The second renewal of the R1,5 million CRS Cape Slipper promises to be one of the highlights of the inaugural Cape Racing Sales Festival which will culminate with a bumper raceday on Sunday 16 March at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, with the lead up of the CRS Premier Yearling Sale on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 March.
The innovative festival effectively extends the bumper Cape Summer Season Of Champions, creating an eighth festival racemeeting to book-end close on five months of high-quality horseracing.
The CRS Cape Slipper is a non black-type 1200m contest restricted to graduates of the 2024 Premier Yearling Sale, and is already shaping as a clash of the juvenile titans, ahead of the SA Champions Season on the East Coast.
Military Command storms home under Craig Zackey (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
The Peter Muscutt-trained Military Command became the latest qualifier to put up his hand when he scored an eyecatching victory under Craig Zackey at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Wednesday.
The Kilimanjaro Bloodstock bred son of Fire Away was always in the firing line, and scored well after a fourth at his first start just eleven days earlier. Log-leading jockey Zackey was clearly impressed, saying that the colt ‘looks like a racehorse’.
Heading the charge to the big payday is this summer’s leading juvenile, Black Cheetah.
The Querari colt won the Futurity Plate and then followed up with an expected win on L’Ormarins King’s Plate day in the Charles Dickens Stakes. The step up to 1200m for the Slipper should not be an issue for this exciting prospect.
Querari son Black Cheetah is unbeaten in two starts (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)
A debut winner of the Commonwealth Plate on Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas day, the Paul Reeves-trained Parental Guidance followed up with a smart place behind the aforementioned Black Cheetah in the Charles Dickens.
Vaughan Marshall’s Dreamworld had the dogs barking down Milnerton way prior to his facile debut victory over the Cape Slipper track and trip on 15 February. He is an Avontuur Stud-bred youngster with a big reputation and even bigger shoes to fill based on his outstanding pedigree.
Recently purchased by Jonathan Snaith off a partnership dissolution auction, the Gimmethegreenlight colt Malmesbury Missile won his maiden in cracking fashion after two close-up placed efforts. Bred by Drakenstein out of the Gr1 winning juvenile Gabor, this athlete looks to have plenty to come.
Leading Highveld juvenile Read All About It is a Cape Racing Sales premier sale graduate who won like a colt with a future on debut recently. The question is – will the smart son of Hawwaam make the trip South for the big money on offer?
The Highveld-based Hawwaam colt Read All About It is a Cape Slipper qualifier – will he travel? (Pic – JC Photos)
The Rafeef filly Glastonbury is another impressive Highveld juvenile prospect. The Paul Matchett filly has bundles of speed and could make her presence felt, with her 2,5kg sex allowance.
Another Snaith charge in the mix is the luckless Trippi filly Clair De Lune, who has run three seconds at her first three outings. Those include two feature runner-up cheques, and she is overdue to win. The Cape Slipper could be her time to shine!
Yet another member of the fairer sex hovering on the fringes is the Candice Bass-Robinson trained Whatastar, who has run three places and looks ready to win.
There are a number of well-bred qualifiers who have yet to step out, but who knows what ace will be dealt in the next week or so ahead of entries for the R1,5 million CRS Cape Slipper which close at 11h00 on Friday 7 March?
Declarations for the CRS Cape Slipper are due by 11h00 on Monday 10 March.
