Dutch Philip warms up
DUTCH PHILIP warms up for next month’s Cape Classic in the Supabets Handicap at Durbanville today. Aldo Domeyer’s mount won four out of five last season including both the Somerset and the Cape Nursery and he is clearly a class act.
World Sports Betting is taking no chances yesterday and has the colt a warm favourite at 13-10.
But that price doesn’t really allow for the negatives, namely that this is his first race for four months, his first against older horses and that he races off a high mark of 102.
Also he is stepping back in trip and that could be the biggest stumbling block of all.
“He will need his run and, while I’m not saying he can’t win, 1 000m could be a bit quick for him,” says Candice Bass-Robinson.
The one that makes most appeal is 92 joint second favourite Starflash who was having his first race of the season when third to Rock Of Africa in a good 1 200m handicap a fortnight ago.
He was drawn wide that day and he has a much better position here.
Victory would be sweet for MJ Byleveld on his 36th birthday.
Al Wahed missed that race – off-feed was the reason – but previously he was only beaten a neck by Master’s Spirit.
He will have appreciated Monday’s rain and looks real each way value at 11-1 even though he has been raised three points and there is a line of form that says he shouldn’t beat Starflash.
Black Cat Black (9-2) has gone up five points and, although he has won his last three starts, they were all over a furlong further and this is his first outing of the season.
Olympian, also a 9-2 shot, is a stable companion of Starflash and is not without a chance.
Evelina is 22-10 favourite for the first and could be hard to beat.
The Andre Nel filly is well drawn and would have finished closer last time (only her second start) but for racing green and ducking out sharply 100m from home.
Spam Alert is second favourite at 5-1 but don’t ignore 7-1 shot Romantic Crusade. Grant van Niekerk’s mount was only just over a length behind Evelina and then lost ground at the start on her only subsequent outing.
Money has come for Depeche who has been cut from 11-2 to 33-10.
Van Niekerk has a favourite’s chance on Orakal in the next but the 2-1 chance faces stiff opposition, notably from Tyrandeus (7-2) and The Sun Also Rises (5-1).
The form book says the latter could be the one.
The older horses meet the threeyear-olds on far better terms than weight-for-age in these maidens and Destiny Duchess (2-1) can prove the point by beating 15-10 favourite Woodstock Fairy in the Betting World Maiden 35 minutes later.