FINDING FORM. Alabarkah has the experience but Glen Kotzen's charge will have to be at his best if he is to prove any challenge to improving three-year-old Forward Drive. Picture: Supplied
It might be a mundane midweek meeting but tomorrow’s Kenilworth card features some up-and-coming youngsters who could play a big part in the Cape summer season.
Trainer Paul Reeves looks to have a useful three-year-old in Forward Drive. The son of King’s Apostle has only raced four times for a close-up fifth on debut, a 1.65-length third place behind Eighth Wonder and then two successive wins.
Both victories were most impressive. The grey colt’s first victory was over 1000m at Kenilworth, in which he beat Cavallino by 3.25 lengths. In his next start – a MR 72 Handicap over 1200m – he beat the aptly named Blow Me Away, exactly what Forward Drive did. Once again, he won by 3.25 lengths, and was hardly off the bit at any stage. What has been impressive is that four winners have come from his first victory and one from his last run. Tomorrow he lines up in a MR 80 Handicap over 1200m at Kenilworth and looks hard to oppose, despite the increase in class.
Once again he will be ridden by apprentice Brandon May, with whom the colt seems to have built up a good relationship. It is also in his favour that May is a 4kg claimer.
The main threat looks to come from Albarakah, but there is a line of form through Blow Me Away which gives Forward Drive quite a big edge.
The other danger looks to be Kilrain from the in-form Mike Bass yard. The four-year-old son of Dynasty has run against some decent opposition and a few runs back finished a 1.65-length third behind Cardinal who won again on Saturday.
The other interest comes in Race 6, a MR 84 Handicap for fillies and mares over 1800m in which there are two promising and lightly raced four-year-old fillies. Joey Ramsden saddles Australian-bred Casadesus who has only raced four times but, after finishing an 8.55-length fourth behind Imperial Rose over 1200m first time out, has reeled off three successive victories. Her first two wins came over 1400m and she then notched up her third victory over 1600m.
She tries 1800m for the first time but the manner in which she runs indicates she will enjoy the extra distance. Bernard Fayd’Herbe is back on the daughter of High Chaparral after Greg Cheyne rode her to victory last time.
The other runner of interest is another Australian import – Topless – from the Snaith yard. She has only raced five times for two wins, one second and a third place. What is in her favour is that she has already won over 1800m so she is guaranteed to stay the distance. She also gets 3.5kg from Casadesus but Fayd’Herbe, who rode her last time, appears to have opted for Ramsden’s charge.
