Graeme Hawkins

The R135 000 Hollywoodbets Bright Future Cape B Stakes (F&M) over 1100m is the most valuable race on today’s 8-race programme on the Summer course at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth and the promising 3yo grey daughter of Canford Cliffs, Artiste, could follow up on her pillar-to-post victory over In The Green Zone back in July. Out of the “July”-winning Dancer’s Daughter, Artiste has won two of her four starts to date and she can be expected to go well here in a very competitive line-up. Artiste races for Ridgemont Stud & Devin Heffer and retained jockey Richard Fourie takes the ride for the Brett & James Crawford stable.

Candice Bass-Robinson holds a strong hand with a five-way coupling, headed by The Charleston and Kyalami Girl who both finished runner-up in their most recent outings. The Charleston looked all over a winner before nabbed on the line by All Is Green last month and the 4yo daughter of The United States has dropped to a competitive mark. She could certainly go one better this afternoon. Kyalami Girl is talented, but not always reliable, and if putting her best foot forward could easily account for this class of field.

Gareth Van Zyl’s Pritti Victory could come out fresh off a five-month break and make her presence felt while Sahara Cat should improve on her disappointing last effort. It’s a tricky race with chances to many but Artiste looks a progressive type and could be worth following. First Masterpiece is at a big price in the ante-post market but appears to have a chance at the weights and she should be included in Quartet permutations.

The first race and opening leg of the Bipot, a Maiden Plate over 1000m, goes off at 12:30 and should be fought out by Flying Finley and Summer Snow. The former caught the eye on debut when a close second behind Rafa Bay in a work riders’ event and with Fourie in the irons, the 3yo son of Oratorio could step up to the plate here. Summer Snow showed plenty of speed over 1200m last time when fourth behind the useful Cork Bay and will enjoy coming back in trip.

English Mistress could score an overdue victory in the second race, an Open Maiden over 2000m, but she has been costly to follow and cannot be labelled. The improving Asinantango will enjoy stepping up in trip and could get into the fray while Express Yourself and Double Dash is worthy of some respect.

The improving Groovejet did us proud last time when heavily back from 5/2 into 1/1 and he looks set to go back-to-back in the third race, a Cape C Stakes over 2000m. Tothemoonandback is holding form well, but he should be held by Groovejet and the latter will be a popular choice in the opening leg of the Pick 6.

Air Raid is coming along the right way and has his peak run since being gelded in the fourth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1600m. There is no lack of quality or form amongst his eight rivals, but I fancy that Air Raid is ready to strike and the 3yo son of Lancaster Bomber will take all the beating. The handsome grey Zeitz could be his immediate danger in receipt of 4kgs.

Empire State tops the betting boards for the fifth race, a Class 4 Handicap over 1600m, and Bass-Robinson’s improving 3yo son of Rafeef could again have the measure of Prime Venture and Unicorn Alert. Without any logical explanation I am expecting a much better run from All About Ronnie from pole position and he may be worth including in Trifecta and Quartet permutations.

The sixth race, a Class 4 Handicap (F&M) over 1600m, is a closely matched and interesting affair. Garden of Eden must be forgiven her forgettable performance in a Grade 2 feature last time, but she is highly regarded and Fourie is a significant booking. Kamchatka sets the standard and will again go close to winning but Jet To The Sun must also be taken seriously and rates a strong each-way chance.

The seventh race, a low-grade Class 5 Handicap over 1200m, is up for grabs with each of the eight runners having claims to winning. Adam Marcus’ pair of True Horizon and Tambourine Man must both go into the play while Prince of Tibet will go well in this class. Fourie gets off Xplicit Content to stick with Champagne Mac and that decision which speaks volumes must be respected.

RACE 1

4 FLYING FINLEY moved up really well on debut to run a cracking second behind Rafa Bay, he was still green on that occasion and should improve lengths now that he gets the services of champion jockey Richard Fourie, if the race works out for him, he will be very hard to beat here. 8 SUMMER SNOW has some decent form to his name, he ran a lovely race with the blinkers on last time, this looks to be the perfect race for him to be extremely competitive. 3 VIVO PER LEI has improved with every start, she ran a good race against winners last time, watch her closely, she will be right there at the finish. 1 MANEKI NEKO was very slow out the gates last time, he will need to improve quite a bit on his recent form. (Brandon Bailey: 4 – 8 – 3 – 1)

RACE 2

1 GOLDEN GREY stayed on really well in his last start over 2000m at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, from a good draw, he will be very competitive again. 5 ASINANTANGA improved nicely with the blinkers on last time, he is undoubtedly getting better and stronger with more racing, he will have a good each way chance in this Open Maiden. 11 EXPRESS YOURSELF ran a fair race behind his stable companion on the 23rd of November, he unfortunately draws wide here which will make life tough for him, but the step up in trip will hopefully unlock more improvement and give him a good each way chance. 3 ENGLISH MISTRESS never runs a bad race, she is consistent and tries hard, include her into the Quartets. (Brandon Bailey: 1 – 5 – 11 – 3)

RACE 3

4 GROOVEJET quickened up in devastating fashion last time to beat Tothemoonandback by just over one length, he relaxes beautifully in his races and then comes with a storming finish late, even though he is carrying a big weight on his back of 61.5kgs, he will be the horse they all need to beat. 1 TOTHEMOONANDBACK won a gutsy race on the 4th of December at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, his form is very good, and he gets a nice draw for this Cape C Stakes race, include him into all bet types. 8 PINOT GRIGIO is a lovely three year old colt that is improving with every start, his first run out the maiden ranks was very good behind Gentleman Joe, he will love the step up in trip, watch him closely. 3 SUDDEN SONG is better than his recent form, he could sneak into the places at a decent price. (Brandon Bailey: 4 – 1 – 8 – 3)

RACE 4

6 AIR RAID moved up strongly in his last start when finishing second behind the improving Dawn Till Dusk, he will love the step up in trip to 1600m on Wednesday afternoon, there is no doubt he will have a massive winning chance in this race, the yard think highly of this gelding. 1 ZEITZ won his maiden extremely well on the 9th of November at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, he should get the run of the race from a good draw, he is still improving and will be competitive in this race. 8 HOODIA will need some luck in running from a tricky draw, his recent form is good, if the race works out for him, he could easily trouble them in the finish. 7 INDUSTRIALSTRENGTH had no luck in running last time, watch for big improvement. (Brandon Bailey: 6 – 1 – 8 – 7)

RACE 5

6 MAJOR MASTER had absolutely no luck in running on the 26th of November behind Gentleman Joe, he is a lovely looking colt with lots of ability, if the race works out for him from a tricky draw, he will go very close to winning. 4 EMPIRE STATE fought hard all the way to the line in his last start when finishing second behind World Of Pleasure, he is still improving and should enjoy the step up in trip to 1600m, watch him closely, he will be right there in the finish. 3 UNICORN ALERT finally gets a good draw, he is racing off a dangerous mark at the moment, he could be the value in the race, include him into all bets. 9 HAPPY DAYS has done nothing wrong of late, his form is excellent, unfortunately the draw will make it extremely tricky for him. (Brandon Bailey: 6 – 4 – 3 – 9)

RACE 6

6 KAMCHATKA must have a huge winning chance in this Class 4 event, she ran a lovely race last time behind Hampstead Heath, she is a big filly that likes to race up on speed, she is still improving and will go very close to winning. 4 RUSSIAN ROYAL was given a great ride by Gavin Lerena to win at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on the 23rd of November, she is a beautiful filly that will get better and better with racing, from a decent draw, she will give them lots to think about. 3 SENHORA VICTORIA worked into the race smartly to win going away in her last start, this race does look to be more competitive, but she is clearly in a good space at the moment and must be respected. 7 GARDEN OF EDEN will need to improve, she was well beaten in a Grade 2, she is highly rated by the stable, watch her closely. (Brandon Bailey: 6 – 4 – 3 – 7)

RACE 7

1 CHAMPAGNE MAC was very disappointing in his last run on the 9th of November, he is much better than that performance, now that he has changed stables and gets a further rating drop, he should bounce back to his best form. 6 PRINCE OF TIBET was well beaten in a strong race last time, watch him closely, at this level he will always have a good winning chance. 2 XPLICIT CONTENT has run some nice races lately, he now steps up in trip to 1200m, on his best form he will have a solid place chance again. 3 TRUE HORIZON ran a fair race on the 29th of October at Hollywoodbets Durbanville, that formline has worked out well, she should be able to earn again for the connections. (Brandon Bailey: 1 – 6 – 2 – 3)

RACE 8

1 THE CHARLESTON was very unlucky in her last start on the 2nd of November when finishing a short head second behind All Is Green, she has the ability to win a race like this easily, include her into all bet types. 6 KYALAMI GIRL stayed on well behind Siddeley on the 26th of November, she needs a particular ride, if the race works out for her, she will be storming home late. 7 ARTISTE comes back to the races from a long rest of 147 days, she won her most recent start extremely well at Hollywoodbets Durbanville in testing conditions, she looks progressive, if she doesn’t need the run badly, she can win a race like this. 5 PRITTI VICTORY has been rested for 154 days, her KZN form is excellent, she must be respected here. (Brandon Bailey: 1 – 6 – 7 – 5)

Graeme Hawkins

Veteran trainer Vaughan Marshall reeled in a record-equalling sixth career Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas victory at a festive Kenilworth racetrack on Saturday when One Stripe stormed home under the stand side rail to beat Eight On Eighteen by more than a length. One Stripe delivered heavily invested owner Rikesh Sewgoolam his maiden Grade 1 success and for jockey Gavin Lerena his first Guineas trophy, but for Champion breeders, Drakenstein Stud, it was “business-as-usual” as the first three past the post were all bred and raised at their magnificent Franschhoek-based operation.

While comfortable in the end, One Stripes’ fans had to endure a few anxious moments. Stable companion All Out For Six set a brisk gallop followed by O’Tenikwa, Heather’s Boy and Great Plains with One Stripe in a good position heading into the turn. Midway round the bend One Stripe appeared to lose a few positions, but supercool Lerena never panicked and allowed the son of One World to find his feet once heads were turned for home.

At the 400m pole the front-runners began to feel the pinch. One Stripe was poised to strike and Eight On Eighteen was beginning to make serious inroads from near the back of the field. With Richard Fourie in full cry on Snaith’s Eight On Eighteen towards the inside, and One Stripe gathering momentum while shifting ground to the outside, it was initially not easy to gauge who held the upper hand, but approaching the final 150m it was clear that One Stripe was not going to be denied, and he drew clear to score emphatically.

One Stripe was initially purchased by Grant Knowles for a “mere” R100 000 at BSA’s August 2yo Sale last year and was sent to Julia Pilbeam’s Soetendal Estate to be prepared for Cape Racing Sales’ 2023 November Ready-to-Run Sale. Knowles loves to speculate in the Sales’ market and has done so with great success over many years. But not even he could have expected a R100 000 purchase in August to realise R1,4-million just a few months later. One Stripe put up a spectacular gallop – later described by Marshall as the most impressive he had ever seen at similar sales – and the active buyers’ bench responded accordingly, with Marshall having the final say. And the rest, as they say, is history!

I asked Knowles what it was about One Stripe that grabbed his attention at the August Sale. “He was very correct, walked really well, appeared very athletic with a commanding presence.” Nothing’s changed as all those attributes were on full display in the parade ring on Saturday. One Stripe has now won five of his seven starts and has banked nearly R2,4-million in prize money but, given the history of the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas being a stallion-producing race, Rikesh Sewgoolam has so much more to look forward to.

If all goes according to plan between now and then, the Nick Jonsson-owned Eight On Eighteen will be a tough nut to crack in the Splashout Cape Derby (Gr1) over 2000m in February. The 3yo son of Lancaster Bomber is clearly very progressive and the Derby trip should not be an issue for Eight On Eighteen. His next engagement could be the 1800m Politician Stakes (Gr3) in January, the traditional Derby trial here in the Western Cape.

Great Plains stayed on well from a handy position to finish a creditable third, with rank outsider O’Tenikwa a remote fourth. Mike de Kock’s Heather’s Boy, unbeaten from three starts coming into Saturday’s Guineas, was found wanting over the final 400m but did enough to grab a minor share of the R2-million purse.

The R350 000 Ridgemont Peninsula Handicap (Gr3) over 1800m produced a shock result as the enigmatic and completely unpredictable The Futurist (66/1) led just about from pillar to post under Anthony Andrews. The chasing pack were closing in fast over the final 100m, but the winning post came just in time for The Futurist who held on gamely to beat Otto Luyken and the winner’s well backed stable companion, Infrared, in a blanket finish.

The R225 000 Splashout Victress Stakes (Gr3) over 1800m turned into something of a farce. On a day when most races were run inside of standard time, the Victress was “run” at a pedestrian pace, some three seconds (15 lengths) outside of the average and nearly five seconds (25 lengths) slower than the Peninsula Handicap. Rainbow Lorikeet took full advantage and scored for Aldo Domeyer and Candice Bass-Robinson by the best part of a length over Knockout and Time For Love. The favourite Saartjie cast a shoe during the race and was never a factor, finishing last of the five runners.

Domeyer and Bass-Robinson were also successful with From A Distance in the third race, a Maiden Plate (F&M) over 1200m, and Kaiboy in the sixth race, a Class 3 Handicap over 1200m. Kaiboy was most impressive and the 3yo son of One World looks to be a smart sprinter in the making. From A Distance won readily at the expense Englefield Green and in his post-race interview, Domeyer suggested the daughter of Querari could be even better over slightly further.

Parental Guidance, a half-brother to last season’s Grade 1-winning Proceed, scored an impressive debut victory under Richard Fourie for the Paul Reeves stable in the R250 000 Commonwealth Plate for juveniles over 1000m, which got proceedings at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth under way. The 2yo son of Querari was largely ignored in the market but he stormed home in quick time and is one for the notebook.

The second race, the R200 000 Coronation Plate for 2yo fillies, was won by the Snaith-trained Wild Wild Green who came from a little way off the pace to get the better of Whatastar by a length. Wild Wild Green is a half-sister to Sheela who was trained to Graded-stakes success by the Azzie team on the Highveld.

ONE IRISH ROVER, with Damyan Pillay up, wins the Open A TabGold Account – 031 314 1874 MR 68 Handicap for trainer M J Odendaal at Hollywoodbets Scottsville yesterday.

Picture: Gold Circle/Candiese Lenferna

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