The first World Pool meeting of 2024 will be held at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town this afternoon (Saturday, 27 January) with the staging of Cape Town Met Day, which is one of the best days on the South African racing calendar.
With 10 races to be simulcast from 5.55pm, our customers will be able to experience the best of South African racing, while also enjoying maximum liquidity through the World Pool operation which again proved immensely successful in 2023.
The first of three Group 1 races from Kenilworth is the World Pool Cape Flying Championship carded as S1-6 at 8.50pm. It is run over the 1000m straight course and the speed in the race will be good throughout.
ISIVUNGUVUNGU had a wonderful 2023, winning both the Mercury and Computaform Sprints at Group 1 level. He resumed at Kenilworth on 6 January after a six month lay-off to just fade in the closing stages, finishing a close second to THUNDERSTRUCK in the G2 Winchester Cup over this course and distance and is my win and place selection.
THUNDERSTRUCK had a string of placings in major sprints last year but has now won his last two runs at Kenilworth and at his latest rallied strongly for champion rider Piere Strydom to beat ISIVUNGUVUNGU in the Winchester Cup in fast time. THUNDERSTRUCK has drawn right alongside ISIVUNGUVUNGU and it will be a great contest between the two favourites.
Of the rest of the runners, SURJAY has been placed at his last five runs in top level sprints and DYCE and MUFASA also have place claims.
The Majorca Stakes, which is carded as S1-7, is a Group 1 race for fillies and mares run over 1600m at 9.25pm. Three-year-old fillies have a good record in the race and BEACH BOMB won the Cape Fillies Guineas against her own age and sex at the track and distance in December and then beat the mares when she extended in distance to take the Paddock Stakes over 1800m on 6 January. In that race, she beat PRINCESS CALLA and HAPPY CHANCE. BEACH BOMB runs on from the back so her wide draw may not be a problem and she is a win and place chance.
PRINCESS CALLA was run down only late in that race and will be suited coming back to the 1600m. PRINCESS CALLA is a four-time Group 1 winner and is incredibly consistent at the highest level. She has drawn well in gate five and is a place chance.
RED PALACE is a stable-mate of BEACH BOMB and was second against the colts in the Cape Guineas in December before over-racing and failing to finish off at the 1800m of the Paddock Stakes.
The other interesting runner is star mare MAKE IT SNAPPY, who has won four of six career starts, including the 2023 Paddock Stakes, at Kenilworth. MAKE IT SNAPPY resumes after a year away from the track but is highly talented and would be in the finish on her best form.
The main race at the meeting is the Cape Town Met, which is carded as S1-9 at 10.45pm run over 2000m.
The overwhelming favourite in the race is SEE IT AGAIN to be ridden by Piere Strydom for trainer Michael Roberts. SEE IT AGAIN won the Cape Derby at Kenilworth last year and since then has finished in the top two at six subsequent starts.
At his most recent, he was runner-up to South Africa’s champion horse Charles Dickens, who has since been retired, over 1600m in the King’s Plate on 6 January. Extending to 2000m, SEE IT AGAIN is my win selection, particularly if the pace in the race is genuine.
Jason Snaith goes into the race with five runners with ROYAL AUSSIE, PACAYA and MUCHO DINERO seemingly the best of the five.
After leading at his two previous runs, ROYAL AUSSIE ran home strongly for a distant third in the King’s Plate and is a place chance if reproducing that effort. PACAYA has run well at this last two runs over 1800m at Kenilworth and has an ideal draw in gate three and is also a place chance.
MUCHO DINERO goes into the race off a four-race winning streak, finishing strongly to beat AT MY COMMAND and PACAYA at Group 2 level over 1800m here on 6 January.
Of the other runners RASCALLION was sixth in this race last year to JET DARK, when beaten two lengths and can run well at good odds.
Hong Kong racing takes centre stage tomorrow (Sunday, 28 January) with the running of the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin and we will have a special blog tomorrow to focus on that meeting.
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