Top Billing. The 3yo Capetown Noir looks home and dry in the Gr2 KRA Guineas
Dean Kannemeyer’s Capetown Noir undoubtedly ranks as one of South African horseracing’s most exciting young prospects of recent decades. He takes the cosy next step up the ladder to fame and fortune when he contests the R600 000 Gr2 KRA Guineas at Greyville on Saturday.
The magnificently talented son of Western Winter looks the proverbial and literal ‘good thing’ and hails from a yard that is finely in form and known for winning the classics. His recent appearance on the television show Top Billing was a shot in the arm for the public image of the sport of kings, and we expect him to confirm his celebrity status in this race in no uncertain terms.
This meeting launches the 2013 Champions Season and hosts a three cornered feature bill that is on track to provide high class racing entertainment.
Star
The star of the show is Capetown Noir, a very special 3yo colt.
The handsomely athletic racer with the rather unflattering colouring on his noble head has swept all before him at his last three starts, where a terrific Cape Guineas and Derby double was followed by a smooth workmanlike performance in the Gr3 Byerley Turk at Scottsville three weeks ago.
That was Capetown Noir’s first try at a right handed turn and the rising star handled the test with aplomb and utter professionalism. He may find Greyville strange on Saturday, but is drawn and is a mature sort who relaxes and turns on the heat when required.
He has a fantastic race record. He has only been beaten twice at his 8 starts, and then he ran seconds! That included being run off his feet over 1400m at Durbanville, and his famous defeat by King Of Pain in the Gr2 Selangor Cup.
There is probably only one horse who is capable of rattling the Cape Town mayoral chains.
Unbeaten. Mike De Kock’s Vercingetorix should provide the major challenge to the Cape star.
That is Mike De Kock’s unbeaten in two starts Silvano colt, Vercingetorix.
A course and distance winner at his start on Friday evening, when accounting for a quality graduation field with ease, Vercingetorix looks top class and being lightly raced is probably light years ahead of the handicapper still. He will be ridden by Anthony Delpech, and looks highly unexposed.
Ascending
While it is an essentially academic exercise of courtesy, it makes sense to consider the opposition in ascending order of their official ratings.
Gitiano is next best with Killua Castle.
The Alec Laird trained Gitiano has won 3 of 10 starts and gets the services if Anton Marcus from a 4 draw. While he has his first taste of Greyville, his two recent excellent feature efforts bring him into the picture as a likely runner up.
Gitiano finished a 1,05 lengths behind Tellina in the Gauteng Guineas, and then followed that up with a third 2,25 lengths off Love Struck in the SA Classic. In both outings he was running on well, and there is more merit in his SA Classic effort, as he lost valuable ground at the start.
The Australian bred Killua Castle has failed to fire again since winning a cracking race on his Turffontein 1200m debut in October last year.
His half length third behind Tellina in the Gauteng Guineas no doubt brings him into the picture and is substance for what he is genuinely capable of producing.
Stressful
Gavin Van Zyl’s No Worries finished a further half length behind Killua Castle in the Gauteng Guineas, but then ran an indifferent race when sixth in the SA Classic. He has drawn poorly at 11, and needs to show some serious improvement to threaten anybody that counts here.
The Spectrum gelding Living With Heart is game and consistent and comes in a three time winner off his 9 starts.
He ran prominently in the Byerley Turk before running a 1,75 length second behind Capetown Noir in the Byerley Turk at Scottsville. Living With Heart had no answer there, and now meets Capetown Noir a fitter horse.
Champion Jockey
Consistent. Garth Puller’s Trippi colt Wind Power is a progressive sort who should run a place.
Former Champion jockey Garth Puller sends out a coupling of the Trippi gelding Wind Trip and the consistent Corredor.
Wind Trip looks an exciting little horse in the making, and the son of Trippi has been a model of consistency with 2 wins and 5 places from his 7 outings. He finished third behind dead heaters Cherbourg and Regal Eagle last time, and prior to that beat the promising Royal Zulu Guard easily over a mile at Clairwood.
This will be Wind Trip’s first venture away from racing at his Clairwood home base, and he will be ridden by the top heavyweight jockey Bernard Fayd’herbe.
His stablemate Corredor is another consistent sort, and he finished just behind Living With Heart in third in the Byerley Turk won by Capetown Noir. Corredor is a course and distance winner, who must be considered for the places if things go his way.
Duncan Howells enjoyed a profitable day on Sunday, and he sends out the Mogok gelding King Of Torts.
King Of Torts was ridden by Anton Marcus last time when he swept clear to win over the course and distance. He only beat ordinary sorts of the ilk of Old Mac Donald and Lehaaf, but showed resolve when running handily for much of the trip.
Mike Azzie’s Bay Of Bengal won the Egoli Mile at his penultimate start beating subsequent multiple feature winner Wylie Hall easily. He produced absolutely no threat and pulled up fatigued after that below par performance.
Painting
The King And I has won 2 of his 11 starts and jumps on the paint. The pacy son of Tobe Or Nottobe has yet to crack it at feature level, but held on strongly for a one length third behind Wylie Hall in the Derby Trial in the first week of April. We saw how superbly the latter won the SA Derby on Saturday,
Fresh off the high of his SA Derby triumph of last weekend, Gauteng trainer Weiho Marwing brings Isobar and Seneschal to the seaside.
Isobar has drawn poorly at 13, and the two time winner is a son of the only sire with two runners in the race. That is the Triple Tiara winner’s Dad Tiger Ridge, who also produced the Mike Azzie trained Bay Of Bengal.
Seneschal ran a smart post maiden second at his last outing, behind the rather ordinary Milkwood Manor in a lowly rated MR 72 Handicap. This is obviously leagues tougher for the son of Overlord, but he is well drawn and could make an optimistic back end of quartet bid.
One Horse
The KRA Guineas is all about Capetown Noir this year. He stands out head and shoulders as a horse who is going about his business showing all the right signs and doing all the correct things.
Something would have to go horribly wrong for him to be beaten by any of his twelve opponents. Banker him, sit back and enjoy the ride. It is thrilling watching champions in action.
