

15 - 15 LE MORNE (B Crawford) L Mxothwa 60.0 - 105

Same Trainer: (1,2,15) (3,11) (4,7) (8,14) (9,12)