The 10-race card at Hollywoodbets Durbanville on Saturday includes the two rescheduled Grade 3 events, postponed after last weekend’s Cape Town meeting was washed out.
The meeting is highlighted by the reappearance of Cape Racing’s Horse Of The Year Charles Dickens in the Grade 3 Hollywoodbets Matchem Stakes (Race 8) that also features the Grade 3 Hollywoodbets Diana Stakes (Race 7).
These two 1400m features, won in the past by champions of both sexes (most notably Equus Horse-Of-The-Year winners Variety Club and Captain’s Ransom), are traditionally used as a springboard to some of the bigger targets during the Cape’s Summer Of Champions Season, with the Guineas and Fillies Guineas obvious targets for the three-year-olds. Older horses usually go on to contest races such as the Green Point Stakes ahead of the L’Ormarins King’s Plate.
So, it’s unsurprising that both renewals of these Grade 3 spring features are laden with quality – the Matchem in particular – despite the small number of starters.
Just seven go to post for the Matchem Stakes in which star colt Charles Dickens is the undoubted star attraction and one to beat. However, the inclusion in the line-up of dual Grade 1 winner Gimme A Prince, as well as Gold Rush winner (top-earner in the race) Royal Aussie, only adds to the quality of the race which promises to be a humdinger.
Dean Kannemeyer, trainer of Gimme A Prince, said recently, “His form speaks for itself. He never runs a bad race. He ran from a wide draw when beaten only by a multiple Grade 1 winner in the Drill Hall Stakes” before adding, “I would have preferred to have had one grass gallop under the belt, but it’s been a tough time weather-wise. I have got as much sand work as has been possible into him. I know where I am going with him, and while he is far from ready, I still have plenty to work with.”
Also in Charles Dickens’ favour is his track experience, having won on his only visit to the country course (over 1250m). He is also unbeaten in two starts over 1400m. Gimme A Prince, on the other hand, while effective over the distance (two wins and a second from three starts over 1400m), will be making his first start at the venue.
The Drakenstein, Bass-Robinson and Domeyer triumvirate is good value to land the spoils in the Diana Stakes too and complete a Grade 3 double on the day with Golden Hostess.
This Gold Standard filly performed well, albeit without Graded success, in very good company throughout her three-year-old season, maintaining her form and consistency at Grade 1 and Grade 2 level, particularly in KZN where she was drawn high in each of her starts during a three-race winter campaign.
She was a fast-finishing fourth in the Grade 2 KZN Fillies Guineas behind Peach Daiquiri, then stayed on to finish fourth when dropped back to 1200m to contest the Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint and was far from disgraced by finishing sixth of 14 in the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes from an unfavourable wide draw at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Durban July day, with both of those races won by Horse-Of-The-Year Princess Calla.
Golden Hostess, despite the strength and consistency of that form, returns to action in her Cape comeback off a mark two points lower than the rating she ran off in her last start but, in spite of this, is still the best-weighted runner in the race on official ratings.
She has proven herself to be versatile, effective from 1000m to 1600m, has a good record racing fresh after a break and also runs her best races under Domeyer, with whom she will be reunited.
Domeyer has partnered Golden Hostess to all three of her career wins, as well as a third (in the SA Fillies Sprint) to go with four fourth-place finishes in their eight outings together.
It is worth noting, that all four of those fourth-placed efforts were achieved in feature races (the Grade 2 Debutante Stakes as a two-year-old, the Grade 2 Western Cape Fillies Winter Championship, the Grade 1 Cape Fillies Guineas and the aforementioned KZN Fillies Guineas).
On that form, Golden Hostess should hold many too many guns for her rivals so can be confidently backed to complete a rare race-to-race Grade 3 double for her connections and followers.
Gaynor Rupert’s Drakenstein Stud is also likely to enjoy further success on the day with another homebred, Charlene, a likely winner in Race 3 over 1600m. This Brett Crawford-trained Futura filly ran her best race over 1400m, which is the furthest she’s been in her four starts to date, and the extra 200m could unlock any amount of improvement from Charlene with stable jockey Louie Mxothwa in the irons.
Clive Robinson
