No need for Dutch courage with Philip

Dutch Philip, one of South Africa’s top two-year-olds of last season when he won two Kenilworth feature races, returns to action at Durbanville today and his performance will be watched with interest.

Often juvenile form is not carried forward to three, but that should not be the case with Dutch Philip, who is by What A Winter – a top-class sprinter with confirmed longevity during his racing career – and out of a mare who raced from 2009 to 2012, winning at least one race every year.

So chances are that Dutch Philip will continue where he left off last season.

He followed a winning debut with a third in the Summer Juvenile Stakes over 1000m at Kenilworth on Met Day but did not taste defeat again, with the form of all three of his subsequent starts being franked.

His penultimate start was in the Somerset 1200 (Listed) and he took no prisoners, leading more than 400m from the line and going away to win by a length from Kasimir (won next time).

His most recent racecourse appearance came in the Grade 3 Cape Of Good Hope Nursery over 1200m and he won nearly as easily, by 0.75 lengths from Speedpoint (subsequently third in the Langerman).

That was on 27 May but trainer Candice Bass-Robinson is a consummate professional and will have pencilled in a few big targets for Dutch Philip during the Cape summer season and he should take a power of beating.

Today he runs in Race 6 and is a banker in all bets with jockey Aldo Domeyer trying to keep his 100% record on the colt intact.

Black Cat Back is on a winning roll but his wins in his last three starts have come over 1400m and, although he resumes after a two-month break, looks likely to find the distance a bit sharp.

So it might pay to side with Starflash for second. Vaughan Marshall’s charge is a three-time winner from seven starts and was just in need of the run when beaten a length by Rock Of Africa over 1200m at Kenilworth this month. He will be fitter now and won’t concede the lead without a fight.

Punters should note Var filly Straat-Kind was a late scratching and that others to consider for places include Olympian, Prince Myshkin and Al Wahed.