Danie Toerien
Bettors are faced with a tricky nine-race card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday, but it might pay to follow a number of hot three-year-olds from a variety of stables.
Two very promising three-year-olds will be making their seasonal debut in Race 2, a B Stakes sprint over 1000m.
Winter Snap and Black Cheetah both won on debut when still juveniles, and going up against each other for the first time could produce a humdinger.
Trained by Candice Bass, Winter Snap scored on debut over the same course and distance he faces on Saturday. After that he contested the Grade 3 SplashOut Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over 1200m, where the gelding finished in second spot, 2.75-lengths behind Alan Greeff's phenomenal Direct Hit.
He has been given almost nine months off to mature, so it will be interesting to see how he fares first time up against older horses.
Black Cheetah, from the yard of Justin Snaith, won his debut outing over 800m, after which the Querari colt contested the R400,000 Charles Dickens Stakes over 1000m, which he duly won by 0.3-lengths from Clair De Lune.
Third time out, in the R1.5 million Cape Racing Sales Cape Slipper over 1200m, Black Cheetah ran fourth, 2.55-lengths behind Military Command.
He also had a run at Hollywoodbets Scottsville as a juvenile, but was very disappointing. In that race, however, he was fitted with a tongue-tie, but on Saturday at Kenilworth that piece of equipment will not form part of his armoury again.
The only other three-year-old in the race, Little Boy Blue trained by Peter Muscutt, has the benefit of having had a run this season. He finished an impressive second, beaten 1.6-lengths by Exocet over 1000m. He makes his first trip to the Western Cape and with race fitness on his side, must be in with a winning chance.
Of the older horses in the race, five-year-old Elusive Winter appeals most. Michelle Rix' runner is on a hat-trick and races off a career-high merit rating of 98.
In Race 3, a B Stakes event over 1400m, three-year-old Gimmie Rules from the yard of Dean Kannemeyer should give his elders a lesson is racing. This son of Gimmethegreenlight is a two-time winner from three runs and is a Cape Guineas contender.
His only real threat seems to be Jet Force, who will be aiming to complete a hat-trick.
In Race 9, a Class 4 Handicap over 1000m, Inside Voice looks a potential Pick 6 banker.
This three-year-old daughter of Pathfork, trained by Vaughan Marshall, demolished the field in her first run of the season, winning by 4.5-lengths over 1000m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.
That was her first handicap outing and so impressive was that performance, that her merit rating was bumped up eight points to 90. She might actually still be ahead of the handicapper and with further improvement expected, looks hard to oppose.
Selections:
Race 1: 5 That'Ll B The Day, 4 Moody Blue, 1 Pretty Boy, 6 Eternal Diamond
Race 2: 3 Winter Snap, 2 Black Cheetah, 6 Little Boy Blue, 7 Elusive Winter
Race 3: 1 Jet Force, 2 Gimmie Rules, 6 Goodnessgraciousme, 7 Late December
Race 4: 2 Mariachi Madness, 8 Mela Strength, 3 Flying South, 7 Tres Chic
Race 5: 5 Coco's Hero, 9 Gallic Victor, 11 Arbitration, 3 King's Quest
Race 6: 9 Lavender Bay, 5 My Only Weakness, 8 Beneath The Clouds, 1 Heliotrope
Race 7: 4 Avignon, 5 Black Path, 2 Bonne Bouche, 9 Winteronthegreen
Race 8: 8 Flying Finley, 2 Churchillian, 3 Mexican Pete, 4 Demanding Dave
Race 9: 5 Inside Voice, 1 Dame Of Trix, Love 6 Shack, 9 October Fest.