Marcus to be Front And Centre in Cape
Justin Snaith’s charge Love Happens look hard to beat in Race 5
The unbeaten Dynasty filly Front And Centre is expected to make a triumphant return to the racetrack when she lines up in Race 4, a FM 82 Handicap over 1400m on the Kenilworth Winter track today, in an attempt to register a third consecutive victory under Anton Marcus.
She is a confident Pick 6 banker. Follow her until she loses!
She drifted out in the betting from 5-1 to a valuable 11-1 on debut but as the saying goes – horses don’t know their prices – and she made no mistakes, skipping an easy 1.50 lengths clear of Juniper Spring over 1200m. She followed that up with a 1.75-length victory over 1400m, justifying 15-10 favouritism.
Most impressive about that run was the fact Marcus was easing her down passing the 150m marker, and the veteran couldn’t help but sing this daughter of Dynasty’s praises.
“She’s really smart. It’s pretty much self-explanatory,” he said on Tellytrack. “She’s just so professional. She put herself in a good position and when I asked her to go it was instantaneous. I’m pretty excited! “I was very, very impressed with her. Look, it’s still early days but the engine is certainly there.”
That performance earned Brett Crawford’s charge a merit rating of 93 and considering the average rating of this contest is 79, she should have absolutely no trouble outclassing this lot. Front And Centre shoulders 4kg more than she did last time out at 59.5kg but the good news is, she jumps from an advantageous No 1 draw. Her last form line has also produced a winner which further strengthens her case today.
Candice Bass-Robinson-trained Strawberry Fire is far better than her most recent effort when beaten 1.60 lengths into sixth place by Leisure Trip suggests. She was drawn wide on that occasion and was only outrun over the last 100m, suggesting she’ll be even better suited to the drop back in trip.
The in-form Aldo Domeyer retains the ride and his mount will be aided by a No 2 draw and the fact she shoulders 2.5kg less than Front And Centre.
Taking Swingers and Exactas featuring the pair and put those winnings on the Justin Snaith-trained Love Happens in Race 5, a MR 88 Handicap, also over 1400m.
Considering he was returning from a lengthy layoff of almost four months, this four-year-old son of Silvano ran an absolute cracker in his most recent appearance when beaten a rapidly diminishing 0.30 lengths into third place by Grade 3 winner Head Honcho, who has impressively won five of his last six starts, finishing fourth behind African Night Sky in the other. Love Happens will strip a fitter a horse and is perfectly drawn at No 1 in this seven-horse field.
If he can reproduce anything close to his 1.55-length third place finish to Rainbow Bridge in the Winter Guineas, he will be hard to outrun here.
This gelding will, however, have to beat Sacred Arrow, who wasn’t disgraced in the Cape Classic last time out when finishing no less than 3.90 lengths behind Twist of Fate.
Bass-Robinson’s charge carries 3.5kg less than Love Happens and jumps from stall gate 4. Perhaps float Love Happens and Sacred Arrow with Orakal, Provocateur, Macduff, and Waiting For Rain in your Quartet.