The average Pick 6 payout at the three January meetings at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth so far is a shade under R250 000, an encouraging carrot to get involved in Saturday 27 January’s expected R10-million pool.
The big day racecards are on the shelves, and there is plenty of motivation to study, with decent sized fields the order of the day, and a likely R4 million quartet on race 9.
The curtain-raiser to the World Sports Betting Met and the penultimate leg of the Pick 6, is the second renewal of the R7,5 million Cape Racing Gold Rush, a non black-type race partly modelled on the richly endowed The Everest, staged at Royal Randwick, Australia.
‘Prospectors’ buy places in the line-up (in our case, at R400k each) and can then negotiate a private deal with owners of horses that qualify for the final field.
The Cape Racing version is restricted to three-year-old Cape Premier Yearling Sale graduates, so the 2024 vintage stars graduate from the 2022 CPYS.
The colts carry 60 kg and fillies 57,5 kg, and the big money bonanza is staged over 1600m., with the first cheque of R5 million a big payday, no matter the financial status of the participants.
Sporting Post’s newest sponsored jockey Louis Mxothwa drew 7 for the Crawford fancy, Infrared (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The two standouts in the sixteen strong field are both Highveld raiders.
Tony Peter makes a rare Cape appearance with his only runner of the day in Gr1 winner Bavarian Beauty, who sports the highest merit rating of 112 in the field, won her only start as a 3yo. The daughter of Querari pulled a 10 draw on Wednesday evening’s big day barrier function and gets the services of Piere Strydom for owner Playgate SA.
Sean Tarry saddles Tail Of The Comet (106) who won the CRS Reay To Run Stakes at Hollywoodbets Durbanville in October, but has not really put his best foot forward in the Gr2 Cape Punters Cup or the Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas.
He will jump in midfield and it is encouraging that Richard Fourie sticks with him.
Owner Mano Pandaram pulled a decent 3 gate for his filly, Tamil Tigress (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
Tarry also saddles something of a dark horse in Pathfork gelding Storm Brasco (91), who followed up his maiden win with a good second to the promising Taegan’s Champ last time out. The Beaumont bred gelding has drawn on the M5 motorway, but Craig Zackey knows his way around the Southern Suburbs venue.
1st R5000000, 2nd R1000000, 3rd R600000, 4th R500000, 5th R400000
CAPE RACING GOLD RUSH
For 3-year-olds (Non-Black Type)No Apprentice / Female Sex Allowance
| 1 | 1 | Just Be Lekker | 57.5 | 97 | T A | Sean Veale | Candice Dawson | |
| 2 | 2 | Pritti Victory | 57.5 | 80 | A | Athandiwe Mgudlwa | Gareth van Zyl | |
| 3 | 3 | Tamil Tigress | 57.5 | 87 | A | Serino Moodley | Lorenzo Karriem | |
| 4 | 4 | Sunshine Day | 57.5 | 90 | A | Juan Paul v’d Merwe | J A Janse van Vuuren | |
| 5 | 5 | Willie John | 60 | 90 | A | Kabelo Matsunyane | Brett Crawford | |
| 6 | 6 | King Of The Gauls | 60 | 93 | A | Gavin Lerena | Tony Rivalland | |
| 7 | 7 | Infrared | 60 | 88 | A | Luyolo Mxothwa | Brett Crawford | |
| 8 | 8 | Tail Of The Comet | 60 | 106 | A | Richard Fourie | Sean Tarry | |
| 9 | 9 | Nocturnal Flight | 60 | 65 | A | Calvin Habib | Brett Crawford | |
| 10 | 10 | Bavarian Beauty | 57.5 | 112 | A | Piere Strydom | Tony Peter | |
| 11 | 11 | Winter Rainfall | 57.5 | 95 | A | Aldo Domeyer | Candice Bass-Robinson | |
| 12 | 12 | King Of Spin | 60 | 84 | A | Gareth Wright | Brett Crawford | |
| 13 | 13 | Rapidash | 60 | 97 | A | Grant van Niekerk | Justin Snaith | |
| 14 | 14 | Ready To Charge | 60 | 108 | A | Muzi Yeni | M G Azzie/A A Azzie | |
| 15 | 15 | Kupholiwe | 60 | 97 | Ae | Daniel Muscutt | Peter Muscutt | |
| 16 | 16 | Storm Brasco | 60 | 91 | T A | Craig Zackey | Sean Tarry | |
| 17 | 0 | Coastal Commander | 60 | 86 | A | Reserve 1 | Vaughan Marshall | |
| 18 | 0 | Escarpment | 60 | 80 | A | Reserve 2 | Piet Botha | |
| 19 | 0 | Champagne Mac | 60 | 78 | A | Reserve 3 | Brett Crawford | |
| Same Trainer | ||||||||
| (5,7,9,12,19) (8,16) | ||||||||
