Justin Snaith is hopeful that Kasimir, beaten less than a length when third to 25-1 surprise winner Russet Air in the Cape Flying Championship, can reverse the placings in the Khaya Stables Diadem Stakes at the now famous Prawn Festival meeting at Kenilworth on Saturday week.

He reasons: “Kasimir went into this year’s Cape Flying a run short. There was a race put on but they cancelled it because there were not enough acceptors. However he pulled up well from the Cape Flying, looks amazing and I am expecting a good run.”

Kasimir won last year’s Diadem when Russet Air, one of only three three-year-olds in the race, was three and a half lengths back sixth. There are ten other entries this time including Bold Respect who was a short head second in the Cape Flying, stable companion Run Fox Run (fourth) and Chimichuru Run who was fifth.

But Snaith, unlike Candice Bass-Robinson with Russet Air, is not going to have a crack at the Computaform Sprint in Turffontein on May 2 – “I’m not a Jo’burg person” – but he is considering the Tsogo Sun Sprint at Scottsville four weeks afterwards even though the race is a handicap and Kasimir could well have to give weight all round.

The dual champion trainer said: “I regretted not running him in the race last year and, if I don’t go for it this time, there is not all that much for him – and I don’t see a lot of top sprinters around.”

Russet Air has the altitude problem to overcome on May 2 but Candice Bass-Robinson has already decided not to send the horse to Jo’burg weeks beforehand or to raid from Summerveld – “I am going to prepare him from Cape Town. His sire What A Winter did that and he won the Computaform Sprint in 2013.”

What A Winter was flown up on that occasion but in his two previous attempts (when he was second and third) he went by road only two days before the race so that the effects of altitude did not have time to set in.

The Milnerton trainer is also going to prepare her dual Bidvest Majorca winner Clouds Unfold for her Durban targets in Cape Town. “I believe they are better off down here where they know the tracks and so Clouds will have a prep run at Kenilworth and then maybe the Tibouchina at Greyville on June 13 before going for the Jonsson Workwear Garden Province which is her main aim.”

Saturday week’s Cape Derby has attracted 15 entries headed by Glen Kotzen’s Cape Guineas runner-up Viva Rio who is rated 4.5kg clear of the next best, the Brett Crawford-trained Concorde Cup winner King Of Gems.

By Michael Clower