Dutch Philip gets the vote
CANDICE Bass-Robinson holds two of the aces in the Book Your Seat Pinnacle Stakes at Kenilworth tomorrow but, even so, she is not sure that her hand will prove strong enough. The problem is concerns over fitness. “Dutch Philip will need it a little bit and he has a big weight,” she explains.
“Tevez is doing very well but he usually needs his first run back.”
This will be Dutch Philip’s first run since his victory in the valuable CTS 1200 on Met day, now almost three months ago, and he is a possible for the Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville in a month’s time.
“I will nominate him and he could go. I will play it by ear,” says his trainer.
Silicone Valley
Aldo Domeyer’s mount is 17-10 favourite with World Sports Betting but on adjusted ratings he comes out only third best, 3kg behind Silicone Valley and 3.5k behind fellow 4-1 chance Tevez who is the only member of the field to have run in this last year.
He started hot favourite that day but was beaten over three lengths into third.
Significantly it was, like this time, his first race since Met day.
Silicone Valley is a versatile sort and he actually ran in the Met but he does seem best over tomorrow’s trip.
He won the Cape Merchants over it in December beating Dutch Philip by threequarters of a length and giving him 4kg.
The weight-for-age scale says that half that difference has now gone but that still leaves Piet Botha’s mount with a 2kg advantage.
Dutch Philip, though, has potential for improvement and he is taken to win.
Vincente, who has a not inconsiderable race fitness advantage, is next in the market at 13-2 and has to be respected but he looks the only real danger to the top three.
Power Grid is quite smart on his day and he will have been helped by the rain but he has drifted from 11-1 to 14-1 and Andries Steyn is far from optimistic.
The scratching of After Glow paves the way for Yolta to win the Betting World Maiden.
The Ramsden two-year-old would have been a convincing winner but for being squeezed at the start last time and looks a worthy 14-10 favourite.
Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount Bell Jar (1810) looks the only real danger.
Jailhouse Rock was having his first run since November when showing improved form earlier this month and an inside draw is also in his favour in the Interbet.co.za Maiden.