The Cape Summer Of Champions heat is on and the running of the R400 000 Gr2 Choice Carriers Championship at Kenilworth on Saturday is a sure sign that things are hotting up. The race has been won by some of our best 3yo fillies, and the 2015 renewal looks to deliver something special again.
Entisaar wins the 2015 Gr1 Allan Robertson
The honour roll down the years of this prestigious Gr2 race speaks for itself, with names like Mother Russia, Captain’s Lover and Princess Victoria shining brightly.
And ironically, it will be the champion Princess Victoria’s half-sister Princess Royal, who will carry the flag for a hometown victory in the face of a powerful out-of-province strike by Mike De Kock.
The master trainer, who saddled a feature double at last Saturday’s Charity Mile day, comes to the Mother City with the very smart Australian-bred Entisaar.
The daughter of More Than Ready has not run for 24 weeks since winning the Gr1 Allan Robertson Championship – her third stakes victory in four starts-when beating Princess Royal a length.
In third place there was Saturday’s Gr3 Starling Stakes victress Made Dubois.
Entisaar is the standout class in the race and everything points to her stamping herself on the local scene at her first start around the turn.
Princess Royal won the East Cape Nursery in style
Princess Royal will be ridden by the hot in-form Andrew Fortune and returns from an 18 week break following a fifth 2,60 lengths behind Chestnuts ‘N Pearls in the Gr1 Golden Slipper on July day.
That winner has not really confirmed the form convincingly but Princess Royal has always looked way above average and could be a different proposition on home turf over the 1400m.
The Listed Devon Air Stakes winner Flying Ice made a quiet Cape debut when under 2 lengths off Petala last time.
The daughter of Go Deputy has drawn wide, but her overall form is difficult to fault.
Mike Bass gets a run for two of his runners.
Mike Bass – two decent runners
Silver Mountain is an exciting sort, having won 2 from 3 but has drawn in Wynberg and looks to have a tough ask.
Grant Van Niekerk rides stablemate Taffety Tart, a recent impressive maiden winner.
Justin Snaith’quartet is headed by the exciting Gr3 Kenilworth Fillies Nursery winner Petala.
The daughter of Captain Al has won 3 of 4 starts and the well drawn course and distance winner will not go down without a squeak.
Star Express has drawn wide but has won 2 of her 5 starts and must have a running-on into the place money chance.
The other two look to have some ground to make up.
Paddy Kruyer’s Listed Irridescence Stakes winner Anglet needed her last run when just under 3 lengths behind Petala.
Paddy Kruyer’s Anglet is very talented
She won three on the trot prior to that and is distance and track proven.
At the level weight terms of the race, it is difficult envisaging anything else spooking the top few.
That is, with the exception possibly of the lightly tried Icy Fire, who represents the 2014 winning jockey-trainer combination.
The daughter of Western Winter has pulled a paint draw and, as a course and distance winner, could outperform her official rating. She has run on strongly at all of her 3 starts and must go into calculations.
The balance could struggle.
Dennis Drier and Sean Cormack have had a tough start to their Cape campaign, with a few fancied runners going missing. They team up with the poorly drawn, Well In Flight. The daughter of Just As Well has won two races from three starts, with an aggregate six lengths win margin, but this will be tougher.
Just Felicity wins her second start
Just Felicity was beaten only 2,95 lengths by Inara in the Diana Stakes, but carried a paperweight and will need some improvement over this unproven trip from her wide draw.
Listed Perfect Promise Sprint winner My Emblem won a cracker over the Durbanville 1300m at her return from a break last time, when beating subsequent winner Waity Katie. Her form has been consistent and she looks a place prospect.
Princess Royal’s stablemate Night In Tahiti won on debut and after a dull second run, showed better last time when chasing Varumba home. She should enjoy the 1400m.
All said and done, the visitor Entisaar looks difficult to oppose and she is the choice to beat Icy Fire and Princess Royal.
