There are just days to go until Kenilworth hosts the country’s only open Gr1 mile classic, the Cape Guineas and as the clock ticks onward, let’s reflect on the most recent winners of this time-honoured classic.
Trainer Justin Snaith rang in the new decade with an auspicious Guineas double in 2010. Successful with Ebony Flyer in the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, he went on to land his first Cape Guineas with Solo Traveller and for good measure, saddled the runner-up as well!
Russian Rock silences the crowd as he beats Linebacker in 2020 (Pic- Chase Liebenberg)
As the whips came out, Solo Traveller looked cramped for galloping room but when a split opened, the Lammerskraal homebred powered through and in a driving finish, claimed the advantage just short of the line to score by a neck from his fast-finishing stable companion Run For It.
Favourite What A Winter, so impressive in the Selangor Cup over the old course, was found wanting in the longer straight and after looming up dangerously at one stage, failed to go on with his effort, eventually finishing sixth.
Twelve months later, Kenilworth racegoers witnessed the maiden Gr1 win of budding superstar miler Variety Club.
Always in front – Variety Club wins the 2011 Cape Guineas
Sent about his business fully 400m out, it was race over as he stretched clear under Anton Marcus to power home by just over three lengths to give trainer Joey Ramsden a maiden Cape Guineas win.
This was the chestnut’s first of five Gr1 victories in a stellar career which brought with it two Horse of the Year titles and three championships, not to mention that famous Hong Kong win in the Gr1 Champions Mile!
Capetown Noir added his name to a star-studded honour roll with a visually impressive score in the 2012 renewal. Sent off a short-priced favourite, the Lammerskraal-bred raced in third before going easily to the front two furlongs out and powered clear to score by a slick three and a quarter lengths.
Noordhoek Flyer wins in 2009 under Karl Neisius for Khaya Stables and Dean Kannemeyer (Pic- HamishNIVENPhotography)
This was the second time that owner Lady Laidlaw and trainer Dean Kannemeyer teamed up to take this coveted classic, following the success of Noordhoek Flyer in 2009. For Kannemeyer it was a fifth Guineas success, having saddled previous winners Rabiya (2005), Express Way (2006) and Le Drakkar (2008). The team will again be to the fore with fancied runner Cosmic Highway in this weekend’s race.
As for Capetown Noir, he duly completed the Cape Guineas/Derby double and for good measure, also added the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate to his CV, all of which eventually earned him a place at stud. He struck with a first Gr1 winner last season when daughter Under Your Spell powered to a commanding victory in the Allan Robertson Championship.
In 2013, rank outsider Elusive Gold (28-1) stunned favourite and stable companion Captain America in a desperate finish.
Under a driving ride from jockey Bernard Fayd’Herbe, Elusive Gold swooped late to deny Captain America by a short head but still managed a stable one-two for trainer Brett Crawford. The Ascot-bred winner was soon on his way to Hong Kong, where he twice added to his winning tally.
2013 Cape Guineas – Elusive Gold is a first-crop classic winner for his sire Sail From Seattle
Twelve months later, Fayd’herbe again found himself in the number one box after winning on Joey Ramsden-trained Act Of War. Travelling sweetly, the son of Dynasty turned it on the straight and went on to score by the best part of two lengths from champion juvenile Harry’s Son, who had flown down from Gauteng and was not disgraced on his Kenilworth debut. Now based at Summerhill, Act Of War has made a dream start to his stallion career as the sire of Champion filly War Of Athena and Gr1 winner Battle Force from his first crop of foals.
The 2015 Cape Guineas proved an all-Gauteng finish, with Mike de Kock’s Noah From Goa finishing almost a length in front of Johan Janse van Vuuren-trained Brazuca.
Noah From Goa wins the Cape Guineas
It had been a long wait between drinks for De Kock, who had to endure twelve years after tightening the girth on 2003 winner Domino Man. Noah From Goa also left his birth country and joined De Kock’s string in Dubai where he placed at Gr2 and Gr3 level before winning in Singapore.
Trainer Vaughan Marshall broke an even longer drought when his progressive colt William Longsword provided him with a fourth success in the 2016 renewal, 16 years after he had won the mile classic with the colt’s sire Captain Al!
Sadly, William Longsword raced just once more after the Guineas when victorious in the multi-million rand CTS Mile. An extremely good-looking individual, he returned to his birth place Klawervlei Stud the winner of six of eight starts and is off to a promising start as the sire of stakes winners Dyce and Hasta Manana amongst his first crop runners.
Breeder Dr Ashley Parker with 2013 winner Elusive Gold (Pic- HamishNIVENPhotography)
Remarkably, trainer Marshall and jockey MJ Byleveld teamed up again twelve months later to claim the country’s sole Gr1 Guineas with yet another son of Captain Al. The duo struck with favourite Tap O’Noth, who overcame a wide draw to justify his cramped odds with a stylish half-length win, much to the delight of his owner/breeder Alec Foster and wife Gillian, for whom this was a first Cape Guineas success. A half-brother to the fine stayers Strathdon and Black Knap, Tap O’Noth likewise raced over ground later in his career and came within a neck of winning the Gr2 Western Cape Stayers.
The cream rose to the top in the 2018 Cape Guineas. Despite a 27-hour road trip from home base Gauteng and a week off work, Sheik Hamdan al Maktoum’s Soqrat showed his true class when he outgunned his seven rivals by just over a length. Soqrat not only provided Mike de Kock with a fifth success in this classic, he also became the trainer’s 118th Gr1 winner, thus surpassing the previous record held by former maestro Terrance Millard, who himself had won the Guineas in 1976 with Sind.
Soqrat retired to Sandown Stud as a triple Gr1 winner and his first foals arrived this spring.
Kilindini became the umpteenth Cape Guineas to depart for Hong Kong following his easy win in 2019.
Corne Orffer rode a peach of a race to win on Kilindini
Making his stakes debut, Brett Crawford’s previously unexposed colt dashed to the inside rail at the top of the straight, delivered the knockout blow a long way out and stayed on resolutely to open his stakes account by the best part of two lengths.
Sadly, onerous travel protocols, the Covid 19 pandemic and a minor training setback delayed his return to racing and it was 22 months after his Guineas victory that he finally made his Hong Kong debut for Tony Millard. Fingers crossed he regains his sparkling Guineas form.
That brings us to last year’s winner Russian Rock, a striking grey grandson of supersire Jet Master, who himself had won the classic in 1998.
Ridden by Grant Behr, Russian Rock overcame traffic problems to get up on the line and deny Linebacker by a longhead, while giving Dean Kannemeyer a sixth Cape Guineas victory. A disappointing KZN winter campaign resulted in a gelding operation and happily, he recently snapped his losing streak at Kenilworth.
Saturday’s renewal figures to be just as compelling when a talent-laden field will go postward for what promises to be another hotly-contested affair.
One thing is certain, the winner will find himself in fine company!
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