Dutch Philip tops field

Dutch Philip dominates the eight-strong field for the Grade 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over 1200m at Kenil­worth on Saturday but he is going to have to overcome a statistical disadvantage. He seems sure to start a strong favourite but only two outright favourites have won this in the past 12 years and only two winners of the Listed Somer­set 1200 have gone on to take this race during the same period.

However, the Candice Bass- Robinson-trained runner looks hard to beat. He has won three of his four starts and in the Somer­set he gave weight all around and scored comfortably. He will be 2kg better off with Zodiac Jack who he beat over four lengths into third.

It is significant that none of the other four Somerset runners are taking him on again although it’s worth noting that the Joey Ramsden pair Morning Catch and Speedpoint were both scratched because of a viral infection. Morn­ing Catch won his only start, beat­ing Captain Ram, while Speed­point (a winner in March) was only beaten 0.50 lengths at levels by Dutch Philip next time.

Virtue, stable companion of Dutch Philip, won his only start a month ago.

Brett Crawford also saddles two runners – Dollar Tractor, who came with a late surge to get up close home and justify favourit­ism in a maiden on the day of the Somerset, and Supreme Orator, who also won on his second outing coming with a strong run to beat the Dean Kannemeyer newcomer Badawee by 0.50 lengths.

The trainers with the best re­cent records are Justin Snaith and Vaughan Marshall but neither has a runner this time.

The draw is not expected to be of any particular significance.

Final field for the R200,000 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery (Grade 3 ) over 1200m at Kenil­worth.

1 – 4 BADAWEE (D Kannemeyer) G Behr 60.0 – 77

2 – 2 DOLLAR TRACTOR (B Crawford) S Cele 60.0 – 82

3 – 7 DUTCH PHILIP (C L Bass- Robinson) A Domeyer 60.0 – 102

4 – 1 MORNING CATCH (J Rams­den) J Bekker 60.0 – 85

5 – 8 SPEEDPOINT (J Ramsden) O Noach 60.0 – 96

6 – 6 SUPREME ORATOR (B Crawford) J P v’d Merwe 60.0 – 78

7 – 5 VIRTUE (C L Bass-Robin­son) G Wright 60.0 – 80

8 – 3 ZODIAC JACK (G W En­nion) K Zechner 60.0 – 88

Same Trainer: (2,6) (3,7) (4,5)