Cape Racing’s rejigged Winter Series programme resumes this weekend with the second legs of the Winter ‘Triple Crown’ and ‘Triple Tiara’ (for fillies and mares) at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday.
The Grade 3 Legal Eagle Stakes (known previously as the Winter Classic) and the Listed WSB Ladies Mile (Race 7) are the headliners on a competitive 10-race card that is tricky for bettors to negotiate but will provide plenty of exotic-bet value.
Happy Chance justified market support, after a promising sprint comeback over 1200m, when winning the Listed 1400m Sweet Chestnut Stakes a little under three weeks ago, and this Brett Crawford-trained daughter of Dynasty is good value to follow up in Leg 2 of the fillies-and-mares series.
She ran down re-opposing Kwinta’s Light to win Leg 1 and should confirm her superiority over Justin Snaith’s charge on 1.5kg better terms.
Last-start winner Love Is A Rose and consistent Gold Poker Game, who is one of five runners in the race trained by Candice Bass-Robinson, have a score to settle and could pose the biggest threat to Happy Chance.
They are closely matched on form but the latter appeals as the most likely danger having already won at this level – when victorious in the 2000m Listed Jamaica Handicap during the summer.
Snaith and Richard Fourie teamed up to win Leg 1 of the Winter Series, the Grade 3 Variety Club Mile, with Nic Jonsson-owned Without Question and bettors could be rewarded for sticking that trainer-jockey-owner triumvirate in Leg 2 (Race 8), the Grade 3 Legal Eagle Stakes over 1800m, despite the absence of the first-leg winner.
Rockpool was touted as being the biggest challenger to Charles Dickens in the Cape Derby but this son Futura, although not disgraced in finishing fifth behind See It Again, made no impression from a wide draw in that 2000m Grade 1 and was subsequently gelded.
He returns after 12 weeks off open to any amount of improvement and could be headed to KwaZulu-Natal and the Hollywoodbets Durban July should he make a winning reappearance.
Stablemates Hoedspruit, who was runner-up behind Without Question last time, and Itsrainingwilliam, who completed a stable Trifecta in Leg 1, form part of a four-pronged Snaith attack that is completed by last season’s Cape Derby winner Pomp And Power.
Including Snaith’s runners in boxed Trifecta and Quartet bets is the way to go.
JP van der Merwe has made the most of the opportunities provided by Snaith and the combination’s good run of form is set to continue with another Jonsson-owned runner, Royal Watch, in Race 10 over 1800m.
Snaith is again strongly represented with three runners in the race including Fourie’s mount Night Ruler in Swinger and Exacta could pay handsome dividends.
Earlier on the card, Vaughan Marshall and long-time patron Ken Truter are good value to land a double of their own with Coastal Commander in Race 1 and in Race 2 with Oni San.
The former, a flashy two-year-old colt by Lancaster Bomber, caught the eye when second on debut over the same course and distance, and should go one better if making any improvement with the benefit of that experience. And experience should stand Danon Platina filly Oni San in good stead when she lines up over 1200m under Anthony Andrews who steered her to third over 1100m against winners last time out.
Clive Robinson
