Jack Milner
The Western Cape Fillies Classic over 1400m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday is often viewed as a precursor to next month’s Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas, so performances need to be closely watched.
This Grade 2 race looks quite competitive and some of the three-year-old fillies have landed wide draws, which is particularly precarious over this distance as they almost start on the bend.
Candice Bass-Robinson has her runners in outstanding form and she will saddle four runners in this 13-horse field.
It is usually worth looking at jockey arrangements when she sends out a quartet of runners and monitor who Aldo Domeyer will be riding as he is the yard’s first-choice rider. In this case he is aboard Golden Hostess who has run five times for two wins and three places.
It is significant Bass-Robinson opted to take this two-year-olds filly to KwaZulu-Natal during the winter. In her only run in the province, the Grade 2 The Debutante over 1200m at Hollywoodbets Greyville, she had her heels clipped and was cut into but still produced a storming finish to run fourth, just 1.50 lengths behind Gobsmacked.
Three winners have come from that form line and one of them is Golden Hostess. She made her return to racing last month in a Progress Plate for three-year-old fillies over this course and distance and from a wide draw again flew up late to win going away, beating Hold My Hand, who she will meet again in this event, by 0.30 lengths.
In fact, five of the runners who finished behind her will be reopposing this time. Unfortunately for Golden Hostess, she is drawn widest of all at No 13 but despite that, Domeyer has taken the ride again.
Hopefully he will be able to overcome that hurdle because Hold My Hand is perfectly positioned at No 5 and Glen Kotzen’s charge looks the main threat.
Interestingly both are daughters of Gold Standard and owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud.
Prior to her Kenilworth run, Hold My Hand finished a 0.60-length fourth behind stablemate Canadian Summer in the Grade 1 Thekwini Stakes at Greyville. Grant van Niekerk takes the ride.
Justin Snaith sends out well-bred Ciao Bella who like her mother, Bela-Bela, is a beautifully grey filly. She has won two of her four races and has to be huge contender. She jumps from barrier No 3 and will have Richard Fourie up.
Time Fo Orchids is an interesting runner as she will be having her first start for Vaughan Marshall. She was strongly fancied in the Thekwini Stakes, but she did not perform well and that run is best ignored. Keep an eye open for any shrewd betting support.
Race 1: 11 Head Girl, 10 Electric Feels, 8 Sahara Gold, 5 Why Not Jackie
Race 2: 7 Trippi T, 2 Charlie Malone, 9 All About Ronnie, 1 Servilius
Race 3: 11 Carriacou, 10 Promettere, 8 Stratospheric, 2 Hawk Circle
Race 4: 7 Charlie Croker, 9 Kingdom Of Heaven, 3 Laughing William, 2 Geopolitical
Race 5: 6 Saartjie, 5 Love Rules, 7 Anna Karenina, 10 Teardrop
Race 6: 8 Jury Duty, 3 Varistocracy, 10 Swift Action, 9 Superior Leader
Race 7: 11 Trip Of Fortune, 13 Tempting Fate, 3 Kommetdieding, 5 Good Traveller
Race 8: 13 Golden Hostess, 5 Hold My Hand, 3 Ciao Bella, 12 Time Fo Orchids
Race 9: 7 Champion Warrior, 8 Tout A Fait, 5 Wyag, 2 Voldemort
BEST BET
Race 9 No 7 Champion Warrior
VALUE BET
Race 6 No 8 Jury Duty
BEST SWINGER
Race 4 7x9
BIPOT
R360
Leg 1: 1, 2, 7, 9
Leg 2: 8, 10, 11
Leg 3: 7, 9
Leg 4: 6
Leg 5: 3, 8, 10
Leg 6: 3, 5, 8, 11, 13
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R144
Leg 1: 8, 10, 11
Leg 2: 7, 9
Leg 3: 6
Leg 4: 3, 8, 10
Leg 5: 3, 5, 11, 13
Leg 6: 3, 5, 13
Leg 7: 7
PICK 6
R810
Leg 1: 3, 7, 9
Leg 2: 6
Leg 3: 3, 6, 8, 9, 10
Leg 4: 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16
Leg 5: 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13
Leg 6: 7
JACKPOT 1
R270
Leg 1: 6
Leg 2: 3, 6, 8, 9, 10
Leg 3: 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16
Leg 4: 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13
JACKPOT 2
R270
Leg 1: 3, 6, 8, 9, 10
Leg 2: 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16
Leg 3: 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13
Leg 4: 7