Follow the Cape raiders

Raiders from the Western Cape have had a good time of things recently.


It could be worth following the fortunes of Just Felicity and Celtic Revival at Fairview today when racing takes place on the Polytrack.

Just Felicity has not won since March last year but could be the ideal candidate to win Race 7, the Aloe Handicap (Non-Black type) over 1300m and trainer Greg Ennion did well to find this race for her.

She had Inara just 2.35 lengths ahead of her in the Grade 3 Diana Stakes over 1400m at Durbanville so this should be quite a drop in class for the Antonius Pius filly.

Celtic Revival has not won in eight starts but a couple of good runs in some of her form lines suggest Vaughan Marshall’s charge could be the best of a modest bunch in Race 8.

Three-year-old Memphis Mafia has improved with each run after he was gelded last year and has won his last three starts.

Admittedly, the step up in trip also clearly suits the Lecture gelding and he should prove hard to beat in Race 6, a MR 81 Handicap over 1600m.

Jockey JP van der Merwe was aboard Memphis Mafia for his last two wins and is back aboard the Dorrie Sham-trained runner.

What has helped build up confidence in Memphis Mafia was a run by Seattle Swing on Monday. Twice Memphis Mafia has put Seattle Swing in his place yet Seattle Swing was only narrowly beaten in a MR 84 Handicap.

It is hard to see Scarlet Berry being good enough to give 1kg to Memphis Mafia although she always runs well on this surface.

Jockey Francois Naude has picked up some fair rides on the card. Harmston Herald returns from a lengthy break but the Corne Spies yard do no run unfit horses and the seventh place Harmston Herald finished in a feature race in his last start is clearly the best form on offer in the opening event.

Fourteen could be best placed to put the pressure on the Spies runner.

Nabucco in Race 2 looked a bit unlucky when run out of it late behind Captain Quick on the turf last time out. The drop in trip coupled with the fact he will be trying the Polytrack for the first time might put a few punters off but I am not one of them.

Jockey Andrew Fortune seldom leaves the Eastern Cape without a winner and Struben in Race 3 would be carrying 1kg more if this were a handicap so he could prove the right one.

His recent form is good and this surface does suit.

 

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