See It Again’s facile win in the G2 1600m Green Point Stakes, a race intended merely as a gentle come- along- prep for the King’s Plate and ultimate target the Cape Town Met, spells trouble for his rivals. He won under a hands ride (speed score 106 +) and was much the best.
It’s still a couple of months to go but the chestnut son of Twice Over trained by Michael Roberts seems locked in for a Met triumph as his real strength lies over middle distances, not a mile. Jockey Piere Strydom, who was ready to retire, joked that he cannot do so just yet as this superb G1 champ has fallen into his lap, and they seem fated to continue winning big races together!
At My Command returned to peak powers and is now worth following, but last season’s stars, Princess Calla and Charles Dickens (raced awkwardly, made a wide move, before his run petered out in the closing 100m) were comprehensively defeated by See It Again.
Beach Bomb and Silver Sanctuary fought out a thriller in the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas with the former just getting up in the final strides. Both came from far off a torrid early pace – only Rascova of the on- pace runners lasted to clock in an admirable third.
Beach Bomb, a daughter of Lancaster Bomber out of the great race-mare Beach Beauty, was ridden by Aldo Domeyer and trained by Candice Bass Robinson.
The G2 Southern Cross Stakes was also run very hard early. This allowed Snaith Racing’s, Kwinta’s Light s/s 104), under an inspired ride by Grant Van Niekerk, to sweep past virtually the entire field in the final 250m and nail Shantastic, Three Rocks and October Morn on the wire.
Previously, she would race handy but now she rations her speed better and finishes strongly. The Gimmethegreenlght mare with Black Type has won five of 23 starts and can handle any surface, having won on heavy ground and a firm track.