As the exciting KwaZulu-Natal season recedes into the past, attention swings to the mud of Kenilworth in Cape Town, which offers this weekend’s only graded feature race, the R80000 weight-for-age Champagne Stakes for fillies and mares over 1200m.
The race has attracted a few useful older sprinters but the winner could be an improving member of the youth brigade, Special Find.
With just six runs under her belt, including two wins, Special Find’s most memorable performance to date was in the Cape Fillies Nursery in May when she flew up for second behind Dance Of Diamonds over the course and distance.
The daughter of champion sprinter Special Preview had all sorts of excuses on the day, being baulked for a clear run at a crucial stage of the race and being forced to switch out before going down by a rapidly diminishing neck. Her jockey on the day, veteran Garth Puller, could barely hide his frustration, declaring to anyone who would listen that Special Find was the best juvenile filly in the Cape.
With just 51kg to shoulder in this event, the ride on Piet Steyn’s charge goes to Piet Botha, a talented lightweight.
Gia’s Dynamite and Cashelair, now five and six years old respectively, are both from the in-form stable of Glen Kotzen and they could give Special Find the most to do. Both have good recent form but doubts persist about their ability over this stiff six furlongs, especially on energy-sapping soft ground.
Having saddled the winners of both the Met (Bunter Barlow) and July (Trademark) in a dream season, Mike Bass has proven himself a force to be reckoned with, and his pair in this race, Good Tradition and Princess Carolyn, will both handle the distance well. Princess Carolyn, especially, appeals, having half a length and 1kg to spare over her stable companion on their last run.
In the second race the consistent Gurnard appeals as one to be with. He has placed in seven of 12 runs and should shed his maiden status over the 1000m.
At Gosforth Park on Saturday little-known trainer TJ Khoarai has engaged champion jockey Piere Strydom to partner his colt, Custody, in the first race. This one ran a good third on debut and seems to have just Don Rodrigo to beat.
Race 2, a maiden plate for fillies over 1300m, features seven modest-looking individuals and Silent Manoeuvre, a Gary Alexander-trained debutante by West Man who is a half-sister to Cape Guineas winner St John’s Wood. Watch her.
Strydom should also score on James Maree’s filly Swift Flight in the fourth race, a maiden plate over 1700m, and on Dianne Stenger’s Heart Of My Heart in the ninth.
Geoff Woodruff has made a good start to the season and could pick up another race in the sixth with Best Of The Rest, who was just touched off in his last run over 1300m.
The deposed champion trainer must also have a serious chance with Brassy Badger in the eighth. This gelding has bumped a couple of good ones recently and last time just failed to hold off Majestic Duel, who followed up with a hat-trick win on Saturday. His main opposition could come from Theatre Of Dreams, who runs with blinkers for the first time.
Clairwood Park best bets: Careless Mirth (race 3); National Address (race 4).