Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas – Are They Running For Second?

The Cape’s talking horse Charles Dickens heads a sixteen-strong entry, including four visitors, for the R2 million Hollywoodbets Gr1 Cape Guineas to be run at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on 17 December.

Come get us! Aldo Domeyer is having fun riding the chestnut machine (Pic – Chase Liebenberg)

The classic of kings boasts an honour roll of the very best of the sophomore crop over decades and the 2022 renewal promises a vintage contest, with stakes boosted substantially, and local boom horse Charles Dickens making his Gr1 debut as he takes on Gr1 winning fellow Capetonian Cousin Casey, and Mike de Kock’s recent Gr2 Jonsson Workwear Dingaans 1-2 of Union Square and Shoemaker.

But the Hollywoodbets ante-post betting suggests it’s a local boat race of sorts, between Candice Bass-Robinson’s chestnut and Kotzen’s Gr1 winner.

While the summer course levels the playing field, the two Cape kingpins drew wide out, while the De Kock duo got a bit luckier at 5 and 8, respectively.

Anfields Rocket – Gauteng visitor now races for the Hollywood Syndicate (Pic – JC Photos)

An interesting prospective runner is Graham Beck Stakes winner Anfields Rocket, who sidestepped the Dingaans as a result of a wide gate, but has had no luck again, drawing 14 out of 16. He will be ridden by Gavin Lerena.

He is now owned by the high-riding Hollywood Syndicate, who celebrated their first Gr1 success in over 20 years of racing, when Make It Snappy won the WSB Cape Fillies Guineas on Saturday.

Supplementary entries close at 11h00 on Friday 9 December.

Declarations are due by 11h00 on Monday 12 December.