Hollywoodbets Kenilworth hosts a bumper 10-event Cape Racing fixture on Saturday 10 August and supporters of Aldo Domeyer could be smiling all the way to the bank come Monday morning.
The prolific, and now freelance, Cape Town-based jockey, who had a slightly better win strike-rate (20.9%) in the Western Cape last season than record-breaking Champion Jockey Richard Fourie (20.6%), has a super book of nine rides at the meeting, including several mounts – four, to be exact – with strong winning credentials and others with good each-way chances in their respective races.
Well-related October Fest is Domeyer’s first port of call in Race 1 over 1100m and this Master Of My Fate filly is bound to show improvement after a pleasing debut over 1200m. She finished fifth in a big field of 15 and there have been two subsequent winners from that race.
October Fest, whose Trippi half-sister is stablemate and recent Grade 1 SA Fillies Sprint winner October Morn (also a Listed and Grade 2 scorer), finished a pleasing fifth of 15 on debut over 1200m.
She has some serious competition in the race from the likes of promising three-year-old rivals Mon Petit Cherie and Champagne Kisses, as well as more experienced older rival Pink Moon, but she ought to be competitive and is worth including in Exacta, Trifecta and Quartet bets.
Trainer Candice Bass-Robinson saddles five runners in Race 2 over 1200m, headed by three-year-old gelding Summer Snow, whose consistency will be rewarded sooner rather than later. However, it is worth noting that Domeyer gets off this son of What A Winter to stick with well-bred Querari colt King’s Quest who caught the eye when staying on well to finish a close-up third on debut over 1250m at Hollywoodbets Durbanville last month.
Vaughan Marshall-trained Cumbre Vieja showed a lot of promise during his two-year-old campaign by finishing in the money in all five outings – was fourth on debut and third in consecutive starts (all over 1200m) before finishing second in back-to-back outings over 1400m and 1600m.
He sports blinkers for the first time in Race 4 over 1600m and that headgear could eke out sufficient improvement from this Erupt gelding who is good value to break his duck with Domeyer in the irons.
Domeyer is also reunited with Grade 2, Grade 3 and Listed race winner Pacaya in Race 7 and reverting to 1800m – the same trip over which this son of Trippi won the Grade 3 Legal Eagle Stakes two starts back (on 5 May) – should bring about a return to winning ways for the lightly raced Justin Snaith-trained six-year-old gelding.
And thriving Green Mandarin should make it a quick race-to-race double for Domeyer in Race 8 over 1800m. This progressive son of Gimmethegreenlight has been at the top of his game recently after a four-month absence and confirmed as much by winning over the course and distance last time to complete his hat-trick under a six-point penalty.
Glen Kotzen’s inmate has been hit with another six-point penalty ahead of his reappearance but is unbeaten over 1800m (in three starts) and, seemingly, still on the improve.
Domeyer has won twice, finished second once, third on another three occasions and fourth once in eight appearances aboard The United States mare Philosophise, with whom he is reunited in Race 9.
She made a winning 1250m comeback at Durbanville’s country course late last month and should be backed to follow up, as the step up to 1400m – with improved on her side – will be more to her liking.
Other Domeyer rides to keep an eye on and that are worth including in all bets are Plus Four on his reappearance in Race 3 and Scarlet Macaw, another improving last-start winner who lines up in Race 10.
Clive Robinson
