Azzies bid to win Cape Flying Championship for second year in a row
They stand 26th in the national trainers log yet have an excellent strike rate of 21 winners from 86 runners
25 January 2023 - 15:38
byDAVID MOLLETT
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The father and son team of Mike and Adam Azzie mean business in Saturday’s grade 1 Cape Flying Championship at Kenilworth. They have trucked down four of their sprinters to try to win this prestigious race for the second year running.
The quartet are Master Archie, Barholdi, Supreme Warrior and Bohica. The first-named — formerly trained by Paul Peter — won the Computaform Sprint in April and looks generously priced at 10-1.
The Azzie numbers are clearly not the same as previous years as the stable is in 26th place in the national trainers log. Yet they have an excellent strike rate of 21 winners from 86 runners.
Some top jockeys have been engaged for the Azzie quartet — Richard Fourie will be on Bartholdi, Bernard Fayd’Herbe on Supreme Warrior, S’manga Khumalo on Bohica, and Diego De Gouveia for Master Archie.
Bohica won this race last year and it is surely a pointer to his chance that Khumalo will once again partner the son of Capetown Noir. The bookies feel a repeat win is unlikely and quote the six-year-old at 25-1.
Bohica hadn’t run since September when he reappeared at the Vaal last month and finished four lengths behind Big Burn and two lengths behind stablemate Bartholdi. Khumalo’s mount is 2kg better off with Bartholdi on Saturday and appeals as a good place bet at around 3-1.
While Princess Calla deserves her position as favourite, there are two other runners who make plenty of appeal — Alesian Chief (Muzi Yeni) and Isivunguvungu (Christophe Soumillon).
Corrie Lensley would love to bag the R742,188 first cheque and his five-time winner, Alesian Chief, finished in front of both Barholdi and Bohica at the Vaal in December.
A runner this column feels may be the horse to beat is Peter Muscutt’s four-year-old Isivunguvungu.
Khumalo should tune up for his ride on Sparkling Water in the WSB Met by partnering Battleground to his maiden win in Thursday’s fifth race at Turffontein.
The son of Futura — sire of last Saturday’s Cape feature winner Rockpool — should beat his seven rivals with the minimum of fuss to leave the maiden ranks at the fifth attempt.
Trainer Mike de Kock introduces an R800,000 son of What A Winter, Lushozi Shoop, in the second race on the Turffontein card. Keagan De Melo is an eye-catching jockey booking for another horse owned by the Hollywood Syndicate.
Of those horses who have run, Silk Garden boasts the best form with Bridget Stidolph’s filly finishing in the placings in six of her last seven outings.
In the final leg of the Pick 6, Keep The Fort can go well from a favourable draw. A big run is also expected from Tyrone Zackey’s three-year-old Solo Diva.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (11) Time Together (10) Nazare (7) Brosnan (2) Fish Eagle
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Azzies bid to win Cape Flying Championship for second year in a row
They stand 26th in the national trainers log yet have an excellent strike rate of 21 winners from 86 runners
The father and son team of Mike and Adam Azzie mean business in Saturday’s grade 1 Cape Flying Championship at Kenilworth. They have trucked down four of their sprinters to try to win this prestigious race for the second year running.
The quartet are Master Archie, Barholdi, Supreme Warrior and Bohica. The first-named — formerly trained by Paul Peter — won the Computaform Sprint in April and looks generously priced at 10-1.
The Azzie numbers are clearly not the same as previous years as the stable is in 26th place in the national trainers log. Yet they have an excellent strike rate of 21 winners from 86 runners.
Some top jockeys have been engaged for the Azzie quartet — Richard Fourie will be on Bartholdi, Bernard Fayd’Herbe on Supreme Warrior, S’manga Khumalo on Bohica, and Diego De Gouveia for Master Archie.
Bohica won this race last year and it is surely a pointer to his chance that Khumalo will once again partner the son of Capetown Noir. The bookies feel a repeat win is unlikely and quote the six-year-old at 25-1.
Bohica hadn’t run since September when he reappeared at the Vaal last month and finished four lengths behind Big Burn and two lengths behind stablemate Bartholdi. Khumalo’s mount is 2kg better off with Bartholdi on Saturday and appeals as a good place bet at around 3-1.
While Princess Calla deserves her position as favourite, there are two other runners who make plenty of appeal — Alesian Chief (Muzi Yeni) and Isivunguvungu (Christophe Soumillon).
Corrie Lensley would love to bag the R742,188 first cheque and his five-time winner, Alesian Chief, finished in front of both Barholdi and Bohica at the Vaal in December.
A runner this column feels may be the horse to beat is Peter Muscutt’s four-year-old Isivunguvungu.
Khumalo should tune up for his ride on Sparkling Water in the WSB Met by partnering Battleground to his maiden win in Thursday’s fifth race at Turffontein.
The son of Futura — sire of last Saturday’s Cape feature winner Rockpool — should beat his seven rivals with the minimum of fuss to leave the maiden ranks at the fifth attempt.
Trainer Mike de Kock introduces an R800,000 son of What A Winter, Lushozi Shoop, in the second race on the Turffontein card. Keagan De Melo is an eye-catching jockey booking for another horse owned by the Hollywood Syndicate.
Of those horses who have run, Silk Garden boasts the best form with Bridget Stidolph’s filly finishing in the placings in six of her last seven outings.
In the final leg of the Pick 6, Keep The Fort can go well from a favourable draw. A big run is also expected from Tyrone Zackey’s three-year-old Solo Diva.
SELECTIONS
1st Race: (11) Time Together (10) Nazare (7) Brosnan (2) Fish Eagle
2nd Race: No Selection
3rd Race: (6) Free Movement (1) Quixote (2) Phantomoftheforest (11) Smelting
4th Race: (3) Brave Viking (4) Raptor Island (12) Radu (1) Broadway
5th Race: (2) Battleground (3) Circus Lights (1) Harold The Duke (6) Labrausco
6th Race: (2) On The Guest List (1) Rosslyne (3) Ponderosa Pine (8) Red Maple
7th Race: (9) Turnthebeataround (6) Queen Britanna (2) Time To Meditate (1) Positive Attitude
8th Race: (5) Keep The Fort (4) Sola Diva (3) Mighty Goddess (1) African Tune
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