Jack Milner
Summer in the Western Cape is always a joy and it also ushers in a cornucopia of outstanding racing at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
While there have already been a number of smaller features, the season clicks into full gear on Saturday with the running of the Grade 1 World Sports Betting Cape Fillies Guineas over 1600m.
There are also three supporting features, the Grade 2 World Sports Betting Green Point Stakes over 1600m, the Grade 2 Southern Cross Stakes for fillies and mares over 1000m, and the Grade 3 Drakenstein Stud Cape Summer Stayers Handicap over 2500m.
From a betting point of view there will be a R500,000 Pick 6 carryover which is likely to produce a pool of R4 million.
As far as the Pick 6 is concerned, many pundits were probably looking to Jet Dark in the Green Point Stakes as the best banker on the card but unfortunately trainer Justin Snaith announced yesterday that the Trippi entire had suffered a minor injury, was under medication and had to be withdrawn.
It is sad for the race because this field, with the exception of some three-year-olds who are preparing for the Grade 1 Cape Guineas on 17 December, and of course, Captain’s Ransom, gave an indication of what we will see in the L’Ormarins King’s Cup over the same course and distance in early January.
However, the Green Point Stakes may well still provide the best banker in the Pick 6 as Kommetdieding looks ready to find his way back to the winner’s enclose. The Harold and Michelle Rix-trained son of Elusive Fort has not won since claiming the Grade 1 Cape Met last January when he beat Jet Dark into second, but Kommetdieding did show his wellbeing with an outstanding 0.30-length second behind Surjay in the Non-Black Type Bantry Bay Stakes over 1200m at Kenilworth last month.
With 400m to run he was placed closer to last than first but the five-year-old took off late to produce the fastest final 400m.
With that run under his belt, now going the additional 400m and no Jet Dark in the field, Kommetdieding will be hard to oppose in this now 10-horse field.
As usual, Gavin Lerena takes the ride.
If one looks past him, it is wide open. Vaughan Marshall has two decent runners in Linebacker and Silver Operator, and it is the latter who could chase home Kommetdieding. He has come back well from a rest with two very good efforts, firstly going down a short head to Trip Of Fortune in the Grade 3 Matchem Stakes over 1400m at Durbanville followed by a 1.75-length second behind Jet Dark in the Grade 3 Cape Mile.
He is drawn on the outside of the field but he has excellent gate speed and Calvin Habib should have no problem getting to his favourite position at the head of affairs.
Golden Ducat made a promising return from an 18-month enforced layoff to run third, and improvement can be expected from the half-brother to Rainbow Bridge and Hawwaam.
The Cape Fillies Guineas looks far more competitive and while the draws stringently favour Bella Ciao, there are some unexposed fillies, although drawn wide, who will be charging home in the closing stages.
Snaith sends out Bella Ciao, a daughter of former Grade 1-winning stable stars Gimmethegreenlight and Bela-Bela, and with three wins from five starts, a Grade 2 success already under her belt and draw No 3, this grey filly has a lot going for her.
She was an impressive winner of the Western Cape Fillies Championship over 1400m last time out and could be even better suited to 1600m.
Time Fo Orchids, Gimme's Lassie and Golden Hostess filled the minor positions respectively behind Ciao Bella but a number of them needed their runs.
Time Fo Orchids had not run since July and was having her first start for Marshall so she will improve substantially from that effort while Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Golden Hostess was having her second run after a layoff.
These two produced the fastest final 400m and will be even better over 1600m. They were drawn Nos 12 and 13 last time and they have the same draws again, but in reverse order.
However, Brett Crawford could provide the value with Make It Snappy. This daughter of Dynasty has only run three times, finishing a 0.30-length third on debut followed by two wins.
Last time Make It Snappy contested the Non-Black Type Summer Bowl over 1600m and won that by three-lengths.
In second place came Grade 2 Gold Bracelet winner Marina, in third was Chansonette, winner of last year’s Cape Fillies Guineas, and in fifth Silver Darling, winner of the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000.
Yes, they all needed their runs, and yes, she was getting 10.5kg, but for a recently turned three-year-old beat a field of that calibre by that distance, is impressive. In addition, despite leading for most of the journey Make It Snappy still produced the fastest time for the final 400m.
Despite No 11 draw, she looks to have loads of potential and could upset her more fancied rivals.
Jack Milner’s selections
Race 1: 1 Black Egret, 3 Gimme's Laddie, 13 Veldskoen, 7 Cafe Culture
Race 2: 4 Allende, 9 Sharapova, 10 Global Songstress, 3 Rafeef's Choice
Race 3: 6 Silverlinks, 7 Metar, 2 Academic Gold, 3 Rockie Reef
Race 4: 9 Treasure Hunt, 3 Zippy Over, 2 Queen Of Sparta, 5 Act Naturally
Race 5: 5 Rex Union, 7 Salvator Mundi, 1 Thefutureisbright, 2 Crome Yellow
Race 6: 5 Santa Maria, 11 Whoa Whoa Whoa, 1 Hunting Trip, 7 Stiptelik
Race 7: 7 Kommetdieding, 11 Silver Operator, 2 Golden Ducat, 4 Trip Of Fortune
Race 8: 11 Make It Snappy, 13 Time Fo Orchids, 12 Golden Hostess, 7 Ciao Bella
Race 9: 1 Venus De Milo, 11 Veronique, 13 Double Dream, 4 Turn The Page
BEST BET
Race 7 No 7 Kommetdieding
VALUE BET
Race 8 No 11 Make It Snappy
BEST SWINGER
Race 3 6x7
BIPOT
R144
Leg 1: 4, 9, 10
Leg 2: 6, 7
Leg 3: 2, 3, 9
Leg 4: 1, 2, 5, 7
Leg 5: 5, 11
Leg 6: 7
PLACE ACCUMULATOR
R216
Leg 1: 6, 7
Leg 2: 2, 3, 9
Leg 3: 1, 5, 7
Leg 4: 5
Leg 5: 7
Leg 6: 3, 11, 12, 13
Leg 7: 1, 11, 13
PICK 6
R1875
Leg 1: 2, 3, 5, 9, 11
Leg 2: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7
Leg 3: 1, 5, 11
Leg 4: 7
Leg 5: 3, 7, 11, 12, 13
Leg 6: 1, 4, 8, 11, 13
JACKPOT 1
R75
Leg 1: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7
Leg 2: 1, 5, 11
Leg 3: 7
Leg 4: 3, 7, 11, 12, 13
JACKPOT 2
R75
Leg 1: 1, 5, 11
Leg 2: 7
Leg 3: 3, 7, 11, 12, 13
Leg 4: 1, 4, 8, 11, 13