Eric Sands, who had to wait until the last before gaining Rainbow Bridge compensation on Sun Met day, has his horses in fine form and Still Tappin looks good for the Tabonline.co.za Maiden at Kenilworth tomorrow.
The Ridgemont filly with the North American pedigree has been placed on all four starts and, despite being drawn widest of all, she was only caught inside the last 100m when beaten by the smart-looking Voice Of Reason over this trip last time.
Admittedly she again has a poor draw but Anton Marcus can be almost guaranteed to make light of that. The selection is going to be a warm favourite – she was priced up at even money yesterday – but she has the best form and is rated 3.5kg better than the other six who have been given a mark.
Marcus may also win the Cape Town Prawn Festival Maiden on Al’s My Daddy for nephew Adam 40 minutes later. All the colt’s three runs have been good and he is 1.5kg top-rated. The main danger is probably Half And Half. The Justin Snaith runner was two and a half lengths further back sixth last time but Richard Fourie had to ease when suffering interference in the closing stages.
Water Spirit, 7-2 favourite for the Racing Association Handicap, is Marcus’s only other ride and comes here after running in the Pinnacle won by stable companion Front And Centre. This is obviously a considerable drop in class but she has been done no favours by the draw and it could pay to look elsewhere. The Greg Cheyne-ridden Gimme Gimme Gimme is a tentative selection and is attractively priced at 11-2.
Musical Glitch is the most experienced horse in the opening two-year-old race and, possibly significantly, the Glen Kotzen filly has been backed from 6-1 to 7-2.
Delta Queen, on the other hand, opened 5-2 favourite and has eased to 3-1 but it still might be worth taking a chance with the Dean Kannemeyer newcomer. By Var, Keagan de Melo’s mount is out of River Jetez who won the Met and a Group 2 in Dubai, and was a sister to Pocket Power. She cost R2 million and Dean Kannemeyer would not be running her so early in the season unless she was good enough to at least go close. Of those that have run Trickster makes most appeal.
Purple Cloud opened favourite for the other two-year-old race and the Candice Bass-Robinson newcomer has been firm in the market. The R800 000 purchase is by Soft Falling Rain out of a mare who won eight sprints. Aldo Domeyer’s mount gets the vote but watch out for fellow first-timer Soft Day.
By Michael Clower
