Aldo Domeyer and Richard Fourie have become familiar fan favourites among Cape Town’s racing fraternity, as both continue to ride an abundance of winners in the region each season. Only Grant van Niekerk (18%) has ridden more winners in the Western Cape than the perennial leading pair, although Domeyer (21%) and Fourie (19%) both boast a better Win strike-rate.
The nine-race card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Monday 12 February is likely to bring further success for both riders, with Fourie good value to add three wins to his title pursuit while Domeyer ought to bag a brace at the meeting.
The latter teams up with Candice Bass-Robinson in Race 2 and is reunited with Erupt gelding Igugulethu, who he has ridden four times for three seconds. Gareth Wright steered the three-year-old gelding to third over course and distance last time, but Domeyer will be back aboard Igugulethu who looks an attractive betting proposition.
It should pay to side with Fourie in the next two races over 1400m and a TAB Double could be the way to go, beginning with Cabaret in Race 3. This well-bred daughter of Oratorio has improved in her two starts with blinkers fitted and led for much of the way last time before being outrun into second over 1600m, suggesting the drop back in trip to 1400m could see Glen Kotzen’s charge go from gun to tape, especially under Fourie who is widely renowned as a master at judging fractions from the front.
Brett Crawford-trained Mont Loisir was last seen on 21 October when finishing fifth, beaten 3.75 lengths by stablemate Willie John, over 1600m with Fourie aboard. This well-related Vercingetorix gelding, who is out of a Fastnet Rock mare, had shown enough in two previous outings to win a race of this nature on his reappearance. And, in what is a relatively modest lineup, feedback from the yard regarding Mont Loisir’s well-being has been encouraging and the booking of Fourie also bodes well for Crawford’s charge.
Domeyer should get his own back in Race 5 over 1800m aboard Basic Maneuvers for Paul Reeves, as the extra 200m ought to suit this Lancaster Bomber filly who was a fast-finishing and close-up third over 1600m last time.
She finished sandwiched between re-opposing Ticking Bomb and Whistling Dixie (1kg better off) but was drawn a lot wider than her familiar foes and ran on from a long way back, which gave the impression she could have more to offer over this extended trip.
Lightly raced five-year-old gelding Slurricane confirmed the promise of his belated reappearance (third over 1600m), following an eight-month absence, by running out an impressive winner of his last start over 1400m under a confident Fourie ride.
He copped the maximum 4kg penalty for that runaway success last month but on the evidence of that victory, could prove up to defying the handicapper by winning again in Race 7 when he reverts to 1600m with Fourie resuming the partnership.
Clive Robinson
