Picture: Mark Bass, Candice Bass-Robinson and Mike Bass (mikebassracing.com).
Graeme Hawkins (Gold Circle Website)
During a long and illustrious career trainer Mike Bass won just about every important Grade 1 race during both the annual Cape Summer Season and KZN’s Champions Season. Bass never ventured much to the Highveld but nonetheless the stable won the SA Classic (Gr 1) with English Garden in 2011 and the Computaform Sprint (Gr 1) with What A Winter in 2013 on rare forays to Turffontein racecourse. When Candice took over the reins from her father, the momentum continued, and she became the first lady trainer to win the coveted Durban July when Marinaresco carried top weight to victory a few years ago.
But there is one gaping hole in the Bass family’s proud racing record. They have never won the Cape Guineas, now sponsored by Hollywoodbets with prize money totalling R2-million. Unbeaten Charles Dickens is a very warm order to set the Bass’ record straight on Saturday when he lines up against 14 rivals in the 2022 renewal of this great Classic. Arguably Charles Dicken’s most impressive victory was also his most recent when annihilating a number of well performed older horses in an Allowance Plate over 1400m. He has yet to be tried and tested over the Guineas trip but the way he came from last to first three weeks ago suggests that he will have no issues going the extra 200m. Indeed, he has even been nominated for the 2000m World Sports Betting Cape Town Met at the end of January but that’s a story for another day.
First things first – get the monkey off the Bass’ back and win the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas! At around 5/10 Charles Dickens is the shortest-priced Guineas favourite in many years, possibly since Hawaii in 1968. The Drakenstein owned and bred son of Trippi comes into the race with a perfect record of five wins from as many starts but he faces his toughest test to date and winning at the highest level is never a formality.
Cousin Casey was voted Champion 2yo last year and following his sensational seasonal debut in the Punters Cup (Gr 2) a month ago, the Glen Kotzen-trained son of Vercingetorix has now also won his last five starts, including the last two over the Guineas trip. In fact, Cousin Casey leaves one with the impression that he might even be better over slightly further in time to come. So, while Charles Dickens has a legion of supporters, there is no doubt that there is a sizeable army of punters who will be in the corner of Cousin Casey.
Both Charles Dickens and Cousin Casey are drawn wide which, depending on the positioning of the false rail, will bring added pressure to bear on the two market leaders. Mike de Kock’s pair of Shoemaker (12/1) and recent Jonsson Workwear Dingaans winner Union Square (16/1) are the next two to feature in the betting and both fared much better when the barrier draws were announced. Shoemaker is drawn in gate 7 and Union Square in gate 4, which does to some degree enhance their chances of causing an upset. Mike de Kock is no stranger to winning the Cape Guineas and he must be commended for travelling his horses to take on the likes of Charles Dickens and Cousin Casey.
The Brett Crawford stable recently won the WSB Fillies Guineas (Gr 1) with Make It Snappy and will now be seeking a rare Guineas-double at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday. The stable is represented by a three-way coupling, the best of which certainly appears to be At My Command. Strictly on collateral form he appears to have little chance of overturning Charles Dickens or Cousin Casey but At My Command has cracked pole position and with in-form Keagan de Melo in the saddle, he cannot be completely ignored. In the Punters Cup he turned for home in a hopeless position when racing from a very wide draw and was still at the rear with 400m to run. But when De Melo pressed the button At My Command roared through the field to finish second behind Cousin Casey, beaten only a length. At My Command is now 2 kgs worse off at the weights but the benefit of the inside draw could be a huge plus factor.
In the Cape Classic over 1400m, At My Command finished a distant second to Charles Dickens and on that showing has very little chance of reversing the order with Candice Bass-Robinson’s runner. But even on that occasion At My Command was faced with the worst of the draw and then, instead of dropping out, he circled the field early and tried to make all the running. Crawford’s other two runners, Port Louis and Le Morne, have very decent form and are worth considering for trifecta and quartet permutations.
In summary, despite their wide draws, it is very hard to oppose Charles Dickens and Cousin Casey. Hopefully, there are no hard luck stories, and the Hollywoodbets Guineas delivers the worthiest victor. For my money, At My Command is clearly third best with all of Union Square, Shoemaker, Port Louis and Le Morne contenders for a minor share of the purse.
