Candice Bass-Robinson sends a quintet to post for today’s L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate Festival topliner, the R350 000 Cartier Gr2 Sceptre Stakes.
The Milnerton trainer holds the ace with defending champion Clouds Unfold but has the Sean Tarry star Celtic Sea to beat.
Clouds Unfold and Aldo Domeyer will be looking to repeat the 2019 glory (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Candice, a rare female July winning trainer and the Cape’s only lady in a male-dominated line-up, was assistant to her famous father Mike Bass for over two decades before taking over the reins in August 2016.
Victory for one of her quintet on Friday would mean that she has won this weight-for-age plus penalties Gr2 in each of the four seasons she has held a licence. That may be something of a record for future research – for now the focus is on finding a winner.
Sean Tarry’s Captain Al 4yo Celtic Sea is the SP top-rated but the joint officially highest rated in the fourteen strong field with Clouds Unfold. The pair look to be the key in the exotic bets.
Celtic Sea – top class form suggests she is horse to beat (Pic – Gold Circle)
The 2019 Gr1 SA Fillies Sprint winner, Celtic Sea went on to upstage Oh Susanna in the Gr1 Garden Province Stakes on July day before being cut down late by subsequent Equus Champion Sprinter Kasimir in the Mercury Sprint at the end of last season. Her two starts this term have been first class – being hampered in her prep when staying on late behind Front And Centre last time.
Clouds Unfold followed her Sceptre win last year when going on to capture the Majorca on Met day. Her winter prep saw her beat her accomplished former stablemate Dutch Philip at home but things went awry in KZN and she never started there. Her last run, under three weeks ago, saw her finish just under 8 lengths behind Run Fox Run in the Southern Cross Stakes. She clearly needed that and can only improve.
Of the balance, her smart stablemate Freedom Charter was just behind Clouds Unfold last time but has place prospects on her best showings.
The Corne Spies yard are in town and it would be silly to underestimate one of our best mobile training operations. The lightning fast Devon Air Stakes winner What You Are has not seen action since a decent fifth behind Gabor in the Gr1 Thekwini Stakes last term. She could pop up fresh and gallop them off their feet.
Glen Kotzen won this race in 2016 with Princess Royal and he saddles the decent Temple Grafin and the year younger Western Cape Fillies Championship winner Third Runway. The latter produced a decent third in the Cape Fillies Guineas at her last start and must have a chance in a quick-paced 1200m.
It looks a boat race between Celtic Sea and Clouds Unfold. It should be a Friday highlight!
The false rail is in the original position with a 2m spur at 600m mark
