Eric Sands
If ever there was a horse to beat the handicapper it’s Captain Bagg in the Opening Of Summer Of Champions Handicap at today’s National Braai Day meeting at Durbanville.
Sadly for the braai brigade, the weather is not top rate. It is cloudy and overcast with light rain forecast.
But that should not dampen spirits.
Captain Bagg absolutely hacked up on debut – when fully expected to do so by his stable – and the form has been franked in no uncertain fashion. Yet he gets into this race with a rating of only 83, the same mark as a horse who finished almost four lengths behind him!
There are of course a few negatives. He hasn’t raced for over ten weeks, his stable has had difficulties and he himself is having an awkward time.
“He is going through a mouthing stage and he is losing his baby teeth,” explains Eric Sands whose other problem was far worse, so bad in fact that he didn’t have a runner for nearly two months. “I had a problem with the feed,” he explains. “I had it analysed and it wasn’t what it was supposed to be.”
It is only in the last two and a half weeks that his horses have begun to return and there hasn’t so far been a winner. But Captain Bagg can change that and Sands, who has won a string of Grade 1 races – notably with Flobayou, has a lot of faith in this horse. He has also taken him to Durbanville for a gallop.
Karl Neisius’s mount has already been backed – from Monday’s opening 5-2 to 2-1 and original second favourite Twentmanyjones has eased from 7-2 to share 5-1 spot with Olympian.
Betting World have also marked out King’s World from 5-1 to 8-1 and You Beauty from 7-1 to 12-1 while Break My Heart has also gone for an ominous walk, from 10-1 to 16-1.
Andrew Fortune (right) with Ricardo Sobotker
Break My Heart, three and three-quarter lengths third to Captain Bagg, won next time out and is also rated 83. He disappointed on his most recent start but Justin Snaith points out: “It was soft ground and he is a very heavy horse. That said, he ran such a bad race that I would want to see him run well before I could fancy him.”
The only bad race that Twentymanjones has run was on this course but Darryl Hodgson says: “It was in the mud and he didn’t like it.” Andrew Fortune returns to ride him and he has told Hodgson that he will be able to do the 61kg. The horse has the speed to overcome his bad draw (Hodgson: “If they go fast early on we will slot him in behind them”) and is held in high regard by his trainer whose other runner, Prince Of Magic, has been backed and is now as short as 6-1.
King’s World has been off since justifying favouritism at the end of April. “He’s got a new owner who has a lot of patience,” says Dean Kannemeyer with a glint in his eye (the horse will race in his colours!). “The colt has ability although it’s not easy to keep him sound. I have to watch his knees but has been moving well recently.”
You Beauty would have finished a bit closer here last time but for being forced wide on the bend.
Snaith is keen on Cat And The Moon in race seven and in the opening maiden Glen Kotzen’s decision to put blinkers on Goldandsilver for the first time should enable the filly to return to her best.
www.goldcircle.co.za – additional reporting by Sporting Post Editorial staff
