Will Capetown Noir stay the 2200m?
Dean Kannemeyer has abandoned all thoughts of sending Capetown Noir on an overseas campaign and he confirmed on Sunday the triple Grade 1 winner a definite runner in the Vodacom Durban July, writes Michael Clower.
The four-year-old is likely to wear blinkers for the first time on July 5 when Kannemeyer will be bidding for his third July win. The Milnerton trainer is adamant that not too much should be read into the horse’s defeat in the Rising Sun Gold Challenge.
He said: “That was a false run race. They made a sprint of it and took Capetown Noir off the bit but he was wearing them down at the finish.
“We had a provisional booking to go into quarantine the following day but things have changed since with some horses coming out of the July.
“We have talked it over and decided to keep him in South Africa, and have a bit of fun with him. After the July we will go for the Champions Cup (July 26). Next season we will campaign him in Cape Town in the summer and again go for races like the L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate.’’
Dean Kannemeyer is taking his chances in July
Capetown Noir started 5-1 favourite for last year’s Durban July but was beaten into seventh when some felt he didn’t really get the trip.
Kannemeyer said: “I know there is a bit of a question mark about the distance but he had a bad draw and the ground conditions were terrible after all the rain.
“Even so he only finished just over four lengths off them. Now he is a year older and I think he has lost a bit of his speed.
“There is a great possibility that I will put a pair of cup blinkers on him in the race to make him concentrate and Karl Neisius agrees with this.’’
Capetown Noir is a 12-1 chance with Betting World and has second top weight of 59kg. Kannemeyer won the race with Dynasty in 2003 and with Eyeofthetiger three years later. Neisius was successful on Flaming Rock in 1991.
www.goldcircle.co.za
