HDJ halt for Charles Dickens

THERE will be no weight anomalies in the Hollywoodbets Durban July as the highest rated three-year-old in the country Charles Dickens will not be an entry. Candice Bass-robinson said the crack Trippi colt would be coming to KZN for the SA Champions Season, but added he would not be running in the Hollywoodbets Durban July. She said about the yard's reading of his Grade 1 Splashout Cape Derby second place finish, "I don't think it is that he doesn't stay, he still ran a very good race, but he is probably not at his best over 2000m at this stage."

She envisaged the Grade 2 IOS Drill Hall Stakes over 1400m, the Grade 1 Hollywoodbets Gold Challenge over 1600m and the Grade 1 Champions Cup over 1800m as possible targets.

Another horse who will likely be running here in the SA Champions Season is Marina. Bass-robinson was not sure she was good enough to make the July field.

She is also probably going to go up to the Highveld first to run in the Grade 1 HSH Princess Charlene Empress Club Stakes at Turffontein Standside on April 15.

She said this Silvano filly's chief KZN targets would likely be the Grade 1 Brentford FC Garden Province Stakes and the Grade 2 Gold Bracelet, which she won last year.

The Grade 1 Schweppes Majorca Stakes third-placed Golden Hostess is likely to be on the float.

The obvious first target for her is the WSB Fillies Guineas.

Silver Host

She will be an interesting contender in the Grade 1 Woolavington 2000, considering she is by Trippi stallion Gold Standard and is a half-sister to the useful stayer Silver Host, who has won three Grade 3s from 1800m up to 2500m and has also won a Listed race over 2400m.

Bass-robinson said she would only bring feature horses and none for ordinary races, because Cape Racing's new look program will cater well for the latter types this winter.

She was not sure whether the promising two-year-old Winter Cloud, who is a full-sister to the top class Clouds Unfold, would be on the float. Meanwhile, Charles Dickens, whose only two defeats in eight starts have been narrow ones in the Grade 1 L'ormarins King's Plate and the Grade1 Splashout Cape Derby respectively, has gone to the top of the points table on the Equus Horse Of The Year log.

His closest rival is Jet Dark, who has been retired, so Charles Dickens has a good chance of holding on.