Ruby Rex has been tipped to win the last race (Picture: Wayne Marks)
Mark van Deventer
RED HOT RIFLE appeals as one of the better propositions on Tuesday’s card at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth. The Erik the Red 3YO starts in Race 3, a Maiden over 1400m.
On debut, he ran on well behind ILE MORIS, just ahead of the very stylish subsequent winner, RAIN IN FRANCE.
The form of his follow-up Maiden also withstands scrutiny. The victor, WREATH OF SNOW, converted in handicap company over the past weekend, with placed horses LEGAL DANCER, TIME OF OUR LIVES and DALEY PARK all shedding their tags next time out.
RED HOT RIFLE should get a decent passage from draw 5 in a full field. He races for strong connections – Candice Bass and Aldo Domeyer team up at a 29% win and 57% place strike rate with their runners.
He now gets blinkers to sharpen his focus and, assuming he is close to full fitness (he has been off the track for 69 days), ought to give it a mighty shake.
The following contest (Race 4) could be fought between ABOVE THE LAW and BELLO GALLICO.
Despite being green on debut, ABOVE THE LAW found a big finish (21.8 seconds for the last 400m) to mug RUNNING SHOES on the wire in an eye-catching sprint. Going a tad further will suit the son of Legislate as Richard Fourie, riding lights out around the country, sticks with solid on Justin Snaith’s promising 3YO.
Trainer Glen Kotzen holds a positive opinion of BELLO GALLICO, who was trucked up to Fairview to take on Marchland in a Listed event. Clocking in just 2.5 lengths back to the Eastern Cape star represents an admirable try, especially after a bumpy start.
LE SOLEIL gets the vote in Race 5. In his first run out of the Maidens, he closed ground from dead last (after another tardy start) to equal the come-home sectional of Cape Guineas principal contender, CONTINUE THE DREAM. He was too far back to ever menace his extremely talented rival, who quickened sharply and then won easing up, but it was a bold effort, nevertheless.
He now drops into calmer waters and should prove hard to beat, assuming he starts the race more alertly this time.
LEGAL DANCER is his biggest danger. Des McLachlan’s charge participated in the aforementioned WREATH OF SNOW key race, and his next-out win was fluent and convincing. With further progress likely, he could give the even-money favourite a scare.
McLachlan has some nice runners carded on Tuesday. In particular, he will be hoping SHESGOTCLASS puts forth a spirited bid back down this straight course in Race 7.
The Querari mare is less effective going around Hollywoodbets Durbanville’s turns and instead sports a neater record in strong sprint company at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth between 1000m and 1200m.
To illustrate, she nearly beat PINK PIGEON (winner of Saturday’s Laisserfaire Stakes Listed) over this course distance in January, and has run close to Graded performer SYMPHONY IN WHITE and the smart but erratic speedball CHURCHILLIAN.
Her rating has dropped slightly (OMR 87), a competent apprentice Mosaheb is booked, and this on-pace runner, who ran well throughout the Summer of 2025/26, could reward each-way support at around 6/1.
Irridescence Stakes winner GRAPES OF WRATH, who fluffed her lines last time when chased across from a wide gate, is a significant threat with a smoother commute.
The consistent STAR WORLD is also right in the mix.
Longshot GIRL ON THE RUN is winless at this venue from 16 tries yet often places. She is worth using “below” in single-race exotics.
RUBY REX may be the speculative solution to Race 9’s puzzle. The 5YO mare has a litany of physical problems (hanging, short, choking up) which have limited her racing career – hence, just ten starts have been possible.
Accordingly, she comes with a “health and wealth” warning. But her record of only missing the frame twice in that abbreviated career is testimony to her sympathetic and skilled conditioner, Adam Marcus, who has got her fit enough to do herself justice on those few occasions when she can make it to the track.
To compound her misfortune, RUBY REX has suffered interference in her last couple of starts. Bottom line, though, she is more than capable of winning an MR 74 handicap off a mark of 71.
That said, plausible cases can be made for practically all of those opposing the fickle mare, so a wide spread is probably the prudent play in the closing leg of exotics.
RUBY REX is due a change of luck. If she gets the gaps in running and holds up physically, the Captain of All mare might just record a well-deserved belated second victory.
