‘Philip’ can play the price
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 was taking no chances yesterday and opened the colt favourite at 14-10.
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.
Starflash
The one that makes most appeal is 9-2 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.
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 12-1 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 (5-1) 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 5-1 shot, is a stable companion of Starflash and is not without a chance.
Evelina
Evelina is 17-10 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 4-1 but don’t ignore 13-2 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.
Van Niekerk has a favourite’s chance on Orakal in the next but the 33-10 chance faces stiff opposition, notably from 5-1 hopes Tyrandeus and The Sun Also Rises. The form book says the latter could be the one.
Destiny Duchess
The older horses meet the three-year-olds on far better terms than weight-for-age in these maidens and Destiny Duchess (33-10) can prove the point by beating 5-2 favourite Woodstock Fairy in the Betting World Maiden 35 minutes later.