Flying High. Duncan Howells’ smart Silvano gelding Regal Eagle will be ridden by Piere Strydom in Saturday’s feature
There should be some sorting out the men from the boys in Saturday’s R300 000 Betting World Gr2 Merchants at Kenilworth. Between the untapped champion status of the likes of Divine Jet and Tevez, the sizzling form of KZN visiting trainer Duncan Howells and Justin Snaith’s competitive quartet, we look set for a great contest down the famous straight.
Great horse races are often made by the explosive cocktail of the ingredients of needle and brilliance. The Kenilworth feature has it all, and a bit more. It is common knowledge that no matter where you are based, the prospect of a visiting trainer swooping in on home territory and walking off with that much needed turnover and silverware, is enough to irk even the most placid of sportsmen.
The Cape have three men that stand in the way of yet another KZN away win on Saturday. Dean Kannemeyer, Mike Bass and Justin Snaith send out a total of nine runners between them, versus Howells’ and Drier’s three out of towners. And after the restricted racing policy controversially introduced on the East Coast some time ago, there is plenty of elbowing and no loss of love between the two racing communities.
One Of The Best
Dean Kannemeyer will be very keen to win this race, with a horse that he has labelled as one of the best sprinters he has ever trained. Not that the handsome Jet Master entire’s form necessarily underlines that opinion. In over two years of racing, Divine Jet has won 4 of his 8 starts but has never scored a feature win.
The newsmaking athlete (he was at the centre of a naming dispute between two of our most powerful racing men a few years ago) was beaten by Casual Var over the course and distance at his last start. Divine Jet patently needed that after a seven month rest, following him bruising a heel in KZN.
He moved up to Casual Var inside the 300m marker , but just got tired late. He will be a different proposition on Saturday though and has beaten the two former Merchants winners who run here, in Shades Of Indigo and Cap Alright, easily.
Trainer Dean Kannemeyer said in a telephone interview on Tuesday that he felt it was a competitive race: “He is doing exceptionally well, moving nice and freely in his work and I feel that he will be a very competitive runner,” he said.
Goalscorer
Another fellow to not quite yet reach the heights once predicted for him is the good looking Caesour gelding, Tevez. The Avontuur Stud product, named in honour of the equally handsome footballer, won the 2012 Listed Sophomore Sprint, but has not exactly fired since, although he has run some great places in between. He meets Divine Jet on 3,5kgs better terms after going down 2,75 lengths to the Kannemeyer runner last time. It can be assumed that Divine Jet will be lengths better though on fitness here, and that could be the balancer.
Sportsgirl
Tevez’ stablemate Hammie’s Hooker is one of three females in the race, and is a top class 4yo daughter of Trippi, who gets thrown to the wolves by her trainer. But that is probably because he knows she is good enough to handle this. A multiple Gr3 winner, she loves the course and distance and showed her wellbeing with a smooth victory in the Gr3 Diana Stakes last time out. She is best included in all bets, and we only have to go back to 2010 to recall the last win by a member of the fairer sex.
Dance With Al won that for Hassen Adams and Snaith. The Doowaley gelding Lancelin has won over the course and distance, but should find this a bit hot in this type of company. The 7yo Captain’s Secret is the fourth of the Bass quartet, but while a classy sort, has lost the plot recently. He may be past his best.
Past Winners
It is great to see both the 2011 winner Shades Of Indigo and the 2012 winner Cap Alright, back to defend their titles. While both are soldiers on their day, neither are on the right side of the pension queue at this point and look more hopeful than anything else. The better of the two may be Cap Alright who is a kilo better off with Divine Jet after running out of puff last time.
He was beaten 3,25 lengths by the Kannemeyer galloper, so needs to get lucky here. Cap Alright is a solid galloper though and with Robbie Fradd up, he must have a place prospect.
Superman
Anton Marcus rides the Jallad gelding Villa Del Largo, who is something of a course and distance specialist. He ran a nice third behind Capetown Noir in the Matchem Stakes at his last start and is yet another who is a couple of kilos better off with Divine Jet from his last start.
Anthony Delpech is an interesting engagement for the Silvano gelding M’Lords Throat, who has generally been campaigned at 1400m and beyond. He is a very fit horse, but could find this sharp in this company. The Captain Al gelding President Of Pop is the fourth of the Snaith quartet of runners. A winner of 5 of his 24 starts, he is game and capable of challenging, albeit being a little outclassed at Gr2 level.
Roaring
Ashburton trainer Duncan Howells has made a roaring start to his Cape summer campaign, and he holds a strong hand with the consistent Regal Eagle and the powerful frontrunning Louvre. Piere Strydom rides the top class Regal Eagle for the first time and the lightly raced 1200m specialist has his first dip at Group level. A winner of 5 of 8 starts, Regal Eagle should relish the Kenilworth track and is in the very best hands available.
The one question mark against him will obviously be fitness. His stablemate Louvre is a gallant mare. The 2013 Gr2 Tibouchina Stakes winner has never won below 1400m, and the run here looks to be a prep for a future engagement. She is however a nine time winner who is capable of bouncing out fresh and going all the way.
Great Second
All Class. Dennis Drier’s lightly raced Chave De Oura has excellent 3yo form, but returns from a 34 week break
Another visitor is Dennis Drier’s 2012 Cape Classic winner, Chave De Oura. The son of Jet Master is all class and it could be worth recalling that he was runner up to the brilliant Capetown Noir in the 2012 Cape Guineas. He followed that up with a fourth to What A Winter in the Cape Flying Championship, and has not run since winning at Greyville in March. That 34 week rest is a natural concern, but he remains a talented colt, who warrants serious consideration. Glen Puller’s 4yo Surging River gelding Awesome Power, is one of his sire’s best offspring.
He caught punters napping when returning after a 4 month break to pop up over the course and distance. He has always looked like a middle distance horse, and now needs to prove that the effort there when producing sustained finish, was no fluke.
Milnerton trainer Shane Humby saddles a rare feature race runner in the National Emblem gelding Trade Emblem. The Klawervlei Stud bred gelding has won 3 of his 10 starts, but needs to prove he is competitive at this level, after a dull lust start in a small field, when fifth behind Night Trip.
Disappointing
Vaughan Marshall’s The West Is Wide has been a disappointment since winning 4 of his first 8 starts, including the Gr3 Cape Nursery as a 2yo. His recent form is not impressive and he may very well just be one of those precocious 2yo’s who have failed to train on. Paddy Kruyer’s game mare La Patineuse ran a fair third at her penultimate start over the course and distance behind champion, Princess Victoria.
This is no doubt a prep run for a future engagement and she looks hard pressed to challenge for stake money. Yogas Govender’s Premium Wood is an interesting inclusion in this type of race. The son of Fort Wood is no star, but is 3,5 kgs better off with Regal Eagle for a one length beating at Scottsville in June. He has not won in ages though and comes in under sufferance in this race.
Class
So all told, the class rests with the likes of Divine Jet, Chave De Oura and Regal Eagle, with Tevez a nagging concern if bouncing back to his best. It will be close, but we are going with the big Jet from the Kannemeyer yard to beat Regal Eagle and Chave De Oura. But go wide if the budget permits.
