Send out a Search Party

With the season in the Western Cape now over it appears the trainers in the province have gone into hibernation as just 59 runners make up a seven-race card at Kenilworth today.

However, if the expression that “the smaller the field, the bigger the upset” holds true, there should be plenty money to be made on this card.

The most interesting event comes up in Race 2, a Graduation Plate over 1600m. It is almost made up of all the three-year-olds who did not quite make it in the features during the season. Kemal Kavur finished a 1.30-length fourth behind Black Arthur in the Grade 3 Politician Stakes over 1800m and then, after leading for much of the journey, faded late to run a three-length fifth behind It’s My Turn in the Investec Derby over 2000m. Black Arthur ran fourth on the occasion, just 0.40-lengths ahead of Kemal Kavur.

Purple Mountains ran in the Grade 1 Grand Parade Cape Guineas and was never able to overcome a poor draw and finished 4.80 lengths behind Noah From Goa but followed up with a 3.75-length second behind Prince Of Thieves in a MR 88 Handicap.

Eighth Wonder won the Grade 3 Cape Classic but failed in subsequent features. Dean Kannemeyer saddles Lord Marshal, who ran unplaced in the Grade 2 Selangor Cup, but based on jockey choice he seems to be preferred to Mambo Mime , who missed all the features but did run a 0.50-length second behind Black Arthur over 1600m in a MR 85 Handicap.

However, despite all these runners having raced against the best, I am going to go with the new kid on the block and that is the Brett Crawford-trained Search Party. After finishing placed in three races over 1200m, including a 0.75-length second behind highly rated stablemate Vilakazi, this son of Captain Al cruised to a 4.25-length victory in his first race over 1600m.

On ratings he has little chance but he could be quite a bit ahead of the handicappers.