Warrior well-armed for Winter Series leg 2

Warrior and Really Royal, winners of the first legs of the Cape Winter Series, will attempt repeat performances in the second stanzas at Kenilworth on Saturday.

The likes of Politician, African Night Sky and Katak are on the series clean-sweep honours board, so the triple is something devoutly to be wished.

Justin Snaith trains both those winning three-year-olds and will probably have the greater expectations for Warrior in the Grade 3 WSB Legal Eagle Stakes over 1800m (Race 7).

His filly Really Royal faces a tougher task in the Listed WSB Stormsvlei Stakes – not least from her stablemates Rain In Newmarket and La Quinta, who were hot on her heels in the first leg, the 1600m Sweet Chestnut in late-April.

None of the Snaith trio has raced this far before, but Rain In Newmarket looks best equipped for the 1800m job. With stable supremo Richard Fourie riding, the daughter of Kingsbarns was probably the trainer’s pick for the Sweet Chestnut, though she was far from the public favourite at 10-1.

Even-money chance Chat Ching flopped that day as Snaith landed a 1,2,3 at 20-1, 12-1 and 10-1 – a rare set of winning odds for the country’s leading trainer.

Fourie keeps the ride and Rain In Newmarket is likely to start at fairly short odds. But she won’t be the favourite.

That slot will go to Candice Bass-Robinson’s charge Marina, who was the lone female in the series first heat that was nominally for the boys, the Variety Club Mile. Marina raced with aplomb and finished third, less than a length behind the triumphant Warrior.

Marina has a course and distance success among her four wins in eight runs to date and, up against her own gender with in-form Keagan de Melo aboard, looks poised to strike.

Warrior completed a personal hat-trick when taking out the Variety Club and there is nothing to suggest he can’t make it four straight wins.

Bass-Robinson’s Firealley, who was nabbed on the line by Warrior, has to be considered for inclusion in larger betting permutations, but the extra 200m on Saturday would seem to be against him.

Snaith again fields three runners. Somerset Maugham is crying out for this type of trip and could upset the stable pineapple cart – as could Hoedspruit who, as an early maturer, was pitched into a series of strong feature events that could turn out to be the fire needed to temper his mettle.

The situation is a little muddied by the presence of a filly, So Flawless from the Andre Nel yard. She looks a smart one but might be outmuscled by the lads.

The other weekend meetings, at Turffontein (Saturday) and Scottsville (Sunday), are pot-luck affairs, with a plethora of Maiden Juvenile and Maiden Plates and a tidal wave of first timers. Watch the betting and watch the wallet.

SELECTIONS

Kenilworth Saturday

Race 1:

3 Dragonfly, 7 Night Ruler, 13 Zoutman, 9 Tout A Fait

Race 2:

3 Cruizin California, 1 Area Fifty One, 7 Impressive Queen, 10 Royal Oasis

Race 3:

10 Trip Of Fortune, 8 Running Rifles, 2 Snow Summit, 4 Bon Boyage

Race 4:

3 L’Ami Jean, 1 Safe To Assume, 5 Queen Niyabah, 7 Noosa Princess

Race 5:

3 Chile Jam, 7 Duplicity, 1 Major Attraction, 2 Gimme Gimme Gimme

Race 6:

2 Marina, 3 Rain In Newmarket, 6 Pink Tourmaline, 5 Maledimo

Race 7:

1 Warrior, 4 Firealley, 7 Somerset Maugham, 8 Flawless

Race 8:

5 Miss Millstream, 3 Granny’s Moon, 1 Aye Aye, 10 A Moment Apart

Pick 6:

2,4,8,9,10 x 1,3,5,7 x 1,2,3,7 x 2,3 x 1 x 1,2,3,5,7,10 (R960)

PA:

1,3 x 10 x 1,3 x 3 x 2,3 x 1 x 1,3,5 (R24)

Turffontein Saturday

Best: Race 8 No 4 Good Queen Bess

Value: Race 7 No 8 Bella Black

Scottsville Sunday

Best: Race 1 No 9 Captain Tatters

Value: Race 5 No 7 Fade To Black