Summerveld trainer Frank Robinson has two raiders at Kenilworth’s big Sun Met meeting on Saturday and these could be shrewd entries, despite the strength of Cape racing at present.
His Dynasty filly Olma runs in the R1m, Grade 1 Klawervlei Majorca Stakes (1600m) from draw nine under the pilot who knows her best, Ian Sturgeon. She has been with Mike de Kock’s string in Cape Town for three weeks already and Robinson said Nathan Kotzen had reported her to be working “like a machine.”
She will be fit from her run in the Grade 3 Flamboyant Stakes over 1600m where she was undone by a slow pace, but stayed on well for a 5.6 length fourth. On the form of that race she will not have much of a chance as the winner of the race, Fort Ember, was merit rated 96 and was receiving only 1kg from Olma. However, Fort Ember is without doubt on the way up and looks to be a promising sort. Furthermore, Olma likely needed the run.
Robinson also said she prefers running away from horses, unlike in the Flamboyant when she went down the inside. One factor which is definitely in the favour of the classy five-year-old Olma, is that she is one of only three representatives in the race of a fillies crop which is regarded as probably the best in South African history. Furthermore, she is better performed at this trip than the other two, Real Princess and Beach Goddess.
She finished a 0.5 length second to one of the best of that vintage crop, Inara, in last season’s Grade 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over this trip and a reproduction of that effort will see her right in the thick of things. A downside to her chances is she has never performed well way from KZN. However, all of those runs have been in Johannesburg. This is at the coast and she has had enough time to settle down.
Robinson’s runner in the R1m, Grade 1 Investec Cape Derby (2000m) is The Winter Is Coming, who is merit rated only 90 and thus has a lot to do in the weight-for-age event against the likes of 106 merit rated Table Bay (AUS).
However, he is unexposed at this trip and looks likely to relish it. He is by Western Winter and is out of a half-sister to Sansui Summer Cup runner up Deo Juvente, while his champion grandam Circle Of Life is a half-sister to J&B Met winner Zebra Crossing. Winter Is Coming leaves for Cape Town on Tuesday and will arrive on Wednesday.
Robinson has no doubt he will travel well as he is a very laid back type. He likes to run from the front and this could be in his favour in a race where Table Bay, who has a stamina doubt, is the only other handy type. Therefore as a relaxed type he might be able to dictate. He has a wide draw of nine but is a long-striding sort and should be able to get over into the front by the first turn.
In his last start over 1400m on the Greyville poly in a Progress Plate he led and then kept on finding extra when challenged by the highly touted 104 merit rated Red Chesnut Road. He was receiving 4kg and the latter was returning from a seven month layoff, but he was pulling away at the line and struck as one who was looking for further. A tongue tie was a big help him to him in that race as he had choked up in his previous start.
Robinson had been in two minds about sending him to Cape Town until that last start. He is an intriguing runner. He will have had a gallop before leaving and has never showed signs of greenness so should not be bothered by the new course and the left hand turn.
