Brett Crawford’s blistering run met with a (presumably temporary) reverse when he drew an unexpected blank with all nine runners at Kenilworth yesterday.

What is more, the Kingston Passage bubble was expensively burst in the Tablonline.co.za Handicap when the talented three-year-old started hot favourite to win his fourth off the reel in the Whisky Baron colours but managed only fifth.

Things went wrong from the break when he seemed to be leaning backward rather than forward and, although he quickly made up the leeway, he was never able to get clear. This was his first run for ten weeks and Greg Cheyne’s first reaction was that his mount needed the outing.

“That could be,” said Crawford. “But he was disappointing – he didn’t fire and he didn’t finish his race. He is better than this.”

The stipes, while not ordering a veterinary examination, asked Crawford to report if anything shows up subsequently.

Prince Alfred, on the other hand, ran the race of his life after drifting from 5-1 to 14-1. Late booking Lucien Africa (Karl Zechner couldn’t do the weight) had him in front throughout and he held the fast-finishing Zud Wes by a rapidly dwindling neck.

Adam Marcus’s father Basil said: “The give in the ground made a big difference. He has been putting his head up in the last 200m on firm going.”

Crawford, incidentally, described Search Party’s Post Merchants win on Friday night as “a gutsy performance” and confirmed that the Mercury Sprint on July 15 is next on the target list.

Corne Orffer, who rode the horse to such effect, was limping throughout the afternoon after slamming his leg (and shoulder) against the pens as the gates opened in the first but he kept riding to land the mile handicap on Katies Jay for Justin Snaith.

Snaith also succeeded in beating the older horses with two-year-old Sassy Lady (Grant van Niekerk) in the five furlong fillies maiden. “It’s hard to win in open company,” said Chris Snaith. “But I think that over 1 000m the weight-for-age does not have as much effect.”

The one Crawford who did win was Harold who, despite having only a small string, landed a double with Perovskia and Empire Rising on whom Donovan Dillon made every metre in the TAB Maiden. This filly drifted from 11-2 to 14-1 but Crawford was confident on Under Starter’s Orders and explained: “Some of the muscles in her back and chest have been tightened up but physiotherapy has sorted them out.”

Grant Behr, who rode Perovskia, also won the opening two-year-old maiden for Dean Kannemeyer on Benfontein who outbattled the luckless Apollo Star who has now found one too good for her in four consecutive races.

Aldo Domeyer seldom goes a Cape Town meeting without a winner these days and he scored on both Hopeful for Candice Bass-Robinson and Sharp Peg for Paul Reeves. The former was bought for a mere R5 000 and belongs to the stable staff. She has now won them over R70 000.

By Michael Clower