Marcus, Strydom to ride in Cape Winter Guineas

Anton Marcus and Piere Strydom both fly to Cape Town on Saturday for the Highlands Stud Winter Guineas, the first leg of the Winter Series. Marcus has a particularly good record in the Kenilworth Grade 3 race, winning three of the last five runnings.

This time he partners Turbulent Air for Justin Snaith for whom he won on Readytogorightnow four years ago. Strydom rides I Travel Light for Joey Ramsden who won with Winter Solstice (2004), Variety Club (2012) and Act Of War two years ago.

Ramsden also runs Newlands (Donovan Dillon) who is having his first run since finishing fourth to Vodacom Durban July hope Edict Of Nantes in the Investec Cape Derby. Newlands is the highest rated horse in the race but is not helped by being drawn 12 of the 14 runners. Elevated is the next highest and was fourth in the Grand Parade Cape Guineas.

He races without shoes and will be ridden for the first time by Piet Botha who is making a comeback after spending several years on the sidelines running his own coffee machine business.

Our Mate Art is also on the comeback trail after hurting himself in the Selangor. He ran well in a 1400m Pinnacle at the beginning of the month but his wide draw will hardly help his chance even though he is ridden by the in-form Aldo Domeyer, successful on Marinaresco 12 months ago.

Candice Bass-Robinson, whose father Mike won eight of the last 20 runnings, has the biggest hand with four runners.