Class – Ladbroke’s Gold Cup winner In Writing looks head and shoulders above his opposition in the Listed Durbanville Cup
Ladbroke’s Gold Cup winner In Writing adds some much needed sparkle and class to a rather disappointing turnout for the R 125 000 Listed Durbanville Cup to be run over 3200m at Kenilworth on Saturday. Trainer Dean Kannemeyer says his Argentinian-bred chestnut is jumping out of his skin and he feels that he has done enough with him to win this race.
In Writing has not been seen in action since his scintillating Gold Cup win at the end of last season. But despite a welterweight of 63kgs, looks to have this race at his mercy.
Family Ties
While stayers are generally not enthusiastically catered for by our programme and are the poor cousins of the racing family, the Sizzling Summer Season provides in some measure for the longhaulers with a reasonable feature race every month.
The Gr3 Cape Summer Stayers Handicap follows on 22 December, after which we have the Gr2 J&B Reserve Stayers on Met Day and the season closes with the Gr3 Chairmans Handicap on 23 February.
But trainer Dean Kannemeyer said that placing highly rated staying sorts like In Writing was extremely difficult in suitable races, with limited opportunities available.
Kannemeyer raids Fairview on Sunday with his other top stayer Blake, who tries his luck in the Algoa Cup.
Despite his runner’s impeccable credentials, Saturday’s race won’t be a formality. In Writing comes off a four month rest and straight into a 3200m contest carrying topweight. That’s a big ask!
But the conservative Kannemeyer said that he felt that he had ‘done enough.’
“He hasn’t had any grass work, but has done his work and is exceptionally well. He is jumping around like a teenager at home. The proven theory of weight stopping trains is a nagging shadow in the back of my mind, but he is just getting better with age and is by far and away the class horse in the race,” he said.
Scope – Ramsden’s Silvano gelding Crown Of Gold tries 3200m for the first time
Reefing
Mike Bass-trained Jeppe’s Reef burgled the Settler’s Trophy at his penultimate start with a cleverly contrived tactical ride by MJ Byleveld, who has been jocked off in favour of the in-form Aldo Domeyer.
Jeppe’s Reef finished last of six runners in the Woolavington Handicap, but only 4,60 lengths off the classy Taipan. He is 3kgs better off with In Writing for a 3,10 length beating. And let’s not overlook the fact that Jeppe’s Reef was drawn 19 from 20 in Africa’s premier staying race.
Joey Ramsden is a staunch supporter of this discipline and he makes up almost half the field with three runners, including the Silvano gelding Crown Of Gold, who looked very promising 3 from 5 in the winter months.
This will be Crown Of Gold’s first attempt at 3200m, but he did run a fair race in the East Cape Derby when cracking on well to finish in fifth and only 3,60 lengths off Tribal Dance.
He also managed a fair second to Punta Arenas in the Winter Derby at this venue in his run immediately thereafter. He gets 10,5kgs from In Writing, and they say, that’s a lot of butter.
Crown Of Gold must be considered.
Ace Of Pace
The twice-winning A Boy Named Sue usually ensures that the pace is on from the jump, but will have to improve on his two runs prior to a rest.
He was outclassed in the East Cape Derby when finishing 10,70 lengths behind Tribal Dance and then ran a shocker behind Punta Arenas in the Winter Derby.
A Boy Named Sue ran a respectable pipe-opener over a mile at Durbanville in mid-October, and could improve to place here. Joey has removed the blinkers, no doubt as an energy containment strategy.
The Badger’s Drift gelding Badger Lake makes up the Ramsden trio and this 6yo has not quite reached the heights anticipated when bought out of the Stan Elley yard as a four-time winner from 9 starts, in September 2010.
Stints with the Mike De Kock and the Geoff Woodruff yards in Gauteng produced only 1 win from 9 starts, and he has had 5 runs back in the Cape, without showing too much. Badger Lake now runs off the same mark as his last victory in Cape Town over two years ago, and must have scope for improvement again.
Rested – Last year’s winner Hospitality may need the outing after a long break
Long Break
Last year’s winner of this event, the 7yo Hospitality is yet another son of Badger’s Drift and this eight-time winner may need this outing after a ten month break since a diabolical effort in the J&B Reserve Stayers. He was withdrawn from the Woolavington last month after reportedly being cast in the box.
Hospitality meets in Writing on 2,5kgs better terms than their clash in this event last year. There Hospitality had the upper hand by 2,25 lengths. It is fair to say that In Writing is a vastly changed character in the space of the last twelve months though, so that collateral is largely academic when viewed against Hospitality’s fitness doubts.
The 2011 Gr2 Gold Vase shock winner Grey Cossack has not won since then and he has returned to the yard of Carl Burger at Phillipi to launch his Cape Summer Season campaign.
This very average stayer would be a shock winner and he should need a few runs to get back to fitness after a 176 day rest.
Confidence
A blind man from a helicopter could identify In Writing as the class horse of a race that lacks depth and substance.
The pace is a concern.
In Writing likes to race up there, but A Boy Named Sue could give him a comfortable lead. Hospitality and Grey Cossack are another two that can show the way, in need.
But we are placing our faith in the Kannemeyer stable confidence that enough home work has been done with a horse that is raring to go.
We are thus suggesting that In Writing will be good enough to get his Summer campaign under way with a win at the expense of the untested Crown Of Gold, with Jeppe’s Reef thereabouts.
