Dutch Philip aims high
THE top eight in the Kaya Stables Diadem Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow are limbering up for the Cape Flying Championship in a fortnight’s time but the well-backed Dutch Philip has a much more lucrative target that day in the CTS 1200.
At current exchange rates this restricted race carries a first prize of R3.1 million, five times what the Cape Flying winner receives and some R200 000 more than the Sun Met winner gets.
The in-form Candice Bass-Robinson stable, which won it with Live Life 12 months ago, is awash with talent for the CTS race and the appropriately-named Magical Wonderland will start favourite unless Dutch Philip wins convincingly.
He could well do so because his Merchants second confirmed the promise of his fine juvenile record.
True, he has it to do on adjusted ratings – officially he should not beat any of the top six - and he comes out 4.5kg inferior to Trip To Heaven.
“It’s not an easy race for him,” his trainer acknowledges. “But he is doing very well.” He is doing well in the market too, having been backed from 5-1 to 33-10 joint-favourite with World Sports Betting in the last three days.
That said, no three-year-old has won this since 2006.
The obvious choice is Trip To Heaven who has drifted from 22-10 to 33-10 as the money has come for Dutch Philip.
He won this by nearly four lengths last year despite – as is his trademark – giving the others several lengths start coming out of the pens.
Richard Fourie, who is in inspired form, rides him for the first time but he will doubtless have studied the unruffled manner in which S’Manga Khumalo (and Lyle Hewitson last time) allows the horse to make up the leeway.
He would be a confident selection but for this being his second run after a rest.
This - and the money going on the next time - is not just some magical formula to use against the bookies but part of many trainers’ preparation.
Sean Tarry explained it after winning the Green Point, saying: “In the second race back you have to leave the horse a little bit underdone.”
That just might make Fourie’s mount vulnerable and hand it to Dutch Philip who, in the circumstances, gets the vote.
Always In Charge (7-1) was only a length behind Dutch Philip in the Merchants and is a kilo better while Sergeant Hardy (8-1) is on a roll, although his breathing problems could start to take their toll in the final 100m. Both horses are in the right age group because four-year-olds have won half the last ten runnings. Search Party (9-1) is five but he is much better than his Merchants run would suggest.
He was third 12 months ago and second in the Mercury Sprint.
As regards the rest it is perhaps worth noting that only one winner has started at a longer price than 10-1 in the last ten seasons. However don’t forget Tevez. At eight he is the oldest in the field by two years but he was second last year and last time out he was fourth in the Merchants.
He is worth a few rands, each way at 28-1 or 4-1 a place.