Anthony Delpech has been made 7-2 favourite to win the Cape Fillies Guineas for the third time in five years.
Race sponsors World Sports Betting have installed the former champion’s mount Querari Falcon at the head of the market for Saturday’s Kenilworth classic.
Gavin Lerena, out to follow up his Sansui Summer Cup triumph, rides 4-1 second favourite She’s A Giver. Sail is next on 11-2 while the unbeaten Quick Brown Fox has already been nibbled at from 8-1 to 7-1.
The WSB Green Point Stakes threatens to steal the Grade 1’s thunder with Legal Eagle (16-10) up against local hero Marinaresco (2-1), 4-1 chance Black Arthur, New Predator (9-2) and Abashiri (14-1).
“It’s a mini Queen’s Plate,” says Brett Crawford who reckons he has a big shout with 11-1 chance Captain America. “He is doing very well at home and one of the things in his favour is that he has a win under his belt whereas some of the others haven’t.”
Like last year’s Oppenheimer Horse Chestnut winner, Marinaresco has not been to the course for a gallop since his last run. “He doesn’t need a huge amount of work,” explains Candice Bass-Robinson. “He is doing well and working well although he will be at his best for the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.”
She has nominated last year’s Fillies Guineas winner Silver Mountain for Saturday week’s Southern Cross Stakes in which Carry On Alice could attempt to repeat last year’s win. But Silver Mountain may wait.
“There is a 1 400m conditions race a bit later and she might start in that instead,” said her trainer. Stable jockey Grant van Niekerk is expected to take over the mount. Aldo Domeyer, for whom Silver Mountain went so well last season, has commitments to Andre Nel and Bernard Fayd’Herbe (who rode her in her last three starts) looks like staying in Mauritius for a bit longer.
Red Ray has been installed 7-2 favourite for the WSB Cape Merchants despite his huge task under 62kg. Tevez, bidding for his third win in this race, is a 12-1 chance.
Greg Cheyne joined the sidelined Andrew Fortune at the top of the log on 57 with an inspired four-timer at Kenilworth on Saturday.
He was particularly effective on Rocketeer in the Steelbank Maiden, dashing the 8-1 chance into the lead just before the straight and building up what proved to be decisive lead. The winner gave a boost to the Guineas hopes of Cape Classic runner-up Elevated.
“Rocketeer is the only horse that can work with Elevated in the sand at home so he had to be able to win a maiden,” pointed out Riaan van Reenen. “But last time he hung badly so the next day we had his balls off.”
Two of the four Cheyne winners were for the Bass-Robinson yard but perhaps the most significant was Icy Fire’s narrow defeat of old rival Fear Not in the Scout Paints Conditions Plate.
Crawford said: “She will run next in the Victress Stakes (December 17) but she would have to do very well in that for us to think of the Paddock Stakes. However I am considering putting blinkers on her at home because at the moment she is always doing only just enough. Once she gets her mind on the job we will have a bit of fun with her.”
Richard Fourie is also enjoying a rich vein of form and a first and sixth race double took his tally to 45. Peter de Beyer, owner-breeder of the Glen Kotzen-trained Elusive Singer, is hopeful of a big run from stable companion Final Judgement (Piere Strydom) in the Fillies Guineas. Surprisingly the Golden Slipper winner is the only Cape Town-based horse in the top eight on merit ratings.
Etienne Braun’s Fortissimus, the second Fourie winner, took Justin Snaith’s total to 78 and benefited from some uncharacteristic generosity on the part of the handicappers who originally put the filly on 92 on the strength of her fifth to Querari Falcon in the Thekwini. Three subsequent unplaced runs saw her dropping to 77.
This poses an intriguing question. Is Saturday’s favourite grossly over-rated?
