No Justin – But Charles Will Be Major Drawcard

A terrific day of racing on Saturday

After a flying start to their KZN winter campaign courtesy of the very progressive Winter Cloud’s victory in Sunday’s Gr3 Strelitzia Stakes at Hollywoodbets Scottsville, a powerful Cape team take their next step at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday as the stakes boosted Champions Season of 2023 gets underway.

It must be the first Champions Season opener in close on twenty years without a Justin Snaith runner to add some spice, but Milnerton resident Candice Bass-Robinson, with a mini string of eight at Summerveld, could surely carry the Cape flag.

Charles Dickens – makes his Hollywoodbets Greyville debut on Saturday (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)

Three Drakenstein raced home-breds, trained by Candice Bass-Robinson and ridden by Aldo Domeyer, will be key players at the Theatre Of Champions on Saturday with the running of the Independent On Saturday Gr2 Drill Hall Stakes and the World Sports Betting Gr2 Guineas and Gr2 Fillies Guineas.

While recent HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes winner Trip Of Fortune, and the smart Golden Hostess, who ran fourth at this track behind Gobsmacked in the Prosport Gr2 The Debutante at the end of last season, could make it a treble for the team, there is no question that Charles Dickens is the horse that everybody will be turning up to see.

The son of Trippi reeled off six straight wins, culminating in a thrashing of contemporary Cousin Casey in the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas in December.

Remember that race?

He subsequently had his colours lowered by our now highest rated horse in the older Al Muthana in the L’Ormarins King’s Plate in early January and then by the rampant See It Again, who he meets again on Saturday, in the Splashout Gr1 Cape Derby at the end of February.

The son of Trippi makes his KZN debut and has his first outing on a right-handed track on Saturday.

He is drawn 8 and will clearly not be at his peak, like many of his opposition. But  fellow Capetonian Cousin Casey has the ground experience advantage and the benefit of a prep run, when pipped by Strawberry Bear in the Gr3 Byerley Turk a month ago.

Anfield’s Rocket wins the WSB Gr1 SA Classic – will he adjust to the short run-in? (Pic – JC Photos)

While well beaten in the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas behind Charles Dickens and Cousin Casey, the Hollywood Syndicate racer Anfield’s Rocket redeemed his prospects as a leading 3yo with a smart victory in the Gr1 SA Classic, followed by a gallant third behind Trip Of Fortune in the HF Oppenheimer Gr1 Horse Chestnut Stakes at his last start.

While the son of Coup de Grace won a stunning 1000m dash at Turffontein in under 56 secs on his return from the Cape in January, he runs like a horse who could find the Hollywoodbets Greyville home straight a challenge. But he is clearly very classy and has a terrific turn of foot!

The story doesn’t end there!

R500 000 1600m 15:21 Ref-734
1st R312500, 2nd R100000, 3rd R50000, 4th R25000, 5th R12500
WORLD SPORTS BETTING GUINEAS (Grade 2)
For 3 year-oldsNo Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 Dave The King 60 111 A Craig Zackey Mike de Kock
2 2 See It Again 60 124 BA Piere Strydom Michael Roberts
3 3 East Coast 60 112 A Richard Fourie Mike de Kock
4 4 Anfields Rocket 60 120 A Raymond Danielson Grant Maroun
5 5 Wiccan Warrior 60 98 A Athandiwe Mgudlwa Gareth van Zyl
6 6 Cousin Casey 60 122 A Grant van Niekerk Glen Kotzen
7 7 At My Command 60 114 A Keagan de Melo Brett Crawford
8 8 Charles Dickens 60 132 A Aldo Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson
9 9 Melech 60 97 A Muzi Yeni Roy Magner
Same Trainer
(1,3)

The rest of the feature fields for Saturday:

R450 000 1600m 14:43 Ref-733
1st R281250, 2nd R90000, 3rd R45000, 4th R22500, 5th R11250
WORLD SPORTS BETTING FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 2)
For 3 year-old FilliesNo Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 Peach Daiquiri 60 98 A Luyolo Mxothwa Alec Laird
2 2 Acacia’s Blossom 60 93 A Craig Zackey Louis Goosen
3 3 Saartjie 60 105 BA Robert Khathi Andre Nel
4 4 Lady Of Power 60 109 T A Piere Strydom M G Azzie/A A Azzie
5 5 Let It Snow 60 90 CA Ashton Arries Wendy Whitehead
6 6 Captain Peg 60 107 BA Richard Fourie Stuart Pettigrew
7 7 Shantastic 60 101 A Keagan de Melo Dean Kannemeyer
8 8 Hold My Hand 60 104 BA Grant van Niekerk Glen Kotzen
9 9 Golden Hostess 60 119 TBA Aldo Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson
R500 000 1400m 14:05 Ref-732
1st R312500, 2nd R100000, 3rd R50000, 4th R25000, 5th R12500
INDEPENDENT ON SATURDAY DRILL HALL STAKES (Grade 2)
Horses at Weight-For-Age + Penalties
WFA: 2yrs-11kgs 3yrs-2kgs
No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
1 1 William Robertson 58.5 125 HA Piere Strydom Corne Spies
2 2 Seeking The Stars 57 124 BA Sean Veale Vaughan Marshall
3 3 Desert Miracle 57.5 124 A Craig Zackey Mike de Kock
4 4 Surjay 57 117 A Luyolo Mxothwa Brett Crawford
5 5 Silvano’s Dasher 57 110 A Kabelo Matsunyane Brett Crawford
6 6 Safe Passage 60 124 A Richard Fourie Mike de Kock
7 7 Bingwa 58.5 123 BA Gavin Lerena J A Janse van Vuuren
8 8 Trip Of Fortune 60 125 TBA Aldo Domeyer Candice Bass-Robinson
9 9 Al Muthana (AUS) 60 133 A Grant van Niekerk Ricky Maingard
10 10 Silver Operator 58.5 117 A Robert Khathi Vaughan Marshall
11 11 Battle Force 57 111 BA Tristan Godden Peter Muscutt
12 12 Gimme A Prince 60 123 A Keagan de Melo Dean Kannemeyer
13 13 Humdinger 56 108 A Diego De Gouveia Mike de Kock
14 14 Forever Mine 57 109 A Raymond Danielson Mike de Kock
15 0 Captain Fontane 57 106 A Reserve 1 Garth Puller
16 0 After The Rain 57 105 A Reserve 2 Gareth van Zyl
Same Trainer
(2,10) (3,6,13,14) (4,5)

Have Your Say - *Please Use Your Name & Surname

Comments Policy
The Sporting Post encourages readers to comment in the spirit of enlightening the topic being discussed, to add opinions or correct errors. All posts are accepted on the condition that the Sporting Post can at any time alter, correct or remove comments, either partially or entirely.

All posters are required to post under their actual name and surname – no anonymous posts or use of pseudonyms will be accepted. You can adjust your display name on your account page or to send corrections privately to the EditorThe Sporting Post will not publish comments submitted anonymously or under pseudonyms.

Please note that the views that are published are not necessarily those of the Sporting Post.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
11 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Share:

Facebook
WhatsApp
Twitter

Popular Posts

The Enchanting Currency Of Fate

It is eerie to think that there would have been no Siren’s Call, Sound Of Warning, or for that matter Call To Unite, had fate not decreed that Enchanted Cove follow her dam to South Africa, and that Peter de Beyer had the foresight to return Elusive Fort back home from the States as well!

Read More »