Best bets arrive at Cape
LUCRATIVE: ADAM MARCUS AND ERIC SANDS REWARD PUNTERS
Smaller trainers are making their mark.
Tbest bet for the weekend Brave Move didn’t disappoint at Kenilworth on Saturday, coming home lonely over three rivals in the FM85 Divided Handicap.
Surprisingly only raised five points after a similarly easy win from subsequent victor Intothelimelight last time, the lightly raced four-year-old filly was allowed to start at a generous 1110 after opening in the red and her backers never had a moment’s worry in the 107 sec it took to cover the 1700m.
Recent easy maiden winner Glamorous Life attempted to make all, but never looked convincing. Jockey Aldo Domeyer sent the favourite into the lead around 300m out and she sauntered clear to win by an untroubled 3.25 lengths.
Her delighted trainer Adam Marcus confirmed she “will stay in Cape Town for the time being,’’ ruling out a Durban winter campaign.
The Horse Chestnut filly was almost four when she made her debut in June, but has not finished out of the first three and improved her record to three wins and four places.
As her conditioner explained: “She had a severely swollen hock the size of a soccer ball. It took a long time to come good, but we were patient and are now seeing the benefits.’’
Another lightly raced fouryear-old filly to impress on the day was Marion Belle, an imported daughter of Snitzel trained by Brett Crawford.
She only made her debut in November after recovering from knee chips and was an impressive maiden winner over moderate rivals recently. In Saturday’s race she quickened like a good sort to overcome an unspectacular FM 68 Handicap field a lot easier than the margin of a length would suggest. She is one to follow until beaten.
Two of the less heralded Cape trainers kept up their recent good form as Piet Steyn and Harold Crawford won the opening two races.
Prince Oracy won Race 1, an extremely thin-looking Maiden Plate, before Crawford’s Perovskia scored his second win in 10 days with a gutsy effort in the MR 88 Handicap over 1600m.
Visiting German rider Martin Seidl scored an overdue victory on Kenna for Eric Sands in Race 7. Followers of Computaform’s value bet would have been smiling, as it was this week’s top selection for Kenilworth and arrived at 8-1!