The Andrews family homebred Red Palace has history stacked against her.
But she certainly sets a poser for Pick 6 players when she lines up as the solitary rose amongst the thorns in Saturday’s R2 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas at a sold-out Hollywoodbets Kenilworth.
Only one other filly has arrived to take on the males in the past five renewals of the prestigious ‘classic of kings’, and we have to go as far back as three decades to find the last fairer sex winner.
Andrew Fortune returns on Little Ballerina after beating the boys in 1993!
Her name was Little Ballerina and she was given a peach of a ride by Andrew Fortune to make it an all-girls exacta when beating Fair Model (Eric Chelin) in the 1993 Argus Bloodline Guineas run at Milnerton.
Scratched from the start at her last two engagements – including when more fancied than eventual winning stablemate Beach Bomb in the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas- Red Palace has been priced up at 6-1 by Hollywoodbets and comes in fresh off an eight week break since scoring an impressive post-maiden victory at Hollywoodbets Durbanville.
At her penultimate engagement a horse walked in behind her and she kicked the back of the gate.
Red Palace – looking to buck the trend on Saturday (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
She hadn’t forgotten that spook when she refused to load in the Gr 1 WSB Cape Fillies Guineas two weeks ago.
Equine Behaviouralist Malan du Toit has been hard at work getting Red Palace’ mind tuned in and he will be at the start on Saturday.
The daughter of Potala Palace is set to join some illustrious company if she can achieve the dream on Saturday.
Looking at history, the brilliant Star Effort is the only horse to have won both sexes classic in the Cape.
Star Efforts wins the 1991 Cape Fillies Guineas – before going on to win the Cape Guineas
That was in 1991, and her victory over the males was repeated by the galloping goldmine Empress Club the following year.
Other female winners of the Cape Guineas are Renounce (1965) and Response (1957).
Red Palace’ trainer Candice Bass-Robinson, who won the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas last year with Charles Dickens, also saddles Captain Arrow and Jerusalema Rain, on Saturday.
She was an assistant to her Dad Mike when the yard’s Silver Mountain took on the boys in the 2015 renewal. That was two weeks after grabbing the honours in the Cape Fillies Guineas. The Maine Chance raced daughter of Silvano ended up fourth behind Noah From Goa, in a meritorious performance.
Red Palace looks No ticket, no chance, and Anthony Andrews will be the toast of the family if he can bring Red Palace home from her 9 gate on Saturday.
A reminder that there is a R1 million Pick 6 carryover on a tricky but lovely card, and the big race sponsors have added some nice cash incentives in the Hollywoodbets Punters’ Challenge.
Players can win big on the day and aim to win the estimated R2,4 Million Jackpot prize for selecting all of the winners on the day.
There’s also a massive prize of R100 000 up for grabs for placing in the Top 50 on the leaderboard, and a R100 000 must-be-won prize for the punter who selects the most winners on the day.
Please note that all amounts quoted above are subject to Bet Slip bonus rules.
Read more here and find out how you can join the winner’s queue in this exciting competition.
- The first is off at 11h30.
- Gates open at 11h00.
- Don’t forget to buy your R10 entry ticket at Shoprite or Computicket!
