This week’s rain threatens to make the form book worth no more than a sodden mass of pulp at Kenilworth tomorrow where the ground has turned soft.

Ability to handle testing conditions will be crucial and poses a major question mark over Search Party, the forecast favourite for the Racing. It’s A Rush Pinnacle Stakes. The Brett Crawford runner went up eight points for his runaway win last time and that looked conservative considering how much he appeared to have in hand.

He hasn’t raced in the soft but his dam did and she didn’t like it. A horse’s action is generally considered to be the determining factor in ability to handle soft or heavy ground but heredity plays a significant part and it could pay to bet against this one.

Rodney, who won his maiden in the soft, is suggested as an alternative even though he has not raced since Met day. “He was a little bit lame behind and he had a break,” says Candice Robinson. “He is doing very well although he just might need it after all the rain.”

Grant van Niekerk rides him rather than Line Break who has superior form (he was beaten little more than two lengths in the Cape Flying) but apparently not too much should be read into this. Mrs Robinson made the riding arrangements rather giving the stable’s number one the choice.

Ground preferences apart, the race is wide open – at least in theory. If you ignore Winter Trade there is only 3kg between the best and worst on adjusted merit ratings. However Kingvoldt has won twice on soft or yielding going so the ground might encourage him to return to form while Tiger Tiger and Albarakah also have two soft-going successes.

Oceans Trip in the first has the benefit of experience – which can count even more than usual in the soft – and Bernard Fayd’Herbe’s mount may just be good enough. However two of the newcomers are worthy of note. Pillar Of Hercules is bred in the purple, being by Captain Al out of the 2010 KZN Fillies Guineas and Tibouchina winner Gibraltar Blue, and Elusive Path is a R675 000 Pathfork gelding out of a three-parts sister to Elusive Fort.

Fayd’Herbe can also win the next on Arctic Green who has stable companion Epona and Greg Ennion’s Sign Your Name to beat.

Omaha Tribe looked a certain future winner on debut, coming from last to run on well into fourth against some useful older maidens like Mega Secret. Not even a bad draw may stop MJ Byleveld’s mount in race three.

Michael Clower