At about the time the crown is being placed on the head of King Charles at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, racing fans here will know whether Charles Dickens is on track to be crowned champion three-year-old at the end of the season.

Winner of six of his eight starts, Charles Dickens begins his KwaZulu-Natal campaign when he takes on eight rivals in the WSB Guineas at Greyville. The sponsors quote Candice Bass-Robinson’s colt at the prohibitive odds of 1-3.

See It Again, with Piere Strydom in the saddle, is in opposition again but — at odds of 12-1 — is given little chance of repeating his Kenilworth win. Still, his performance will be closely monitored as he has entered for the Hollywoodbets Durban July.

The most interesting of Charles Dickens’ rivals is Cousin Casey who — with Safe Passage — tops the betting boards for the July at 13-2.

That’s exactly the price of Glen Kotzen’s runner for Saturday’s race and it will be revealing how close the son of Vercingetorix gets to the favourite. Will Kotzen be happy with two lengths — possibly.

The one advantage Cousin Casey does have is a recent race under his belt — he ran over 1,400m at Greyville in April and failed to justify even money favouritism. It was his first outing since the Met and it is doubtful Kotzen lost much sleep about the defeat.

No question the Fillies Guineas is a far more open affair with Golden Hostess heading the market at 17-10. Once again, a Kotzen inmate — this time Hold My Hand — looks a major player and the daughter of Gold Standard appeals as a good each-way punt at her odds of 6-1.

Little went right for Hold My Hand in the Cape season and Kotzen must have been frustrated that his Drakenstein owned and bred filly failed to win in six outings.

Strydom rides Lady of Power for the fifth time and Mike and Adam Azzie will have the filly tuned to the minute. A repeat of her Gauteng Guineas performance puts her firmly in the picture.

Saartjie has improved with every run and has to be included in exotic perms — she is preferred to Gauteng raider, Captain Peg.

If punters include half the field in their perms for the Independent on Saturday Drill Hall Stakes, there is still no guarantee they will proceed to the next leg. The class act of Mike de Kock’s four runners is Desert Miracle and she can play a leading role from a favourable draw.

A runner that interests this column is 12-1 chance, Silvano’s Dasher, who won twice over the Drill Hall trip of 1,400m at Kenilworth in December and January. Stable jockey Louis Mxothwa has opted for stablemate, Surjay, but might be on the wrong one.

Safe Passage’s run — with Richard Fourie riding the four-year-old for the first time — will be closely monitored as he’s the Durban July joint-favourite. He is likely to be doing his best work late in this grade 2 race.

Horse Chestnut Stakes winner, Trip Of Fortune, is another fancied contender at what could be a good meeting for the Bass-Robinson stable and Gimme A Prince has a serious shout provided Keagan De Melo can overcome a wide draw.

So — in a wide open contest — Silvano’s Dasher gets the nod ahead of Desert Miracle, Gimme A Prince and Trip Of Fortune.

SELECTIONS

1st Race: (8) Renaissance Man (6) Iphiko (2) Faustino (5) Donquerari

2nd Race: (10) Thisiswhatitmeans (8) Jury’s Out (3) Dr Faustus (5) Winter Games

3rd Race: (4) Professor Lupin (7) Linkin Navigator (5) Raf’s Rocket (3) Cosmic Rhythm

4th Race: (1) Miss Shaivi (12) Sign Of Fate (2) Bitcoin Baby (8) Komesans Passion

6th Race: (5) Silvano’s Dasher (3) Desert Miracle (12) Gimme A Prince (8) Trip Of Fortune

7th Race: (8) Hold My Hand (3) Saartjie (9) Golden Hostess (4) Lady Of Power

8th Race: (8) Charles Dickens (6) Cousin Casey (2) See It Again (4) Anfields Rocket

9th Race: (3) Isn’t She Bonny (1) Our Emily (10) Certainly (2) Bonne Bouche

10th Race: (11) Rosh Kedesh (1) Beyondtheboundary (2) Tirpitz (4) Fine Admiral