Molly’s Suggestions For Today’s Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Meeting

Picture: Molly tips Hithemhardsunshine to win The Need For Speed Sprint and he would be an appropriate winner (Wayne Marks).

Charles Dickens can follow the script in Cape Classic

Candice Bass-Robinson’s unbeaten runner is the favourite for the grade 3 race at Kenilworth

David Mollet (Business Day)

It’s a simple fact: most top horses in the sport have strong names. One who falls into that category is Charles Dickens named after the famous British writer (1812-1870).

Coolmore always name their horses well. Four who spring to mind are Dylan Thomas, Rip Van Winkle, Order Of St George and Rock Of Gibraltar.

An inmate of the Candice Bass-Robinson stable — which has 21 runners at Kenilworth on Saturday — Charles Dickens is unbeaten and hot favourite at 11-20 for the grade 3 Cape Classic.

The three-year-old is a son of Trippi owned and bred by Drakenstein Stud. They will be hoping he can scale the same heights as another of this sire’s progeny, Jet Dark.

The defeats of Baaeed and Nature Strip last weekend reminded fans there is no such thing as a racing certainty. Bookies will be looking to We’re Jamming, Port Louis and At My Command to upset the favourite.

We’re Jamming was bought out of the Piet Steyn yard by Greg Bortz and Gina Goldsmith after winning the Grade 3 Cape Racing Cape Of Good Hope Nursery. The Ridgemont Highlands-bred initially cost just R15,000. In six starts, the son of Duke Of Marmalade has earned close to R500,000.

Brett Crawford’s string is in the same sort of form as Charlie Appleby in the UK and the stable has two noteworthy representatives in Port Louis and At My Command.

Louis Mxothwa will be happy with his favourable draw on Port Louis while Keagan De Melo — right now the William Buick of SA racing — is drawn wide on the Kyaya Stables owned son of Querari.

The joker in the pack could be Glen Kotzen’s runner, Imposing, who disappointed on Durban July day but has since won two races with Calvin Habib in the saddle.

In the supporting feature — the Southeaster Sprint — Vaughan Marshall’s four-year-old, Safe Return, can give punters a good run for their money. The gelding was friendless in the market on his recent comeback run (4-1 to 10-1) and was beaten by his stablemate, Ambiorix.

While Ambiorix is another good mount for Habib, the main threat to Safe Return is likely to be Dean Kannemeyer’s three-time winner, Gimme A Prince. The four-year-old has fewer miles on the clock than any of his rivals.

Future Prince — looking a good buy at R150,000 — and Surjay are two Crawford runners with each-way chances with all of Barzalona, Bereave and Fifty Fiver very much in the mix.

Judged on his second behind Charles Dickens, Hithemhardsunshine — the slogan of ace tipster Shaheen Shaw — could be a Pick Six banker in the sixth race. The three-year-old is out of the five-time winning Trippi mare, Agra.

Tough Terrain is a strong contender from the Snaith yard and should go well reverting to the minimum trip.

KENILWORTH PICK 6 SELECTIONS

4th Race: (9) Allende (8) Jazzbella (1) Typeface (3) Sunlit From Heaven

5th Race: (6) Hold My Hand (2) Inara’s Dynasty (8) Golden Hostess (7) Who Do You Love

6th Race: (7) Hithemhardsunshine (5) Tough Terrain (8) Red Impact (3) Trompie

7th Race: (4) Safe Return (12) Gimme A Prince (5) Future Prince (2) Ambiorix

8th Race: (5) Charles Dickens (8) We’re Jamming (2) Port Louis (10) At My Command

9th Race: (2) The Second Wave (5) Transact (8) Ragnar Lothbrok (1) Dragonfly