Duncan Howells’ unbeaten filly Cosmic Light had a slight setback upon arrival in Cape Town, which saw her progress interrupted. It was not a serious problem but considering her class the yard did not want to take any chances. She is consequently only making her comeback in the Gr 2 Southern Cross Stakes over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturday, a race which falls on the same day as her original intended target, the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas.

Howells will not aim her at anything big for the rest of the Cape Summer Of Champions Season. However, she will likely stay on at the end of the season for the Gr 3 Vasco Prix du Cap over 1400m at Kenilworth on February 20, 2016, before returning to KZN.

Howells was thrilled with the run of Same Jurisdiction in the Gr 2 Cape Merchants over 1200m last time out. He felt she had run “a cracker” considering she had to give weight to all of the boys. She will now run in a conditions plate and then go for her first intended big race of the season, the Gr 1 Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes over 1800m on January 9.

Meanwhile, Howells’ talented but temperamental colt Sylvester The Cat will be gelded following his refusal to jump in the Gr 2 Selangor Cup on November 21. He won’t run again in the Cape Summer Of Champions Season.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Cosmic Light (Nkosi Hlophe)

Sean Tarry has nominated French Navy for the J&B Met but is unlikely to send both him and Legal Eagle down for the Cape’s premier race.

Tarry felt it would be foolish to not have one of his two biggest middle distance horses ideally prepared for the Gr 1 President’s Champions Challenge at the end of April as that race was now worth R4 million.

Legal Eagle is the most likely to go down for the Met and will raid, while French Navy is likely to stay at home at Randjesfontein. The latter ran another cracking race on Saturday when a close up third in the Gr 1 SANSUI Summer Cup. He could have been a touch unlucky having had to come from a mile back.

By David Thiselton

Picture: French Navy (Nkosi Hlophe)

Candice Robinson revealed the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas favourite Silver Mountain is as well as she can be leading into Saturday’s big race at Kenilworth, but was not taking anything for granted.

She pointed out the Silvano filly had enjoyed a lot of luck when overcoming her wide draw of 15 to win the Gr 2 Choice Carrier’s Championships over 1400m last time out and should not expect the same luck from another wide draw of eleven on Saturday.

By David Thiselton

OPENING BETTING FOR THE WORLD SPORTS BETTING CAPE FILLIES GUINEAS (Grade 1) 1600m

1.  Silver Mountain   6/10 – 2.  Flying Ice   10/1 – 3.  Taffety Tart   14/1 – 4.  A Time To Dream   10/1 – 5.  Well In Flight   16/1 – 6.  Noor   9/1 – 7.  Anglet   25/1 – 8.  Bela-Bela   6/1 – 9.  Ocean’s Swell   50/1 – 10.  Icy Fire   16/1 – 11.  Our Destiny   33/1 – 12.  Valediction   50/1 – 13.  Miss Marker   50/1.

Turffontein stages a nine race meeting today and punters will be looking to either build on their SANSUI Summer Cup gains or recoup their losses.

The first is a workrider’s maiden over 1800m and Zillionaire beat El Bombero in a 1600m maiden the last time they met when setting the pace and, being out of SA Fillies Classic winner Zaitoon, she should enjoy the step up in trip. El Bombero also looks set to enjoy the trip, having finished well over 1600m in his last two starts, and his wide draw is alleviated by the fact that he has the top workrider Lyle Hewitson up. Thunder Applause had plenty of excuses first time out but should improve and could earn a place.

The second race, a fillies and mares maiden over 1800m, should see Silvano filly Mythical Magic getting off the mark having finished third over 1600m last time out against the boys, just 6,3 lengths behind the classy New Predator who went on to only just be touched off in the Investec Dingaans. Kellie Firth lost a length on debut over 1400m and was green so as one with plenty of scope for improvement could be a threat for the high-flying SANSUI Summer Cup-winning combination Geoff Woodruff and Gavin Lerena. Indzaba has been knocking on the door up to 1600m but is not a certainty to appreciate the step up in trip.

In the third race over 1800m, a fillies and mares MR 80 Handicap, the three-year-old fillies feature form this season looks suspect to date so horses like Star Of Love and Nikki, who have form related to the Gr 3 Fillies Mile, might be a tad flattered. Krystle Carrington loves this course and distance and Weichong Marwing stays aboard. Fortitude has a Gr 3 place over this trip to her name and showed her well being over the too sharp 1200m last time out. She would have benefitted from the run and is off a competitive merit rating. Withbatedbreath is course and distance suited and has a plum draw of three. She’s A Looker and Run For Revelry must also be considered.

The fourth is a Maiden for fillies and mares over 1450m. Miss Wales ran a good race on debut and has a fair draw over a step up in trip she should appreciate so she should go close for the Summer Cup-winning combination. Silvery Dream made late progress on debut over course and distance and with natural improvement should be right there from another good draw. Green Goddess should improve on her debut over course and distance, when green before finishing fast. She has a wide daw to overcome but looks capable of dropping out and coming from off the pace.

In the fifth race, a MR 72 Handicap over 1600m, Caymen Sunset is only three points higher for his last win and is drawn well again, so this progressive four-year-old can follow up from a good draw with Lerena keeping the ride. King And Empire is drawn in pole and the Alexander/Fortune combination could go close to bagging yet another winner as he is off a competitive merit rating and appears to have come into his own. Antonius Charm appeared to love the course and distance last time so from a similar draw could be right there again despite a five point merit rating raise.

In the sixth, a MR 74 Handicap over 1200m, Chepardo won in good style on debut and could follow up off a nice merit rating over a similar distance, especially considering he is drawn well. Lady Al lost a length last time and still ran a fair race behind a good sort over 1000m. She can be dropped out from her tricky draw as she always runs on well. Son Of Approval returns to his probable best trip so could be a big runner from a good draw.

In the seventh, a fillies and mares MR 76 handicap over 1000m, A Million Dreams was not disgraced in her last two runs behind useful sorts and Strydom is aboard. Patty Cake has some good form and is better drawn than last time so should be a runner.  Cute Lady loves this course and distance and will likely use her good early pace to overcome her high draw. Cataluga went close over this trip down the straight last time despite a saddle slip but has a tough draw. Captain’s Diva is consistently thereabouts and is well drawn but has been given a five point raise for her last win.

The eighth is a fillies and mares MR 76 handicap over 1450m and Aldiara has fared well against some good sorts recently so could clinch this under Fortune, despite a tough draw. Hit The Big Time is interesting returned to the trip of her good race three runs ago as she has been seen to pull over further and Strydom is now aboard. Kings V goes for a distance hattrick but also has a tough draw. Miss Magical is in fine form and proved her liking for course and distance last time, although she is another with a wide draw. Soul Of Spain is drawn well and on the evidence of her easy maiden win should love this trip. La Digue should be thereabouts from a good draw as she has continued in fair form since her maiden win.

In the ninth, a Maiden over 1450m, Severino is a pacey sort who has been knocking on the door over sprints and, as one who has a chance of staying this trip on pedigree, he is possibly the one to side with. Resolute Captain caught the eye on debut when nearly making all and has a chance with Lerena keeping the ride, despite a tough draw. The race should set up well for closers like West Coast Warrior, Neptune’s Jewel and King Gerard.

By David Thiselton

Picture: Sharp Princess (Nkosi Hlophe)

The fillies sprinting division suddenly has a strong look to it around the country and this is emphasised by the field which lines up for the Gr 2 World Sports Betting Southeaster Sprint over 1000m at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The new sprinting sensation Little Genie was travelling down to Cape Town yesterday and her Vaal-based trainer Dominic Zaki felt the key to her race would simply revolve around how well she travelled because her preparation had gone very well. The four-year-old Judpot filly has won her last five in a row and proved in no uncertain terms last time out in the Listed Gardenia Stakes over 1000m that none of her exceptional speed is “cheap”. Her usual brilliant gatespeed enabled her to find the front in that race and she then used her tremendous early pace to open up a lead. However, when the Gr 1-winner Carry On Alice ranged up alongside her she found another gear and got up to win by a head. She was running off a mere 97 merit rating to Carry On Alice’s 115, yet was receiving only 1,5kg. She now faces Carry On Alice on 0,5kg better terms and the tough Kenilworth course should suit her down to the ground as she has won over 1200m with ease before.

Carry On Alice will have had the advantage of having been down in Cape Town for three weeks, having travelled the day after her meeting with Little Genie on November 14. She took it easy for a week upon arrival and has been doing well since. She is also suited to the Kenilworth track as one with high cruising speed, a range of gears and the ability to stay up to a mile. In her only start over the course and distance in last season’s Gr 1 Betting World Cape Flying Championship over 1000m she had to wait for an age in the stalls due to a horse breaking through the gates, while some of her rivals were allowed to be unloaded, yet she still finished a fine 1,55 length third to Alboran Sea.

The Mike Bass-trained Fly By Night is one of the other horses in the field who carry a 2kg penalty and will do better than her seasonal reappearance in a Conditions Plate over course and distance in which the front-runner Jo’s Bond went to the front before pulling away. She is six-years-old and Candice Robinson said, “I struggled a bit to get her ready at the beginning of the season and she then proved more in need of that last run than I originally thought. Hopefully we have got her ready this time, she is certainly working well, but it is a strong field and she has usually been better over 1200m.”

Robinson also lamented Kenilworth running very fast at the moment meaning the front-running speedsters often prove hard to catch and if that proves the case on Saturday Little Genie will have an advantage.

Fly By Night’s stablemate Lanner Falcon showed her speed and class in the same Conditions Plate Fly By Night ran in last time as she was still able to make up ground at the finish. She is also well and Robinson expected a good race, but pointed out the 1000m was very much too sharp for her and she didn’t know whether she was up to beating some of the best in the race. She concluded by saying Fly By Night would be the stable elect if at her best.

The Mike de Kock-trained Entisaar is the third of the Gr 1 winners in the race. The yard have opted for this race instead of the GR 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas so likely believed she would not stay the mile, having been caught last time out by Silver Mountain in the Gr 2 Choice Carriers Championship over 1400m. She showed good pace throughout when winnning her previous start, the Gr 1 Allan Robertson over 1200m at Scottsville before finding a late kick. She could be a threat as she also showed good early pace when winning the Gr 2 SA Fillies Nursery over 1160m at Turffontein, which she won easily despite a tardy start and jumping from the wrong side.

Another horse with both speed and class is the Brett Crawford-trained Alexis, who won the Gr 2 KRA Fillies Guineas against a strong field and subsequently beat Carry On Alice when running fifth in the Gr 1 Jonsson Workwear Garden Province Stakes over 1600m. This four-year-old Dynasty filly has only had nine starts and has won twice over the Kenilworth 1200m. This will be her first start over 1000m and the Crawford yard are known for having them fit first up, so she could be the dark horse. Alexis’s stablemate Cuvee Brut is a fair sort but looks a bit outclassed here.

The Duncan Howells-trained Querari filly Cosmic Light is the only unbeaten runner in the field and is another with both speed and class, but she had a slight injury setback upon arriving in Cape Town which delayed her progress and she has consequently missed her main aim the Cape Filllies Guineas. Howells felt that due to it being too sharp for her, coupled with the strength of the field, he will be happy if she finished three or four lengths back.

The Glen Kotzen-trained Princess Royal was unlucky in the Allan Robertson and has had the benefit of one run under the belt. She is notoriously temperamental and is another whose plan to run in the Fillies Guineas has been abandoned in favour of this sprint. She is a half-sister to the brilliant Princess Victoria and her speed and class make her a factor.

The Justin Snaith-trained Jo’s Bond showed what she is capable of last time and won’t be under-estimated again by the rest of the riders. This race will show just how good she is, although the CTS Million Dollar is likely her main target.

Rock On Baby is the lowest rated horse in the race but shouldn’t be underestimated as she was only 2,5 lengths behind Jo’s Bond last time at level weights (if the apprentice claim on Jo’s Bond is included) and Dennis Drier’s horses have all proved in need of their first runs in Cape Town.

Real Princess has always been highly rated by Dean Kannemeyer and with one run under her belt, when running on for third to Jo’s Bond, she could earn despite officially having it tough at the weights.

Priceless Jewel is a sprint-miler with speed and class but this trip proved a touch sharp for her last year.

The draw is also going to be a factor and recently retired top jockey Karl Neisius provided some insight into the factors which decide which side of the course they go.  The southeaster headwind blows from the left, from the jockeys’ perspectives, and tends to see them going to the outside because sitting to the right of a horse’s quarters provides a wind shield and the outside horses then tend to quicken better. However, Saturday’s wind as a mild South Wester of ten knots will come from the jockeys’ right, so they may well stick to the inside. It can also depend on where the speed in the race is, so with Little Genie drawn ten, it is anybody’s guess which side they will go.

The prevailing fast going will suit Little Genie. However, Entisaar is given the nod from Carry On Alice and Little Genie, with Alexis and Princess Royal next best.

By David Thiselton