Cousin Casey ran his heart out, At My Command gave his all, but they were blown away and made to look ordinary by the odds-on favourite Charles Dickens in the R2-million Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas at a busy Kenilworth Racecourse on Saturday afternoon.

Charles Dickens turned for home towards the rear of the field, but as winning jockey Aldo Domeyer commented afterwards, “when he powered up the turbo jets he stormed past his rivals in a matter of strides and put the race to bed even before entering the final 200m.”

Domeyer said afterwards, “Clearly the best I have ever ridden – he is an absolute freak” and later Candice Bass-Robinson echoed the sentiments, “Definitely the best I have ever trained.” There was plenty of pre-race debate as to who was the better, Charles Dickens or Cousin Casey?

Each had won five races in a row coming into this Grade 1 Classic. Cousin Casey won a Grade 1 race as a juvenile on his way to being voted Champion 2yo of last Season and is certainly no ordinary horse, but he was left floundering in Charles Dickens’ wake, eventually finishing second more than four lengths off the winner. 

There is no longer any debate – Charles Dickens is in a class of his own and the sky seems to be the limit!

Owner and breeder Gaynor Rupert described Saturday at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth as the very best day she has ever experienced on a racecourse – and that is a mighty big statement considering all the success Drakenstein Stud has enjoyed over many years.  Gaynor was visibly moved by what she had just seen from her magnificent son of Trippi and it was gratifying to see such a large crowd witness Charles Dickens delivering the knockout blow. One could not help but think of the mighty Horse Chestnut as we all savoured the quality of Charles Dickens’ runaway victory.

For the Bass family, after 46 years, it was their first ever success in the Cape Guineas, a race widely considered to be the premier Classic race in the country. I have no doubt that somewhere sitting in the background, Candice’s father Mike would have had a broad smile on his face and heaved a massive sigh of relief.

For the record Cousin Casey fought on well to snatch the runner-up berth on the line from At My Command with Royal Aussie some way back in fourth. Mike De Kock’s runners fared disappointingly but as he said in the parade ring before the race, “such is the strength of this years Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, that many a Grade 1 winner may yet emerge from those that finish downfield.”

Some forty minutes after the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas, former Champion Jockey Piere Strydom rolled back the years by scoring a huge victory on the 7yo gelding Nexus in the R400 000 Ridgemont Highlands Peninsula Handicap for the Justin Snaith stable. Completely ignored in the betting market at 50/1, Nexus bravely fought off the attentions of Imilenzeyokududuma over the final 200m and in the end was drawing further ahead to put a comfortable margin between himself and the runner-up. Piere has over the years teamed up with Nexus on four occasions for 3 wins and a second – quite a remarkable record.

The consistent Hans Solo finished a distant third with the winner’s stable companion Warrior rounding off the quartet.

After enjoying the main course earlier, Candice Bass-Robinson relished the dessert when she landed the Exacta in the R250 000 Hollywoodbets Victress Stakes over 1800m. On paper, the race looked a match between Marina and Chansonette and they dominated the betting at 1/1 and 16/10 respectively but, after hitting the front halfway up the home stretch, Chansonette faded away tamely and clearly there is something seriously amiss with the Grade 1-winning daughter of Vercingetorix.

That left the way clear for Marina to strut her stuff and she came clear to score with a minimum of fuss. Being an own sister to Durban July winner Marinaresco, a successful future for Marina as a broodmare looks assured when she retires at the end of this season, but Candice would love to win a Grade 1 before that day comes and the forthcoming Paddock Stakes will be firmly on her radar. Stable companion Do Angels Cry (40/1) stayed on strongly to finish second with Silver Darling a nose back in third spot.